Module java.scripting
Package javax.script

# Interface ScriptEngineFactory

public interface ScriptEngineFactory
`ScriptEngineFactory` is used to describe and instantiate `ScriptEngines`.
Each class implementing `ScriptEngine` has a corresponding factory that exposes metadata describing the engine class.
The `ScriptEngineManager` uses the service-provider loader mechanism described in the `ServiceLoader` class to obtain instances of `ScriptEngineFactory` instances. See `ScriptEngineManager()` and `ScriptEngineManager(java.lang.ClassLoader)`.

Since:
  1.6

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`String`
`getEngineName()`
Returns the full name of the `ScriptEngine`.
`String`
`getEngineVersion()`
Returns the version of the `ScriptEngine`.
`List<String>`
`getExtensions()`
Returns an immutable list of filename extensions, which generally identify scripts written in the language supported by this `ScriptEngine`.
`String`
`getLanguageName()`
Returns the name of the scripting language supported by this `ScriptEngine`.
`String`
`getLanguageVersion()`
Returns the version of the scripting language supported by this `ScriptEngine`.
`String`
`getMethodCallSyntax(String obj, String m, String... args)`
Returns a String which can be used to invoke a method of a Java object using the syntax of the supported scripting language.
`List<String>`
`getMimeTypes()`
Returns an immutable list of mimetypes, associated with scripts that can be executed by the engine.
`List<String>`
`getNames()`
Returns an immutable list of short names for the `ScriptEngine`, which may be used to identify the `ScriptEngine` by the `ScriptEngineManager`.
`String`
`getOutputStatement(String toDisplay)`
Returns a String that can be used as a statement to display the specified String using the syntax of the supported scripting language.
`Object`
`getParameter(String key)`
Returns the value of an attribute whose meaning may be implementation-specific.
`String`
`getProgram(String... statements)`
Returns a valid scripting language executable program with given statements.
`ScriptEngine`
`getScriptEngine()`
Returns an instance of the `ScriptEngine` associated with this `ScriptEngineFactory`.

## Method Details

### getEngineName

String getEngineName()
Returns the full name of the `ScriptEngine`. For instance an implementation based on the Mozilla Rhino Javascript engine might return Rhino Mozilla Javascript Engine.

Returns:
  The name of the engine implementation.

### getEngineVersion

String getEngineVersion()
Returns the version of the `ScriptEngine`.

Returns:
  The `ScriptEngine` implementation version.

### getExtensions

List<String> getExtensions()
Returns an immutable list of filename extensions, which generally identify scripts written in the language supported by this `ScriptEngine`. The array is used by the `ScriptEngineManager` to implement its `getEngineByExtension` method.

Returns:
  The list of extensions.

### getMimeTypes

List<String> getMimeTypes()
Returns an immutable list of mimetypes, associated with scripts that can be executed by the engine. The list is used by the `ScriptEngineManager` class to implement its `getEngineByMimetype` method.

Returns:
  The list of mime types.

### getNames

List<String> getNames()
Returns an immutable list of short names for the `ScriptEngine`, which may be used to identify the `ScriptEngine` by the `ScriptEngineManager`. For instance, an implementation based on the Mozilla Rhino Javascript engine might return list containing {"javascript", "rhino"}.

Returns:
  an immutable list of short names

### getLanguageName

String getLanguageName()
Returns the name of the scripting language supported by this `ScriptEngine`.

Returns:
  The name of the supported language.

### getLanguageVersion

String getLanguageVersion()
Returns the version of the scripting language supported by this `ScriptEngine`.

Returns:
  The version of the supported language.

### getParameter

Object getParameter(String key)
Returns the value of an attribute whose meaning may be implementation-specific. Keys for which the value is defined in all implementations are:

- ScriptEngine.ENGINE
- ScriptEngine.ENGINE_VERSION
- ScriptEngine.LANGUAGE
- ScriptEngine.LANGUAGE_VERSION
- ScriptEngine.NAME

The values for these keys are the Strings returned by `getEngineName`, `getEngineVersion`, `getLanguageName`, `getLanguageVersion` for the first four keys respectively. For NAME, one of the Strings returned by `getNames` is returned.
A reserved key, `THREADING`, whose value describes the behavior of the engine with respect to concurrent execution of scripts and maintenance of state is also defined. These values for the `THREADING` key are:

- `null` - The engine implementation is not thread safe, and cannot be used to execute scripts concurrently on multiple threads.
- `"MULTITHREADED"` - The engine implementation is internally thread-safe and scripts may execute concurrently although effects of script execution on one thread may be visible to scripts on other threads.
- `"THREAD-ISOLATED"` - The implementation satisfies the requirements of "MULTITHREADED", and also, the engine maintains independent values for symbols in scripts executing on different threads.
- `"STATELESS"` - The implementation satisfies the requirements of `"THREAD-ISOLATED"`. In addition, script executions do not alter the mappings in the `Bindings` which is the engine scope of the `ScriptEngine`. In particular, the keys in the `Bindings` and their associated values are the same before and after the execution of the script.

Implementations may define implementation-specific keys.

Parameters:
  `key` - The name of the parameter
Returns:
  The value for the given parameter. Returns `null` if no value is assigned to the key.
Throws:
  `NullPointerException` - if the key is null.

### getMethodCallSyntax

String getMethodCallSyntax(String obj, String m, String... args)
Returns a String which can be used to invoke a method of a Java object using the syntax of the supported scripting language. For instance, an implementation for a Javascript engine might be;

     public String getMethodCallSyntax(String obj,
                                       String m, String... args) {
          String ret = obj;
          ret += "." + m + "(";
          for (int i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
              ret += args[i];
              if (i < args.length - 1) {
                  ret += ",";
              }
          }
          ret += ")";
          return ret;
     }

Parameters:
  `obj` - The name representing the object whose method is to be invoked. The name is the one used to create bindings using the `put` method of `ScriptEngine`, the `put` method of an `ENGINE_SCOPE` `Bindings`,or the `setAttribute` method of `ScriptContext`. The identifier used in scripts may be a decorated form of the specified one.
  `m` - The name of the method to invoke.
  `args` - names of the arguments in the method call.
Returns:
  The String used to invoke the method in the syntax of the scripting language.
Throws:
  `NullPointerException` - if obj or m or args or any of the elements of args is null.

### getOutputStatement

String getOutputStatement(String toDisplay)
Returns a String that can be used as a statement to display the specified String using the syntax of the supported scripting language. For instance, the implementation for a Perl engine might be;

     public String getOutputStatement(String toDisplay) {
          return "print(" + toDisplay + ")";
     }

Parameters:
  `toDisplay` - The String to be displayed by the returned statement.
Returns:
  The string used to display the String in the syntax of the scripting language.

### getProgram

String getProgram(String... statements)
Returns a valid scripting language executable program with given statements. For instance an implementation for a PHP engine might be:

     public String getProgram(String... statements) {
          String retval = "<?\n";
          int len = statements.length;
          for (int i = 0; i < len; i++) {
              retval += statements[i] + ";\n";
          }
          return retval += "?>";
     }

Parameters:
  `statements` - The statements to be executed. May be return values of calls to the `getMethodCallSyntax` and `getOutputStatement` methods.
Returns:
  The Program
Throws:
  `NullPointerException` - if the `statements` array or any of its elements is null

### getScriptEngine

ScriptEngine getScriptEngine()
Returns an instance of the `ScriptEngine` associated with this `ScriptEngineFactory`. A new ScriptEngine is generally returned, but implementations may pool, share or reuse engines.

Returns:
  A new `ScriptEngine` instance.