http://www.eclipse.org/platform: Core Variables (Eclipse Foundation) 
Copyright (c) 2000, 2008 IBM Corporation and others.
This program and the accompanying materials
are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
https://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0/
SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
Contributors:
    IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation

/*******************************************************************************
 * Copyright (c) 2000, 2008 IBM Corporation and others.
 *
 * This program and the accompanying materials
 * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
 * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
 * https://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0/
 *
 * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
 *
 * Contributors:
 *     IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation
 *******************************************************************************/
package org.eclipse.core.variables;



A variable that can be referenced in an expression, which resolves to a
string value. Variables are referenced in expressions via their name, in the
following format.

${varname} or ${varname:argument}




A variable is identified by its name, and optionally accepts an argument.
When an argument is present, a colon separates the variable name from its
argument.




Variables can be contributed by extensions or programmatically. There are two
kinds of variables.



    

  • IValueVariable - variables that have a value (with getter
and setter), and accept no arguments. The value of this type of variable is
resolved at the time its value is set via its setter API.
    • 

  • IDynamicVariable - variables whose value is resolved at the
time a string substitution is performed by a contributed resolver. Dynamic
variables may accept an argument.
    • 



Since:3.0
@noimplementThis interface is not intended to be implemented by clients.
/**
 * A variable that can be referenced in an expression, which resolves to a
 * string value. Variables are referenced in expressions via their name, in the
 * following format.
 *
 * <pre>
 * ${varname} or ${varname:argument}
 * </pre>
 * <p>
 * A variable is identified by its name, and optionally accepts an argument.
 * When an argument is present, a colon separates the variable name from its
 * argument.
 * </p>
 * <p>
 * Variables can be contributed by extensions or programmatically. There are two
 * kinds of variables.
 * </p>
 * <ul>
 * <li><code>IValueVariable</code> - variables that have a value (with getter
 * and setter), and accept no arguments. The value of this type of variable is
 * resolved at the time its value is set via its setter API.</li>
 * <li><code>IDynamicVariable</code> - variables whose value is resolved at the
 * time a string substitution is performed by a contributed resolver. Dynamic
 * variables may accept an argument.</li>
 * </ul>
 *
 * @since 3.0
 * @noimplement This interface is not intended to be implemented by clients.
 */
public interface IStringVariable {

	
Returns the name of this variable. A variable is uniquely identified by
its name.

Returns:variable name
/**
	 * Returns the name of this variable. A variable is uniquely identified by
	 * its name.
	 *
	 * @return variable name
	 */
	String getName();

	
Returns a human readable description of this variable, possibly null

Returns:a description of this variable, or null if none
/**
	 * Returns a human readable description of this variable, possibly <code>null</code>
	 *
	 * @return a description of this variable, or <code>null</code> if none
	 */
	String getDescription();

}