1 /*
   2  * Copyright (c) 2005, 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
   3  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
   4  *
   5  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   6  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
   7  * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
   8  * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
   9  * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
  10  *
  11  * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
  12  * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
  13  * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
  14  * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
  15  * accompanied this code).
  16  *
  17  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
  18  * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
  19  * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
  20  *
  21  * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
  22  * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
  23  * questions.
  24  */
  25 
  26 package javax.lang.model.element;
  27 
  28 import javax.lang.model.util.Elements;
  29 
  30 /**
  31  * Represents a field, {@code enum} constant, method or constructor
  32  * parameter, local variable, resource variable, or exception
  33  * parameter.
  34  *
  35  * @author Joseph D. Darcy
  36  * @author Scott Seligman
  37  * @author Peter von der Ahé
  38  * @since 1.6
  39  */
  40 public interface VariableElement extends Element {
  41 
  42     /**
  43      * Returns the value of this variable if this is a {@code final}
  44      * field initialized to a compile-time constant.  Returns {@code
  45      * null} otherwise.  The value will be of a primitive type or a
  46      * {@code String}.  If the value is of a primitive type, it is
  47      * wrapped in the appropriate wrapper class (such as {@link
  48      * Integer}).
  49      *
  50      * <p>Note that not all {@code final} fields will have
  51      * constant values.  In particular, {@code enum} constants are
  52      * <em>not</em> considered to be compile-time constants.  To have a
  53      * constant value, a field's type must be either a primitive type
  54      * or {@code String}.
  55      *
  56      * @return the value of this variable if this is a {@code final}
  57      * field initialized to a compile-time constant, or {@code null}
  58      * otherwise
  59      *
  60      * @see Elements#getConstantExpression(Object)
  61      * @jls 15.28 Constant Expression
  62      * @jls 4.12.4 final Variables
  63      */
  64     Object getConstantValue();
  65 
  66     /**
  67      * Returns the simple name of this variable element.
  68      *
  69      * <p>For method and constructor parameters, the names of each
  70      * parameter must be distinct from the names of the other
  71      * parameters on the same executable.  If the original source
  72      * names are not available, an implementation may synthesize
  73      * names subject to the distinctness requirement above.
  74      *
  75      * @return the simple name of this variable element
  76      */
  77     @Override
  78     Name getSimpleName();
  79 
  80     /**
  81      * Returns the enclosing element of this variable.
  82      *
  83      * The enclosing element of a method or constructor parameter is
  84      * the executable declaring the parameter.
  85      *
  86      * @return the enclosing element of this variable
  87      */
  88     @Override
  89     Element getEnclosingElement();
  90 }