/*
 * @(#)DesignMode.java	1.11 00/02/02
 *
 * Copyright 1997-2000 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 * 
 * This software is the proprietary information of Sun Microsystems, Inc.  
 * Use is subject to license terms.
 * 
 */

package java.beans;

/**
 * <p>
 * This interface is intended to be implemented by, or delegated from, instances
 * of java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext, in order to propagate to its nested hierarchy
 * of java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextChild instances, the current "designTime" property.
 * <p>
 * The JavaBeans specification defines the notion of design time as is a 
 * mode in which JavaBeans instances should function during their composition
 * and customization in a interactive design, composition or construction tool,
 * as opposed to runtime when the JavaBean is part of an applet, application,
 * or other live Java executable abstraction.
 *
 * @author Laurence P. G. Cable
 * @version 1.11, 02/02/00
 * @since 1.2
 *
 * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext
 * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextChild
 * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextMembershipListener
 * @see java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent
 */

public interface DesignMode {

    /**
     * The standard value of the propertyName as fired from a BeanContext or
     * other source of PropertyChangeEvents.
     */

    static String PROPERTYNAME = "designTime";

    /**
     * Sets the "value" of the "designTime" property.
     * <p>
     * If the implementing object is an instance of java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext, 
     * or a subinterface thereof, then that BeanContext should fire a
     * PropertyChangeEvent, to its registered BeanContextMembershipListeners, with
     * parameters:
     * <ul>
     * 	  <li><code>propertyName</code> - <code>java.beans.DesignMode.PROPERTYNAME</code>
     *    <li><code>oldValue</code> - previous value of "designTime"
     *    <li><code>newValue</code> - current value of "designTime"
     * </ul>
     * Note it is illegal for a BeanContextChild to invoke this method
     * associated with a BeanContext that it is nested within.
     *
     * @param designTime  the current "value" of the "designTime" property
     * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext
     * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextMembershipListener
     * @see java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent
     */

    void setDesignTime(boolean designTime);

    /**
     * A value of true denotes that JavaBeans should behave in design time
     * mode, a value of false denotes runtime behavior.
     *
     * @return the current "value" of the "designTime" property.
     */

    boolean isDesignTime();
}