A container manages extensions using an extension handler. Handlers may implement the Creator and/or Accessor interfaces. A creator extension will be activated during the create and destroy stages of a component lifecycle. A accessor extension will be activated during the access and release stages.

The Creator interface describes the create and destroy stages that occur between a component and a container during service management. Lifecycle extensions supporting create and destroy stages must implement this interface.

 package org.apache.avalon.lifecycle;

 import org.apache.avalon.framework.context.Context;

 public interface Creator
 {
    /**
     * Create stage handler.
     *
     * @param object the object that is being created
     * @param context the context instance required by the create handler
     *    implementation
     * @exception Exception if an error occurs
     */
    void create( Object object, Context context )
        throws Exception;

    /**
     * Destroy stage handler.
     *
     * @param object the object that is being destroyed
     * @param context the context instance required by the handler
     *    implementation
     */
    void destroy( Object object, Context context );

 }
       

The Accessor interface describes the access and release stages that occur between a service or component manager and a container during service deployment. Lifecycle extensions supporting access and release stages must implement this interface.

 package org.apache.avalon.lifecycle;

 import org.apache.avalon.framework.context.Context;

 public interface Accessor
 {
    /**
     * Access stage handler.
     *
     * @param object the object that is being accessed
     * @param context the context instance required by the access handler
     *    implementation
     * @exception Exception if an error occurs
     */
    void access( Object object, Context context )
        throws Exception;

    /**
     * Release stage handler.
     *
     * @param object the object that is being released
     * @param context the context instance required by the release handler
     *    implementation
     */
    void release( Object object, Context context );

 }