A browser with JavaScript enabled is required for this page to operate properly.
Trail: JavaBeans(TM)
Lesson: Using the BeanContext API
Overview of the BeanContext API
Home Page > JavaBeans(TM) > Using the BeanContext API

Overview of the BeanContext API

The Extensible Runtime Containment and Services Protocol supports extensible mechanisms that:

In English, this means that there now exists a standard mechanism through which Java developers can logically group a set of related JavaBeans into a "context" that the beans can become aware of and/or interact with. This context, or "containing environment", is known as the BeanContext.

There are two distinct types of BeanContext included in this protocol: one which supports membership only (interface java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext) and one which supports membership and offers services (interface java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextServices) to its JavaBeans nested within.

To orient yourself with the classes and interfaces of java.beans.beancontext, take a minute to look over the following hierarchy diagram. You will notice that the majority of the package is defined as interfaces, which allow for multiple inheritance.

Inheritance Diagram of the BeanContext API

The classes and interfaces relevant to the BeanContext API are listed in the following diagrams. As you study the diagrams, take note of the BeanContext and BeanContextServices interfaces, and that each has its own concrete implementation that you can subclass or instantiate directly (classes java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextSupport and java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextServicesSupport respectively). Also take note of the location of the java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextChild interface. This is the interface that allows nested JavaBeans to become aware of their enclosing BeanContext.

Diagram showing the bean support classes

Diagram showing the bean interfaces.

Diagram showing the bean event classes.

Diagram showing the bean listener classes.

Diagram showing the bean proxy interfaces.

Diagram showing the BeanInfo interfaces.


Problems with the examples? Try Compiling and Running the Examples: FAQs.
Complaints? Compliments? Suggestions? Give us your feedback.

Previous page: Using the BeanContext API
Next page: Bean Context #1: Containment Only