/*
 * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of the Common Development and
 * Distribution License (the License). You may not use this file except in compliance with the
 * License.
 *
 * You can obtain a copy of the License at legal/CDDLv1.0.txt. See the License for the
 * specific language governing permission and limitations under the License.
 *
 * When distributing Covered Software, include this CDDL Header Notice in each file and include
 * the License file at legal/CDDLv1.0.txt. If applicable, add the following below the CDDL
 * Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by your own identifying
 * information: "Portions Copyright [year] [name of copyright owner]".
 *
 * Copyright 2006-2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
 */



/**
 * Defines the Directory Server plugin API.  Plugins are classes
 * containing user-defined code that will be executed at specific
 * times points during operation processing.  In particular, the
 * plugin points for operation processing include:
 * <BR>
 * <UL>
 *   <LI>
 *     Pre-parse plugins are invoked just before processing begins on
 *     an operation.  They may be used to transparently alter the
 *     contents of the request in some way.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Pre-operation plugins are invoked after a significant amount of
 *     validation has been performed on the request but just before
 *     the real heart of the core processing begins (e.g., the backend
 *     processing).
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Post-operation plugins are invoked just after the heart of the
 *     core processing on an operation but before the response is sent
 *     to the client.  They may be used to modify the response that
 *     will be sent and/or perform alternate processing for an
 *     operation in the event that the real core processing failed.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Post-response plugins are invoked after the response has been
 *     sent to the client and all other processing for the operation
 *     has completed.  They may be used for cases in which the plugin
 *     processing does not need to occur before the client receives
 *     the response for the operation.
 *   </LI>
 * </UL>
 * <BR>
 * These plugins may be invoked for most kinds of operations, although
 * certain types of operations like abandon and unbind do not have
 * responses and therefore there is no ability to invoke post-response
 * plugins for those kinds of operations.
 * <BR><BR>
 * Other plugin Directory Server plugin points include:
 * <BR>
 * <UL>
 *   <LI>
 *     Startup plugins may be used to invoke user-defined code when
 *     the Directory Server starts.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Shutdown plugins may be used to invoke user-defined code when
 *     the Directory Server performs a graceful shutdown.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Post-connect plugins may be used to invoke user-defined code
 *     whenever a new client connection is established.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Post-disconnect plugins may be used to invoke user-defined code
 *     whenever a client connection is terminated.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Search result entry plugins may be used to alter entries as
 *     they are sent to clients.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Search result reference plugins may be used to alter referrals
 *     as they are sent to clients.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     Intermediate response plugins may be used to alter intermediate
 *     response messages as they are sent to clients.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     LDIF import plugins may be used to alter entries as they are
 *     read from LDIF files.
 *   </LI>
 *   <LI>
 *     LDIF export plugins may be used to alter entries as they are
 *     written to LDIF files.
 *   </LI>
 * </UL>
 */
@org.opends.server.types.PublicAPI(
     stability=org.opends.server.types.StabilityLevel.UNCOMMITTED)
package org.opends.server.api.plugin;