Transformable.java

/*
 * Copyright 2005 The Apache Software Foundation.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License")
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package net.sf.beanlib.spi;

import net.sf.beanlib.PropertyInfo;

/**
 * Object Transformer.
 * 
 * @author Joe D. Velopar
 */
public interface Transformable {
    /**
     * Returns an object transformed from the input object with the given target class.
     * 
     * @param in the input object to be transformed. If propertyInfo is non-null, the input object is a JavaBean
     *            property value.
     * @param toClass the target class to be transformed to.
     * @param propertyInfo If null, it means the in object is a root level object. Otherwise, propertyInfo contains
     *            information about the input object as a java bean property value to be transformed.
     * @return the transformed object.
     */
    public <T> T transform(Object in, Class<T> toClass, PropertyInfo propertyInfo);
}