Package org.eclipse.jdt.core

Interface IAccessRule

public interface IAccessRule
Describes an access rule to source and class files on a classpath entry. An access rule is composed of a file pattern and a kind (accessible, non accessible, or discouraged).

On a given classpath entry, the access rules are considered in the order given when the entry was created. When a source or class file matches an access rule's pattern, the access rule's kind defines whether the file is considered accessible, non-accessible, or whether its access is discouraged. If the source or class file doesn't match any access rule, it is considered accessible. A source or class file that is not accessible or discouraged can still be referred to, but it is tagged as being not accessible - the Java builder will create a problem marker, for example. The severity of the marker created from a non-accessible rule is controlled through the JavaCore.COMPILER_PB_FORBIDDEN_REFERENCE compiler option. The severity of the marker created from a discouraged rule is controlled through the JavaCore.COMPILER_PB_DISCOURAGED_REFERENCE compiler option. Note this is different from inclusion and exclusion patterns on source classpath entries, where a source file that is excluded is not even compiled.

Files patterns look like relative file paths with wildcards and are interpreted relative to each entry's path. File patterns are case-sensitive and they can contain '**', '*' or '?' wildcards (see IClasspathEntry.getExclusionPatterns() for the full description of their syntax and semantics). Note that file patterns must not include the file extension. com/xyz/tests/MyClass is a valid file pattern, whereas com/xyz/tests/MyClass.class is not valid.

For example, if a classpath entry path is /Project/someLib.jar, there are no accessible rules, and there is one non-accessible rule with pattern com/xyz/tests/**, then class files like /Project/someLib.jar/com/xyz/Foo.class and /Project/someLib.jar/com/xyz/utils/Bar.class would be accessible, whereas /Project/someLib.jar/com/xyz/tests/T1.class and /Project/someLib.jar/com/xyz/tests/quick/T2.class would not be accessible.

Since:
3.1
See Also:
Restriction:
This interface is not intended to be implemented by clients.

  • Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type
    Field
    Description
    static final int
    IGNORE_IF_BETTER
    Flag indicating that whether a type matching this rule should be ignored iff a type with the same qualified name can be found on a later classpath entry with a better accessibility.
    static final int
    K_ACCESSIBLE
    Constant indicating that files matching the rule's pattern are accessible.
    static final int
    K_DISCOURAGED
    Constant indicating that access to the files matching the rule's pattern is discouraged.
    static final int
    K_NON_ACCESSIBLE
    Constant indicating that files matching the rule's pattern are non-accessible.

  • Method Summary

    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    int
    getKind()
    Returns the kind of this access rule (one of K_ACCESSIBLE, K_NON_ACCESSIBLE or K_DISCOURAGED).
    org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath
    getPattern()
    Returns the file pattern for this access rule.
    boolean
    ignoreIfBetter()
    Returns whether a type matching this rule should be ignored iff a type with the same qualified name can be found on a later classpath entry with a better accessibility.

  • Field Details

    • K_ACCESSIBLE

      static final int K_ACCESSIBLE
      Constant indicating that files matching the rule's pattern are accessible.
      See Also:

    • K_NON_ACCESSIBLE

      static final int K_NON_ACCESSIBLE
      Constant indicating that files matching the rule's pattern are non-accessible.
      See Also:

    • K_DISCOURAGED

      static final int K_DISCOURAGED
      Constant indicating that access to the files matching the rule's pattern is discouraged.
      See Also:

    • IGNORE_IF_BETTER

      static final int IGNORE_IF_BETTER

      Flag indicating that whether a type matching this rule should be ignored iff a type with the same qualified name can be found on a later classpath entry with a better accessibility.

      E.g. if a type p.X matches a rule K_NON_ACCESSIBLE | IGNORE_IF_BETTER on a library entry 'lib1' and another type p.X also matches a rule K_DISCOURAGED on library entry 'lib2' ('lib2' being after 'lib1' on the classpath), then p.X from 'lib2' will be used and reported as discouraged.

      Since:
      3.2
      See Also:

  • Method Details

    • getPattern

      org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath getPattern()
      Returns the file pattern for this access rule.
      Returns:
      the file pattern for this access rule
      See Also:

    • getKind

      int getKind()
      Returns the kind of this access rule (one of K_ACCESSIBLE, K_NON_ACCESSIBLE or K_DISCOURAGED).
      Returns:
      the kind of this access rule

    • ignoreIfBetter

      boolean ignoreIfBetter()

      Returns whether a type matching this rule should be ignored iff a type with the same qualified name can be found on a later classpath entry with a better accessibility.

      E.g. if a type p.X matches a rule K_NON_ACCESSIBLE | IGNORE_IF_BETTER on a library entry 'lib1' and another type p.X also matches a rule K_DISCOURAGED on library entry 'lib2' ('lib2' being after 'lib1' on the classpath), then p.X from 'lib2' will be used and reported as discouraged.

      Returns:
      whether a type matching this rule should be ignored iff a type with the same qualified name can be found on a later classpath entry with a better accessibility
      Since:
      3.2