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package javax.security.auth.message.config;

import javax.security.auth.message.*;

// just for @see tag
import javax.security.auth.message.module.ClientAuthModule;

/**
 * This ClientAuthContext class encapsulates ClientAuthModules that are used
 * to secure service requests made by a client, and to validate any responses
 * received to those requests. A caller typically uses this class
 * in the following manner:
 *
 * <ol>
 * <li> Retrieve an instance of this class by using
 *	ClientAuthConfig.getAuthContext.
 * <li> Invoke <i>secureRequest</i>.
 *	<br>
 *	ClientAuthContext implementation invokes secureRequest of one or more encapsulated
 *	ClientAuthModules.  Modules might attach credentials to
 *	request (for example, a user name and password),
 *	and/or secure the request (for example, sign and encrypt the request).
 * <li> Send request and receive response.
 * <li> Invoke <i>validateResponse</i>.
 *	<br>
 *	ClientAuthContext implementation invokes validateResponse of 
 *      one or more encapsulated
 *	ClientAuthModules. Modules verify or decrypt response as necessary.
 * <li> Invoke <i>cleanSubject</i> method (as necessary)
 *	to clean up any authentication state in Subject.
 * </ol>
 * 
 * <p> A ClientAuthContext instance may be used concurrently by multiple
 * callers.
 *
 * <p> Implementations of this interface are responsible for constructing
 * and initializing the encapsulated modules.  The initialization step
 * includes passing the relevant request and response MessagePolicy objects
 * to the encapsulated modules.  The MessagePolicy objects are obtained
 * by the ClientAuthConfig instance used to obtain the ClientAuthContext 
 * object.
 * See <code>ClientAuthConfig.getAuthContext</code> for more information.
 *
 * <p> Implementations of this interface are instantiated by their associated
 * configuration object such that they know which modules to invoke, in what 
 * order, and how results returned by preceding modules are to influence 
 * subsequent module invocations.
 *
 * <p> Calls to the inherited methods of this interface delegate to the
 * corresponding methods of the encapsulated authentication modules.
 *
 * @version %I%, %G%
 * @see ClientAuthConfig
 * @see ClientAuthModule
 */
public interface ClientAuthContext extends ClientAuth {

}