/* $Id: PropPanelFactory.java 17881 2010-01-12 21:09:28Z linus $

  *****************************************************************************

  * Copyright (c) 2009 Contributors - see below

  * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials

  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0

  * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at

  * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html

  *

  * Contributors:

  *    bobtarling

  *****************************************************************************

  *

  * Some portions of this file was previously release using the BSD License:

  */

 // Copyright (c) 2008 The Regents of the University of California. All

 // Rights Reserved. Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this

 // software and its documentation without fee, and without a written

 // agreement is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice

 // and this paragraph appear in all copies. This software program and

 // documentation are copyrighted by The Regents of the University of

 // California. The software program and documentation are supplied "AS

 // IS", without any accompanying services from The Regents. The Regents

 // does not warrant that the operation of the program will be

 // uninterrupted or error-free. The end-user understands that the program

 // was developed for research purposes and is advised not to rely

 // exclusively on the program for any reason. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE

 // UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT,

 // SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS,

 // ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF

 // THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF

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 package org.argouml.uml.ui;

 import javax.swing.JPanel;

 /**

  * Interface for a factory of proppanels, 

  * which are created based on a given object.

  *

  * @author Michiel

  */

 public interface PropPanelFactory {

     /**

      * This method shall test the type of the given object,

      * and if recognised, create a new instance of a PropPanel. <p>

      * 

      * If the object type is not something this factory 

      * knows how to deal with, then null shall be returned

      * (do NOT throw an exception). <p>

      * 

      * If the given object falls within a class of objects 

      * that this factory is the exclusive factory for,

      * then it is allowed to throw an exception if 

      * the object is invalid/unknown. However,

      * be careful not to break the possibility to extend ArgoUML.  

      *  

      * @param object the object to create a new PropPanel for

      * @return the new proppanel or null

      */

     JPanel createPropPanel(Object object);

 }