// ==++==
// 
//   Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
// 
// ==--==
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// IReflect is an interface that defines a subset of the Type reflection methods.
// 
// <OWNER>WESU</OWNER>
//    This interface is used to access and invoke members of a Type.  It can be either
//    type based (like Type) or instance based (like Expando). This interface is used in 
//    combination with IExpando to model the IDispatchEx expando capibilities in
//    the interop layer. 
//
// <EMAIL>Author: darylo</EMAIL>
// Date: Sep 98
//
namespace System.Reflection {
    using System;
    using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
    using CultureInfo = System.Globalization.CultureInfo;
    
    // Interface does not need to be marked with the serializable attribute
    [Guid("AFBF15E5-C37C-11d2-B88E-00A0C9B471B8")]
[System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComVisible(true)]
    public interface IReflect
    {
        // Return the requested method if it is implemented by the Reflection object.  The
        // match is based upon the name and DescriptorInfo which describes the signature
        // of the method. 
        MethodInfo GetMethod(String name,BindingFlags bindingAttr,Binder binder,
                Type[] types,ParameterModifier[] modifiers);
 
        // Return the requested method if it is implemented by the Reflection object.  The
        // match is based upon the name of the method.  If the object implementes multiple methods
        // with the same name an AmbiguousMatchException is thrown.
        MethodInfo GetMethod(String name,BindingFlags bindingAttr);
 
        MethodInfo[] GetMethods(BindingFlags bindingAttr);
        
        // Return the requestion field if it is implemented by the Reflection object.  The
        // match is based upon a name.  There cannot be more than a single field with
        // a name.
        FieldInfo GetField(
                String name,
                BindingFlags bindingAttr);
 
        FieldInfo[] GetFields(
                BindingFlags bindingAttr);
 
        // Return the property based upon name.  If more than one property has the given
        // name an AmbiguousMatchException will be thrown.  Returns null if no property
        // is found.
        PropertyInfo GetProperty(
                String name,
                BindingFlags bindingAttr);
        
        // Return the property based upon the name and Descriptor info describing the property
        // indexing.  Return null if no property is found.
        PropertyInfo GetProperty(
                String name,
                BindingFlags bindingAttr,
                Binder binder,                
                Type returnType,
                Type[] types,
                ParameterModifier[] modifiers);
        
        // Returns an array of PropertyInfos for all the properties defined on 
        // the Reflection object.
        PropertyInfo[] GetProperties(
                BindingFlags bindingAttr);
 
        // Return an array of members which match the passed in name.
        MemberInfo[] GetMember(
                String name,
                BindingFlags bindingAttr);
 
        // Return an array of all of the members defined for this object.
        MemberInfo[] GetMembers(
                BindingFlags bindingAttr);
        
        // Description of the Binding Process.
        // We must invoke a method that is accessable and for which the provided
        // parameters have the most specific match.  A method may be called if
        // 1. The number of parameters in the method declaration equals the number of 
        //    arguments provided to the invocation
        // 2. The type of each argument can be converted by the binder to the
        //    type of the type of the parameter.
        // 
        // The binder will find all of the matching methods.  These method are found based
        // upon the type of binding requested (MethodInvoke, Get/Set Properties).  The set
        // of methods is filtered by the name, number of arguments and a set of search modifiers
        // defined in the Binder.
        // 
        // After the method is selected, it will be invoked.  Accessability is checked
        // at that point.  The search may be control which set of methods are searched based
        // upon the accessibility attribute associated with the method.
        // 
        // The BindToMethod method is responsible for selecting the method to be invoked.
        // For the default binder, the most specific method will be selected.
        // 
        // This will invoke a specific member...
        Object InvokeMember(
                String name,
                BindingFlags invokeAttr,
                Binder binder,
                Object target,
                Object[] args,
                ParameterModifier[] modifiers,
                CultureInfo culture,
                String[] namedParameters);
 
        // Return the underlying Type that represents the IReflect Object.  For expando object,
        // this is the (Object) IReflectInstance.GetType().  For Type object it is this.
        Type UnderlyingSystemType {
            get;
        }    
    }
}