/*

* #%L

* SciJava Common shared library for SciJava software.

* %%

* Copyright (C) 2009 - 2026 SciJava developers.

* %%

* Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without

* modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

*

* 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,

* this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

* 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,

* this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation

* and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

*

* THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS"

* AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE

* IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE

* ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE

* LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR

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* #L%

*/

package org.scijava;

/**

* An interface declaring the ability to create objects.

*

* @param <T> The type of objects that can be created.

* @author Curtis Rueden

*/

public interface Instantiable<T> {

/**

* Gets the fully qualified name of the {@link Class} of the objects that can

* be created.

*/

String getClassName();

/**

* Loads the class corresponding to the objects that are created by

* {@link #createInstance()}.

* <p>

* Note that this class may not be precisely {@code T.class} but instead a

* subclass thereof.

* </p>

*

* @see org.scijava.plugin.PluginInfo for an example of an

* {@code Instantiable} type that typically instantiates objects of a

* subtype of {@code T} rather than {@code T} itself.

*/

Class<? extends T> loadClass() throws InstantiableException;

/** Creates an object. */

T createInstance() throws InstantiableException;

}