/* TypeVariable.java
   Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

This file is part of GNU Classpath.

GNU Classpath is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
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02110-1301 USA.

Linking this library statically or dynamically with other modules is
making a combined work based on this library.  Thus, the terms and
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permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an
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package java.lang.reflect;

/**
 * <p> 
 * This is a common interface for all type variables provided by
 * the Java language.  Instances are created the first time a type
 * variable is needed by one of the reflective methods declared in
 * this package.
 * </p>
 * <p> 
 * Creating a type variable requires resolving the appropriate type.
 * This may involve resolving other classes as a side effect (e.g.
 * if the type is nested inside other classes).  Creation should not
 * involve resolving the bounds.  Repeated creation has no effect; an
 * equivalent instance is returned.  Caching is not required, but all
 * instances must be <code>equal()</code> to each other.
 * </p>
 *
 * @author Tom Tromey (tromey@redhat.com)
 * @author Andrew John Hughes (gnu_andrew@member.fsf.org)
 * @since 1.5
 */ 
public interface TypeVariable<T extends GenericDeclaration> extends Type
{

  /**
   * Returns an array of <code>Type</code> objects which represent the upper
   * bounds of this type variable.  There is always a default bound of
   * <code>Object</code>.  Any <code>ParameterizedType</code>s will be
   * created as necessary, and other types resolved.
   *
   * @return an array of <code>Type</code> objects representing the upper
   *         bounds.
   * @throws TypeNotPresentException if any of the bounds refer to a
   *         non-existant type.
   * @throws MalformedParameterizedTypeException if the creation of a
   *         <code>ParameterizedType</code> fails.
   */
  Type[] getBounds();


  /**
   * Returns a representation of the declaration used to declare this
   * type variable.
   *
   * @return the <code>GenericDeclaration</code> object for this type
   *         variable.
   */
  T getGenericDeclaration();

  /**
   * Returns the name of the type variable, as written in the source
   * code.
   *
   * @return the name of the type variable.
   */
  String getName();
}