/*
 * Copyright 2002 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
 * SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
 */

package javax.security.auth.callback;

/**
 * <p> An application implements a <code>CallbackHandler</code> and passes
 * it to underlying security services so that they may interact with
 * the application to retrieve specific authentication data,
 * such as usernames and passwords, or to display certain information,
 * such as error and warning messages.
 * 
 * <p> CallbackHandlers are implemented in an application-dependent fashion.
 * For example, implementations for an application with a graphical user 
 * interface (GUI) may pop up windows to prompt for requested information
 * or to display error messages.  An implementation may also choose to obtain
 * requested information from an alternate source without asking the end user.
 *
 * <p> Underlying security services make requests for different types
 * of information by passing individual Callbacks to the
 * <code>CallbackHandler</code>.  The <code>CallbackHandler</code>
 * implementation decides how to retrieve and display information
 * depending on the Callbacks passed to it.  For example,
 * if the underlying service needs a username and password to
 * authenticate a user, it uses a <code>NameCallback</code> and
 * <code>PasswordCallback</code>.  The <code>CallbackHandler</code>
 * can then choose to prompt for a username and password serially,
 * or to prompt for both in a single window.
 *
 * @version 1.9, 01/11/00
 */
public interface CallbackHandler {

    /**
     * <p> Retrieve or display the information requested in the
     * provided Callbacks.
     *
     * <p> The <code>handle</code> method implementation checks the
     * instance(s) of the <code>Callback</code> object(s) passed in
     * to retrieve or display the requested information.
     * The following example is provided to help demonstrate what an
     * <code>handle</code> method implementation might look like.
     * This example code is for guidance only.  Many details,
     * including proper error handling, are left out for simplicity.
     *
     * <pre>
     * public void handle(Callback[] callbacks)
     * throws IOException, UnsupportedCallbackException {
     *
     *	 for (int i = 0; i < callbacks.length; i++) {
     *	    if (callbacks[i] instanceof TextOutputCallback) {
     * 
     *		// display the message according to the specified type
     *		TextOutputCallback toc = (TextOutputCallback)callbacks[i];
     *		switch (toc.getMessageType()) {
     *		case TextOutputCallback.INFORMATION:
     *		    System.out.println(td.getMessage());
     *		    break;
     *		case TextOutputCallback.ERROR:
     *		    System.out.println("ERROR: " + td.getMessage());
     *		    break;
     *		case TextOutputCallback.WARNING:
     *		    System.out.println("WARNING: " + td.getMessage());
     *		    break;
     *		default:
     *		    throw new IOException("Unsupported message type: " +
     *					td.getMessageType());
     *		}
     *
     *	    } else if (callbacks[i] instanceof NameCallback) {
     * 
     *		// prompt the user for a username
     *		NameCallback nc = (NameCallback)callbacks[i];
     * 
     *		// ignore the provided defaultName
     *		System.err.print(nc.getPrompt());
     *		System.err.flush();
     *		nc.setName((new BufferedReader
     *			(new InputStreamReader(System.in))).readLine());
     *
     *	    } else if (callbacks[i] instanceof PasswordCallback) {
     * 
     *		// prompt the user for sensitive information
     *		PasswordCallback pc = (PasswordCallback)callbacks[i];
     *		System.err.print(pc.getPrompt());
     *		System.err.flush();
     *		pc.setPassword(readPassword(System.in));
     * 
     *	    } else {
     *		throw new UnsupportedCallbackException
     *			(callbacks[i], "Unrecognized Callback");
     *	    }
     *	 }
     * }
     *  
     * // Reads user password from given input stream.
     * private char[] readPassword(InputStream in) throws IOException {
     *    // insert code to read a user password from the input stream 
     * }
     * </pre>
     *
     * @param callbacks an array of <code>Callback</code> objects provided
     *		by an underlying security service which contains
     *		the information requested to be retrieved or displayed.
     *
     * @exception java.io.IOException if an input or output error occurs. <p>
     *
     * @exception UnsupportedCallbackException if the implementation of this
     *		method does not support one or more of the Callbacks
     *		specified in the <code>callbacks</code> parameter.
     */
    void handle(Callback[] callbacks)
    throws java.io.IOException, UnsupportedCallbackException;
}