/*
 * $Id: ElementFactory.java,v 1.1.1.1 2000/11/23 01:53:35 edwingo Exp $
 *
 * The Apache Software License, Version 1.1
 *
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2000 The Apache Software Foundation.  All rights 
 * reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 *
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 
 *
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
 *    the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
 *    distribution.
 *
 * 3. The end-user documentation included with the redistribution,
 *    if any, must include the following acknowledgment:  
 *       "This product includes software developed by the
 *        Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/)."
 *    Alternately, this acknowledgment may appear in the software itself,
 *    if and wherever such third-party acknowledgments normally appear.
 *
 * 4. The names "Crimson" and "Apache Software Foundation" must
 *    not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
 *    software without prior written permission. For written 
 *    permission, please contact apache@apache.org.
 *
 * 5. Products derived from this software may not be called "Apache",
 *    nor may "Apache" appear in their name, without prior written
 *    permission of the Apache Software Foundation.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED
 * WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
 * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
 * DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE APACHE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION OR
 * ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
 * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 * LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF
 * USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
 * ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
 * OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT
 * OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 * SUCH DAMAGE.
 * ====================================================================
 *
 * This software consists of voluntary contributions made by many
 * individuals on behalf of the Apache Software Foundation and was
 * originally based on software copyright (c) 1999, Sun Microsystems, Inc., 
 * http://www.sun.com.  For more information on the Apache Software 
 * Foundation, please see <http://www.apache.org/>.
 */

package org.apache.crimson.tree;

import org.w3c.dom.Element;


/**
 * This interface defines a factory which can be used by documents
 * to provide namespace-aware element creation.
 *
 * <P> A variety of implementation techniques are possible for this
 * interface.  Among them are compiled-in mappings between element
 * names and classes, mappings defined in configuration files, ones
 * derived from the document as it is parsed, and using namespaces
 * to identify packages to be used with classes whose names correspond
 * to elements.
 *
 * <P> DOM implementations will have constraints on the implementation
 * classes returned by this factory, typically that they be subclasses
 * of their implementation base class.
 *
 * @see DocumentEx
 *
 * @author David Brownell
 * @version $Revision: 1.1.1.1 $
 */
public interface ElementFactory
{
    /**
     * This is like the DOM <em>Document.createElement</em> method,
     * except that its return type is different.
     */
    public ElementEx createElementEx (String tag);

    /**
     * Returns an element which may be specialized to support application
     * specific behaviors as associated with the specified namespace.
     */
    public ElementEx createElementEx (String uri, String tag);
}