// -*- C++ -*-

// ================================================================
/**
 *  @file   Object_Loader.h
 *
 *  @author Carlos O'Ryan (coryan@cs.wustl.edu)
 */
// ================================================================

#ifndef TAO_OBJECT_LOADER_H
#define TAO_OBJECT_LOADER_H

#include /**/ "ace/pre.h"
#include "ace/Service_Object.h"

#if !defined (ACE_LACKS_PRAGMA_ONCE)
# pragma once
#endif /* ACE_LACKS_PRAGMA_ONCE */

#include "tao/orbconf.h"
#include "tao/TAO_Export.h"

TAO_BEGIN_VERSIONED_NAMESPACE_DECL

namespace CORBA
{
  class Object;
  typedef Object *Object_ptr;

  class ORB;
  typedef ORB *ORB_ptr;
}

/**
 * @class TAO_Object_Loader
 *
 * @brief A class to dynamically load object implementations into an
 * ORB.
 *
 * Many services and components of the ORB can be dynamically
 * loaded, often these components are returned to the application via
 * an object reference (CORBA::Object_ptr).  This class is used to
 * dynamically load such components, and encapsulate the creation of
 * the object reference.
 */
class TAO_Export TAO_Object_Loader : public ACE_Service_Object
{
public:
  /// The destructor
  virtual ~TAO_Object_Loader (void);

  /**
   * Create and activate a new object into the orb.
   * This method cannot throw any exception, but it can return a nil
   * object to indicate an error condition.
   */
  virtual CORBA::Object_ptr create_object (CORBA::ORB_ptr orb,
                                           int argc,
                                           ACE_TCHAR* argv []) = 0;
};

TAO_END_VERSIONED_NAMESPACE_DECL

#include /**/ "ace/post.h"

#endif /* TAO_OBJECT_LOADER_H */
