## org.apache.commons.configuration.event
Class ConfigurationEvent

    java.lang.Object
      java.util.EventObject
          org.apache.commons.configuration.event.ConfigurationEvent

All Implemented Interfaces:
  Serializable

    public class ConfigurationEvent

extends EventObject

An event class for reporting updates on a configuration object.

Event objects of this type are used for "raw" events, i.e. unfiltered modifications of any kind. A level with semantically higher events (e.g. for property changes) may be built on top of this fundamental event mechanism.

Each event can contain the following data:

- A source object, which is usually the configuration object that was modified.
- The event's type. This is a numeric value that corresponds to constant declarations in concrete configuration classes. It describes what exactly has happended.
- If available, the name of the property whose modification caused the event.
- If available, the value of the property that caused this event.
- A flag whether this event was generated before or after the update of the source configuration. A modification of a configuration typically causes two events: one event before and one event after the modification is performed. This allows event listeners to react at the correct point of time.

The following standard events are generated by typical configuration implementations (the constants for the event types are defined in ``AbstractConfiguration``):

EVENT_ADD_PROPERTY
  This event is triggered for each call of the `addProperty()` method of a configuration object. It contains the name of the property, to which new data is added, and the value object that is added to this property (this may be an array or a list if multiple values are added).
EVENT_SET_PROPERTY
  Calling the `setProperty()` method triggers this event. The event object stores the name of the affected property and its new value.
EVENT_CLEAR_PROPERTY
  If a property is removed from a configuration (by calling the `clearProperty()` method), an event of this type is fired. In this case the event object only stores the name of the removed property, the value is null.
EVENT_CLEAR
  This event is fired when the whole configuration is cleared. The corresponding event object contains no additional data.

Since:
  1.3
Version:
  $Id: ConfigurationEvent.java 443105 2006-09-13 20:04:01Z oheger $
Author:
  Commons Configuration team
See Also:
  Serialized Form

Field Summary

Fields inherited from class java.util.EventObject
`source`

Constructor Summary
`ConfigurationEvent(Object source, int type, String propertyName, Object propertyValue, boolean beforeUpdate)` Creates a new instance of `ConfigurationEvent` and initializes it.

Method Summary
`String` `getPropertyName()` Returns the name of the affected property.
`Object` `getPropertyValue()` Returns the value of the affected property if available.
`int` `getType()` Returns the type of this event.
`boolean` `isBeforeUpdate()` Returns a flag if this event was generated before or after an update.

Methods inherited from class java.util.EventObject
`getSource, toString`

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait`

Constructor Detail

### ConfigurationEvent

    public ConfigurationEvent(Object source,
                              int type,
                              String propertyName,
                              Object propertyValue,
                              boolean beforeUpdate)

  Creates a new instance of `ConfigurationEvent` and initializes it.

  Parameters:
    `source` - the event source
    `type` - the event's type
    `propertyName` - the name of the affected property
    `propertyValue` - the value of the affected property
    `beforeUpdate` - the before update flag

Method Detail

### getPropertyName

    public String getPropertyName()

  Returns the name of the affected property. This can be null if no property change has lead to this event.

  Returns:
    the name of the property

### getPropertyValue

    public Object getPropertyValue()

  Returns the value of the affected property if available.

  Returns:
    the value of the property; can be null

### getType

    public int getType()

  Returns the type of this event. This describes the update process that caused this event.

  Returns:
    the event's type

### isBeforeUpdate

    public boolean isBeforeUpdate()

  Returns a flag if this event was generated before or after an update.

  Returns:
    true if this event was generated before an update; false otherwise

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