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 * Copyright (c) 1999, 2004, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.

 *

 * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it

 * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as

 * 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.

 *

 * 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,

 * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.

 *

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package javax.naming.spi;

import java.util.Hashtable;

import javax.naming.NamingException;

/**

  * This interface represents a builder that creates initial context factories.

  *<p>

  * The JNDI framework allows for different initial context implementations

  * to be specified at runtime.  An initial context is created using

  * an initial context factory. A program can install its own builder

  * that creates initial context factories, thereby overriding the

  * default policies used by the framework, by calling

  * NamingManager.setInitialContextFactoryBuilder().

  * The InitialContextFactoryBuilder interface must be implemented by

  * such a builder.

  *

  * @author Rosanna Lee

  * @author Scott Seligman

  *

  * @see InitialContextFactory

  * @see NamingManager#getInitialContext

  * @see NamingManager#setInitialContextFactoryBuilder

  * @see NamingManager#hasInitialContextFactoryBuilder

  * @see javax.naming.InitialContext

  * @see javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext

  * @since 1.3

  */

public interface InitialContextFactoryBuilder {

    /**

      * Creates an initial context factory using the specified

      * environment.

      *<p>

      * The environment parameter is owned by the caller.

      * The implementation will not modify the object or keep a reference

      * to it, although it may keep a reference to a clone or copy.

      *

      * @param environment Environment used in creating an initial

      *                 context implementation. Can be null.

      * @return A non-null initial context factory.

      * @exception NamingException If an initial context factory could not be created.

      */

    public InitialContextFactory

        createInitialContextFactory(Hashtable<?,?> environment)

        throws NamingException;

}