package org.naftulin.configmgr;

 import java.util.List;

 /**

  * Configuration Management provides a convinient way to manage configuration for your programs.

  * Alows to load and reload configurations, add configuration, list all the configurations and

  * returns configuration manager interface. Configuration manager interface returns configuration

  * based on the key.

  *  

  * @author Henry Naftulin

  * @since 1.0

  */

 public interface ConfigurationManagement {

         /**

          * Returns configuration manager created by the configuration management engine.

          * @return configuration manager.

          */

         ConfigurationManager getConfigurationManager();

         /**

          * Reloades configurations stored in the configuration management engine. The

          * configurations are read again, parsed and stored.

          * @throws ConfigurationManagerException if a problem occurs while reading or parsing the configurations.

          */

         void reload() throws ConfigurationManagerException;

         /**

          * Returns {@link ConfigurationManagementEntry configuration management entry} based on the key passed.

          * @param key key the entry is stored under

          * @return configuration management entry based on the key passed

          * @throws ConfigurationManagerException if the entry is not found.

          */

         ConfigurationManagementEntry getConfigurationManagmentEntry(String key) throws ConfigurationManagerException;

         /**

          * Adds a {@link ConfigurationManagementEntry configuration management entry}. Entries added this way will be lost when 

          * the reload fucntionality is invoked.

          * @param entry configuration managemet entry

          * @throws EntryInErrorException if the entry is not configured properly, for example if the key is not supplied.

          */

         void addConfigurationManagmentEntry(ConfigurationManagementEntry entry) throws EntryInErrorException;

         /**

          * Returns a list of {@link ConfigurationManagementEntry configuration management entries} managed by this configuration managment engine.

          * @return a list of {@link ConfigurationManagementEntry configuration management entries} managed by this configuration managment engine.

          */

         List<ConfigurationManagementEntry> getConfigurationManagmentEntries();

         /**

          * Returns true if configuration Management has loaded configurations. Returns false

          * before that point. After instantiation, we can confgure where configuration master

          * record is read from. Once the master record is configured, we will be able to reload

          * configuration manager. Reloading configuration manager will load all configurations,

          * and the flag will switch to initialized.  

          * @return true if configuration Management has loaded configurations.        

          */

         boolean isInitialized();

 }