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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

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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).

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version

 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,

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package java.awt.im.spi;

import java.awt.AWTException;

import java.awt.Image;

import java.util.Locale;

/**

 * Defines methods that provide sufficient information about an input method

 * to enable selection and loading of that input method.

 * The input method itself is only loaded when it is actually used.

 *

 * @since 1.3

 */

public interface InputMethodDescriptor {

    /**

     * Returns the locales supported by the corresponding input method.

     * The locale may describe just the language, or may also include

     * country and variant information if needed.

     * The information is used to select input methods by locale

     * ({@link java.awt.im.InputContext#selectInputMethod(Locale)}). It may also

     * be used to sort input methods by locale in a user-visible

     * list of input methods.

     * <p>

     * Only the input method's primary locales should be returned.

     * For example, if a Japanese input method also has a pass-through

     * mode for Roman characters, typically still only Japanese would

     * be returned. Thus, the list of locales returned is typically

     * a subset of the locales for which the corresponding input method's

     * implementation of {@link java.awt.im.spi.InputMethod#setLocale} returns true.

     * <p>

     * If {@link #hasDynamicLocaleList} returns true, this method is

     * called each time the information is needed. This

     * gives input methods that depend on network resources the chance

     * to add or remove locales as resources become available or

     * unavailable.

     *

     * @return the locales supported by the input method

     * @exception AWTException if it can be determined that the input method

     * is inoperable, for example, because of incomplete installation.

     */

    Locale[] getAvailableLocales() throws AWTException;

    /**

     * Returns whether the list of available locales can change

     * at runtime. This may be the case, for example, for adapters

     * that access real input methods over the network.

     */

    boolean hasDynamicLocaleList();

    /**

     * Returns the user-visible name of the corresponding

     * input method for the given input locale in the language in which

     * the name will be displayed.

     * <p>

     * The inputLocale parameter specifies the locale for which text

     * is input.

     * This parameter can only take values obtained from this descriptor's

     * {@link #getAvailableLocales} method or null. If it is null, an

     * input locale independent name for the input method should be

     * returned.

     * <p>

     * If a name for the desired display language is not available, the

     * method may fall back to some other language.

     *

     * @param inputLocale the locale for which text input is supported, or null

     * @param displayLanguage the language in which the name will be displayed

     */

    String getInputMethodDisplayName(Locale inputLocale, Locale displayLanguage);

    /**

     * Returns an icon for the corresponding input method.

     * The icon may be used by a user interface for selecting input methods.

     * <p>

     * The inputLocale parameter specifies the locale for which text

     * is input.

     * This parameter can only take values obtained from this descriptor's

     * {@link #getAvailableLocales} method or null. If it is null, an

     * input locale independent icon for the input method should be

     * returned.

     * <p>

     * The icon's size should be 16×16 pixels.

     *

     * @param inputLocale the locale for which text input is supported, or null

     * @return an icon for the corresponding input method, or null

     */

    Image getInputMethodIcon(Locale inputLocale);

    /**

     * Creates a new instance of the corresponding input method.

     *

     * @return a new instance of the corresponding input method

     * @exception Exception any exception that may occur while creating the

     * input method instance

     */

    InputMethod createInputMethod() throws Exception;

}