1 /*
   2  * Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 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 java.security.cert;
  27 
  28 /**
  29  * A specification of <code>CertStore</code> parameters.
  30  * <p>
  31  * The purpose of this interface is to group (and provide type safety for)
  32  * all <code>CertStore</code> parameter specifications. All
  33  * <code>CertStore</code> parameter specifications must implement this
  34  * interface.
  35  * <p>
  36  * Typically, a <code>CertStoreParameters</code> object is passed as a parameter
  37  * to one of the {@link CertStore#getInstance CertStore.getInstance} methods.
  38  * The <code>getInstance</code> method returns a <code>CertStore</code> that
  39  * is used for retrieving <code>Certificate</code>s and <code>CRL</code>s. The
  40  * <code>CertStore</code> that is returned is initialized with the specified
  41  * parameters. The type of parameters needed may vary between different types
  42  * of <code>CertStore</code>s.
  43  *
  44  * @see CertStore#getInstance
  45  *
  46  * @since       1.4
  47  * @author      Steve Hanna
  48  */
  49 public interface CertStoreParameters extends Cloneable {
  50 
  51     /**
  52      * Makes a copy of this <code>CertStoreParameters</code>.
  53      * <p>
  54      * The precise meaning of "copy" may depend on the class of
  55      * the <code>CertStoreParameters</code> object. A typical implementation
  56      * performs a "deep copy" of this object, but this is not an absolute
  57      * requirement. Some implementations may perform a "shallow copy" of some
  58      * or all of the fields of this object.
  59      * <p>
  60      * Note that the <code>CertStore.getInstance</code> methods make a copy
  61      * of the specified <code>CertStoreParameters</code>. A deep copy
  62      * implementation of <code>clone</code> is safer and more robust, as it
  63      * prevents the caller from corrupting a shared <code>CertStore</code> by
  64      * subsequently modifying the contents of its initialization parameters.
  65      * However, a shallow copy implementation of <code>clone</code> is more
  66      * appropriate for applications that need to hold a reference to a
  67      * parameter contained in the <code>CertStoreParameters</code>. For example,
  68      * a shallow copy clone allows an application to release the resources of
  69      * a particular <code>CertStore</code> initialization parameter immediately,
  70      * rather than waiting for the garbage collection mechanism. This should
  71      * be done with the utmost care, since the <code>CertStore</code> may still
  72      * be in use by other threads.
  73      * <p>
  74      * Each subclass should state the precise behavior of this method so
  75      * that users and developers know what to expect.
  76      *
  77      * @return a copy of this <code>CertStoreParameters</code>
  78      */
  79     Object clone();
  80 }