/*
 * CDDL HEADER START
 *
 * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of the
 * Common Development and Distribution License, Version 1.0 only
 * (the "License").  You may not use this file except in compliance
 * with the License.
 *
 * You can obtain a copy of the license at legal-notices/CDDLv1_0.txt
 * or http://forgerock.org/license/CDDLv1.0.html.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions
 * and limitations under the License.
 *
 * When distributing Covered Code, include this CDDL HEADER in each
 * file and include the License file at legal-notices/CDDLv1_0.txt.
 * If applicable, add the following below this CDDL HEADER, with the
 * fields enclosed by brackets "[]" replaced with your own identifying
 * information:
 *      Portions Copyright [yyyy] [name of copyright owner]
 *
 * CDDL HEADER END
 *
 *
 *      Copyright 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
 */
package org.forgerock.opendj.config;

/**
 * This interface is used to determine the "best match" managed object
 * definition in a definition hierarchy.
 * <p>
 * Managed object definitions, like Java classes, are arranged in an inheritance
 * hierarchy. When managed objects are decoded (e.g. from LDAP entries), the
 * driver implementation is provided with an
 * "expected managed object definition". However, the actual decoded managed
 * object is often an instance of a sub-type of this definition. For example,
 * when decoding a connection handler managed object, the actual type can never
 * be a connection handler because it is an abstract managed object type.
 * Instead, the decoded managed object must be a "concrete" sub-type: an LDAP
 * connection handler or JMX connection handler.
 * <p>
 * This resolution process is coordinated by the
 * <code>resolveManagedObjectDefinition</code> method in managed object
 * definitions, where it is passed a <code>DefinitionResolver</code>
 * implementation. The <code>resolveManagedObjectDefinition</code> method takes
 * care of recursively descending through the definition hierarchy and invokes
 * the {@link #matches(AbstractManagedObjectDefinition)} method against each
 * potential sub-type. It is the job of the resolver to indicate whether the
 * provided managed object definition is a candidate definition. For example,
 * the LDAP driver provides a definition resolver which uses the decoded LDAP
 * entry's object classes to determine the final appropriate managed object
 * definition.
 */
public interface DefinitionResolver {

    /**
     * Determines whether or not the provided managed object definition matches
     * this resolver's criteria.
     *
     * @param d
     *            The managed object definition.
     * @return Returns <code>true</code> if the the provided managed object
     *         definition matches this resolver's criteria.
     */
    boolean matches(AbstractManagedObjectDefinition<?, ?> d);
}