net.jini.lookup.ui
Interface AboutUI

public interface AboutUI

UI role interface implemented by About UIs, which enable users to view (or in some way experience) information about a service. If a UI descriptor's UI factory produces a UI that implements this interface (i.e., produces a About UI), the UI descriptor's role field must reference a String with the value "net.jini.lookup.ui.AboutUI".

The first parameter of any factory method declared in a UI factory type is an object called the "role object." Any factory method that produces an About UI must accept as the role object the service item (the net.jini.core.lookup.ServiceItem) of the service with which the About UI is associated.

About UIs should allow clients to configure them before they begin. For example, About UIs produced by FrameFactory, JFrameFactory, WindowFactory and JWindowFactory (all members of the net.jini.lookup.ui.factory package) should not be visible when they are returned from the factory method. This allows clients to set the UI's position and size, for example, before making the UI visible by invoking setVisible(true) on the UI.

A client should be able to invoke a About UI factory method multiple times sequentially. In other words, if a user uses a service via a About UI, then says exit, then double clicks once again on the service icon, the client can just simply invoke a UI factory method again, and get another About UI for the same service. About UIs, therefore, should be written so that they work no matter what state the service object happens to be in when the About UI is created.

It is recommended that clients use multiple About UIs for the same service only sequentially, and avoid creating multiple About UIs for the same service that operate concurrently with one another. But because some clients may create and use multiple About UIs at the same time for the same service, providers of services and About UIs should program defensively, to ensure that multiple About UIs for the same service at the same time will all work together concurrently.

Field Summary

static java.lang.String

ROLE Convenience constant to use in the role field of UIDescriptors for AboutUI role UIs.

Field Detail

ROLE

public static final java.lang.String ROLE

Convenience constant to use in the role field of UIDescriptors for AboutUI role UIs. The value of this constant is "net.jini.lookup.ui.AboutUI".