/*
 * @(#)Transferable.java	1.8 00/02/02
 *
 * Copyright 1996-2000 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 * 
 * This software is the proprietary information of Sun Microsystems, Inc.  
 * Use is subject to license terms.
 * 
 */

package java.awt.datatransfer;

import java.io.IOException;

/**
 * Defines the interface for classes that can be used to provide data
 * for a transfer operation.
 *
 * @version 	1.8, 02/02/00
 * @author	Amy Fowler  
 */

public interface Transferable {

    /**
     * Returns an array of DataFlavor objects indicating the flavors the data 
     * can be provided in.  The array should be ordered according to preference
     * for providing the data (from most richly descriptive to least descriptive).
     * @return an array of data flavors in which this data can be transferred
     */
    public DataFlavor[] getTransferDataFlavors();

    /**
     * Returns whether or not the specified data flavor is supported for
     * this object.
     * @param flavor the requested flavor for the data
     * @return boolean indicating wjether or not the data flavor is supported
     */
    public boolean isDataFlavorSupported(DataFlavor flavor);

    /**
     * Returns an object which represents the data to be transferred.  The class 
     * of the object returned is defined by the representation class of the flavor.
     *
     * @param flavor the requested flavor for the data
     * @see DataFlavor#getRepresentationClass
     * @exception IOException                if the data is no longer available
     *              in the requested flavor.
     * @exception UnsupportedFlavorException if the requested data flavor is
     *              not supported.
     */
    public Object getTransferData(DataFlavor flavor) throws UnsupportedFlavorException, IOException;

}