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package com.sun.jdi;


The mirror for a type in the target VM.
This interface is the root of a type hierarchy encompassing primitive
types and reference types.


A Type may be used to represent a run-time type:

 Value.type() 

or a compile-time type:

 Field.type() 
 Method.returnType() 
 Method.argumentTypes() 
 LocalVariable.type() 
 ArrayType.componentType() 



The following tables illustrate which subinterfaces of Type
are used to mirror types in the target VM --


Subinterfaces of PrimitiveType



  Type declared in target as
  Is mirrored as an instance of





  boolean
   BooleanType


  byte
  ByteType


  char
  CharType


  double
  DoubleType


  float
  FloatType


  int
  IntegerType


  long
  LongType


  short
  ShortType


  void
  VoidType






Subinterfaces of ReferenceType



  Type declared in target as
  For example
  Is mirrored as an instance of





  a class
  Date
  ClassType


  an interface
  Runnable
  InterfaceType


  an array
  (any)
  ArrayType


  
  int[]
  ArrayType whose componentType() is IntegerType


  
  Date[]
  ArrayType whose componentType() is ClassType


  
  Runnable[]
  ArrayType whose componentType() is InterfaceType





Author:Robert Field, Gordon Hirsch, James McIlree
See Also:
Since: 1.3
/**
 * The mirror for a type in the target VM.
 * This interface is the root of a type hierarchy encompassing primitive
 * types and reference types.
 * <P>
 * A Type may be used to represent a run-time type:
 * <BLOCKQUOTE>
 *   {@link Value}.type()
 * </BLOCKQUOTE>
 * or a compile-time type:
 * <BLOCKQUOTE>
 *  {@link Field#type()} <BR>
 *  {@link Method#returnType()} <BR>
 *  {@link Method#argumentTypes()} <BR>
 *  {@link LocalVariable#type()} <BR>
 *  {@link ArrayType#componentType()}
 * </BLOCKQUOTE>
 * <P>
 * The following tables illustrate which subinterfaces of Type
 * are used to mirror types in the target VM --
 * <TABLE class="plain">
 * <CAPTION>Subinterfaces of {@link PrimitiveType}</CAPTION>
 * <THEAD style="background-color:#EEEEFF; text-align:left">
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="col" style="width:25em">Type declared in target as</TH>
 *   <TH scope="col" style="width:20em">Is mirrored as an instance of</TH>
 * </THEAD>
 * <TBODY style="text-align:left">
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>boolean</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD> {@link BooleanType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>byte</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ByteType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>char</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link CharType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>double</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link DoubleType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>float</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link FloatType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>int</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link IntegerType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>long</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link LongType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>short</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ShortType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>void</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link VoidType}</TD>
 * </TBODY>
 * </TABLE>
 *
 * <TABLE class="plain">
 * <CAPTION>Subinterfaces of {@link ReferenceType}</CAPTION>
 * <THEAD style="background-color:#EEEEFF; text-align:left">
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="col" style="width:15em">Type declared in target as</TH>
 *   <TH scope="col" style="width:10em">For example</TH>
 *   <TH scope="col" style="width:20em">Is mirrored as an instance of</TH>
 * </THEAD>
 * <TBODY style="text-align:left">
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><I>a class</I></TH>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>Date</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ClassType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row"><I>an interface</I></TH>
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>Runnable</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link InterfaceType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <TH scope="row" rowspan="4"><I>an array</I></TH>
 *   <TH scope="row"><i>(any)</i></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ArrayType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <!--<TH scope="row"><I>an array</I></TH>-->
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>int[]</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ArrayType} whose
 *         {@link ArrayType#componentType() componentType()} is
 *         {@link IntegerType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <!--<TH scope="row"><I>an array</I></TH>-->
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>Date[]</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ArrayType} whose
 *         {@link ArrayType#componentType() componentType()} is
 *         {@link ClassType}</TD>
 * <TR>
 *   <!--<TH scope="row"><I>an array</I></TH>-->
 *   <TH scope="row"><CODE>Runnable[]</CODE></TH>
 *   <TD>{@link ArrayType} whose
 *         {@link ArrayType#componentType() componentType()} is
 *         {@link InterfaceType}</TD>
 * </TBODY>
 * </TABLE>
 *
 * @see PrimitiveType Subinterface PrimitiveType
 * @see ReferenceType Subinterface ReferenceType
 * @see Value Value - for relationship between Type and Value
 * @see Field#type() Field.type() - for usage examples
 *
 * @author Robert Field
 * @author Gordon Hirsch
 * @author James McIlree
 * @since  1.3
 */
public interface Type extends Mirror {

    
Returns the type signature for this type. The result is of the same form as the string returned by Class.descriptorString(). The returned string is a type descriptor conforming to JVMS {@jvms 4.3.2} if this type can be described nominally. Otherwise, the returned string is not a type descriptor. 
Returns:the type signature
/**
     * Returns the type signature for this type.  The result is of the same
     * form as the string returned by {@link Class#descriptorString()}.
     * The returned string is a type descriptor conforming to JVMS {@jvms 4.3.2}
     * if this type can be described nominally.  Otherwise, the returned string
     * is not a type descriptor.
     *
     * @return the type signature
     */
    String signature();

    
Returns the name of this type. The result is of the same form as the name returned by Class.getName(). The returned name may not be a binary name.

Returns:the name of this type
/**
     * Returns the name of this type. The result is of the same form as
     * the name returned by {@link Class#getName()}.
     * The returned name may not be a
     * <a href="{@docRoot}/java.base/java/lang/ClassLoader.html#binary-name">binary name</a>.
     *
     * @return the name of this type
     */
    String name();
}