/**
 * $RCSfile$
 * $Revision$
 * $Date$
 *
 * Copyright (C) 2002-2003 Jive Software. All rights reserved.
 * ====================================================================
 * The Jive Software License (based on Apache Software License, Version 1.1)
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 *
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
 *    the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
 *    distribution.
 *
 * 3. The end-user documentation included with the redistribution,
 *    if any, must include the following acknowledgment:
 *       "This product includes software developed by
 *        Jive Software (http://www.jivesoftware.com)."
 *    Alternately, this acknowledgment may appear in the software itself,
 *    if and wherever such third-party acknowledgments normally appear.
 *
 * 4. The names "Smack" and "Jive Software" must not be used to
 *    endorse or promote products derived from this software without
 *    prior written permission. For written permission, please
 *    contact webmaster@jivesoftware.com.
 *
 * 5. Products derived from this software may not be called "Smack",
 *    nor may "Smack" appear in their name, without prior written
 *    permission of Jive Software.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED
 * WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
 * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
 * DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL JIVE SOFTWARE OR
 * ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
 * SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 * LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF
 * USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
 * ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
 * OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT
 * OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 * SUCH DAMAGE.
 * ====================================================================
 */

package org.jivesoftware.smack.provider;

import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.IQ;
import org.xmlpull.v1.XmlPullParser;

/**
 * An interface for parsing custom IQ packets. Each IQProvider must be registered with
 * the ProviderManager class for it to be used. Every implementation of this
 * interface <b>must</b> have a public, no-argument constructor.
 *
 * @author Matt Tucker
 */
public interface IQProvider {

    /**
     * Parse the IQ sub-document and create an IQ instance. Each IQ must have a single
     * sub-element  At
     * the beginning of the method call, the xml parser will be positioned directly
     * after the opening &lt;query&gt; tag of the IQ packet. At the end of the method call,
     * the parser <b>must</b> be positioned directly after the closing &lt;query/&gt; tag.
     *
     * @param parser an XML parser.
     * @return a new IQ instance.
     * @throws Exception if an error occurs parsing the XML.
     */
    public IQ parseIQ(XmlPullParser parser) throws Exception;
}