/*
 * Bean Validation API
 *
 * License: Apache License, Version 2.0
 * See the license.txt file in the root directory or <http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0>.
 */
package javax.validation;

Factory returning initialized Validator instances. 

Implementations are thread-safe and instances are typically cached and reused.
Author:
Emmanuel Bernard, Gunnar Morling, Hardy Ferentschik, Guillaume Smet/**
 * Factory returning initialized {@code Validator} instances.
 * <p>
 * Implementations are thread-safe and instances are typically cached and reused.
 *
 * @author Emmanuel Bernard
 * @author Gunnar Morling
 * @author Hardy Ferentschik
 * @author Guillaume Smet
 */
public interface ValidatorFactory extends AutoCloseable {

	
Returns an initialized Validator instance using the factory defaults for message interpolator, traversable resolver and constraint validator factory. 

Validator instances can be pooled and shared by the implementation.
Returns:
an initialized Validator instance/**
	 * Returns an initialized {@link Validator} instance using the
	 * factory defaults for message interpolator, traversable resolver
	 * and constraint validator factory.
	 * <p>
	 * Validator instances can be pooled and shared by the implementation.
	 *
	 * @return an initialized {@code Validator} instance
	 */
	Validator getValidator();

	
Defines a new validator context and returns a Validator compliant this new context. 
Returns:
a ValidatorContext instance/**
	 * Defines a new validator context and returns a {@code Validator}
	 * compliant this new context.
	 *
	 * @return a {@link ValidatorContext} instance
	 */
	ValidatorContext usingContext();

	
Returns the MessageInterpolator instance configured at initialization time for the ValidatorFactory. This is the instance used by getValidator(). 
Returns:
MessageInterpolator instance/**
	 * Returns the {@link MessageInterpolator} instance configured at
	 * initialization time for the {@code ValidatorFactory}.
	 * This is the instance used by {@link #getValidator()}.
	 *
	 * @return {@code MessageInterpolator} instance
	 */
	MessageInterpolator getMessageInterpolator();

	
Returns the TraversableResolver instance configured at initialization time for the ValidatorFactory. This is the instance used by getValidator(). 
Returns:
TraversableResolver instance/**
	 * Returns the {@link TraversableResolver} instance configured
	 * at initialization time for the {@code ValidatorFactory}.
	 * This is the instance used by {@link #getValidator()}.
	 *
	 * @return {@code TraversableResolver} instance
	 */
	TraversableResolver getTraversableResolver();

	
Returns the ConstraintValidatorFactory instance configured at initialization time for the ValidatorFactory. This is the instance used by getValidator(). 
Returns:
ConstraintValidatorFactory instance/**
	 * Returns the {@link ConstraintValidatorFactory} instance
	 * configured at initialization time for the
	 * {@code ValidatorFactory}.
	 * This is the instance used by {@link #getValidator()}.
	 *
	 * @return {@code ConstraintValidatorFactory} instance
	 */
	ConstraintValidatorFactory getConstraintValidatorFactory();

	
Returns the ParameterNameProvider instance configured at initialization time for the ValidatorFactory. This is the instance used by #getValidator(). 
Returns:
ParameterNameProvider instance
Since:
1.1/**
	 * Returns the {@link ParameterNameProvider} instance configured at
	 * initialization time for the {@code ValidatorFactory}.
	 * This is the instance used by #getValidator().
	 *
	 * @return {@code ParameterNameProvider} instance
	 *
	 * @since 1.1
	 */
	ParameterNameProvider getParameterNameProvider();

	
Returns the ClockProvider instance configured at initialization time for the ValidatorFactory. This is the instance used by #getValidator(). 
Returns:
ClockProvider instance
Since:
2.0/**
	 * Returns the {@link ClockProvider} instance configured at
	 * initialization time for the {@code ValidatorFactory}.
	 * This is the instance used by #getValidator().
	 *
	 * @return {@code ClockProvider} instance
	 *
	 * @since 2.0
	 */
	ClockProvider getClockProvider();

	
Returns an instance of the specified type allowing access to provider-specific APIs. If the Bean Validation provider implementation does not support the specified class, a ValidationException is thrown. 
Params:
type – the class of the object to be returned
Type parameters:
<T> – the type of the object to be returned
Throws:
ValidationException – if the provider does not
        support the call.
Returns:
an instance of the specified class/**
	 * Returns an instance of the specified type allowing access to
	 * provider-specific APIs. If the Bean Validation provider
	 * implementation does not support the specified class, a
	 * {@code ValidationException} is thrown.
	 *
	 * @param type the class of the object to be returned
	 * @param <T> the type of the object to be returned
	 * @return an instance of the specified class
	 * @throws ValidationException if the provider does not
	 *         support the call.
	 */
	public <T> T unwrap(Class<T> type);

	
Closes the ValidatorFactory instance. After the ValidatorFactory instance is closed, calling the following methods is not allowed: 

    
methods of this ValidatorFactory instance
    
methods of Validator instances created by this ValidatorFactory

Since:
1.1/**
	 * Closes the {@code ValidatorFactory} instance.
	 *
	 * After the {@code ValidatorFactory} instance is closed, calling the following
	 * methods is not allowed:
	 * <ul>
	 *     <li>methods of this {@code ValidatorFactory} instance</li>
	 *     <li>methods of {@link Validator} instances created by this
	 *     {@code ValidatorFactory}</li>
	 * </ul>
	 *
	 * @since 1.1
	 */
	@Override
	public void close();
}