src/java.datatransfer/share/classes/java/awt/datatransfer/Transferable.java

/*
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 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
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 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
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 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
 * accompanied this code).
 *
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package java.awt.datatransfer;

import java.io.IOException;

/**
 * Defines the interface for classes that can be used to provide data for a
 * transfer operation.
 * <p>
 * For information on using data transfer with Swing, see
 * <a href="http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/dnd/index.html">
 * How to Use Drag and Drop and Data Transfer</a>, a section in
 * <em>The Java Tutorial</em>, for more information.
 *
 * @author Amy Fowler
 * @since 1.1
 */
public interface Transferable {

    /**
     * Returns an array of DataFlavor objects indicating the flavors the data
     * can be provided in. The array should be ordered according to preference
     * for providing the data (from most richly descriptive to least
     * descriptive).
     *
     * @return an array of data flavors in which this data can be transferred
     */
    public DataFlavor[] getTransferDataFlavors();

    /**
     * Returns whether or not the specified data flavor is supported for this
     * object.
     *
     * @param  flavor the requested flavor for the data
     * @return boolean indicating whether or not the data flavor is supported
     */
    public boolean isDataFlavorSupported(DataFlavor flavor);

    /**
     * Returns an object which represents the data to be transferred. The class
     * of the object returned is defined by the representation class of the
     * flavor.
     *
     * @param  flavor the requested flavor for the data
     * @return an object which represents the data to be transferred
     * @throws IOException if the data is no longer available in the requested
     *         flavor
     * @throws UnsupportedFlavorException if the requested data flavor is not
     *         supported
     * @see DataFlavor#getRepresentationClass
     */
    public Object getTransferData(DataFlavor flavor) throws UnsupportedFlavorException, IOException;
}