## org.springframework.beans.factory.xml
Interface NamespaceHandler

All Known Implementing Classes:
  AopNamespaceHandler, ContextNamespaceHandler, JdbcNamespaceHandler, JeeNamespaceHandler, JmsNamespaceHandler, LangNamespaceHandler, MvcNamespaceHandler, NamespaceHandlerSupport, OxmNamespaceHandler, SimplePropertyNamespaceHandler, TaskNamespaceHandler, TxNamespaceHandler, UtilNamespaceHandler

    public interface NamespaceHandler

Base interface used by the `DefaultBeanDefinitionDocumentReader` for handling custom namespaces in a Spring XML configuration file.

Implementations are expected to return implementations of the `BeanDefinitionParser` interface for custom top-level tags and implementations of the `BeanDefinitionDecorator` interface for custom nested tags.

The parser will call `parse(org.w3c.dom.Element, org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext)` when it encounters a custom tag directly under the `<beans>` tags and `decorate(org.w3c.dom.Node, org.springframework.beans.factory.config.BeanDefinitionHolder, org.springframework.beans.factory.xml.ParserContext)` when it encounters a custom tag directly under a `<bean>` tag.

Developers writing their own custom element extensions typically will not implement this interface drectly, but rather make use of the provided `NamespaceHandlerSupport` class.

Since:
  2.0
Author:
  Rob Harrop, Erik Wiersma
See Also:
  `DefaultBeanDefinitionDocumentReader`, `NamespaceHandlerResolver`

Method Summary
`BeanDefinitionHolder` `decorate(Node source, BeanDefinitionHolder definition, ParserContext parserContext)` Parse the specified `Node` and decorate the supplied `BeanDefinitionHolder`, returning the decorated definition.
`void` `init()` Invoked by the `DefaultBeanDefinitionDocumentReader` after construction but before any custom elements are parsed.
`BeanDefinition` `parse(Element element, ParserContext parserContext)` Parse the specified `Element` and register any resulting `BeanDefinitions` with the `BeanDefinitionRegistry` that is embedded in the supplied `ParserContext`.

Method Detail

### init

    void init()

  Invoked by the `DefaultBeanDefinitionDocumentReader` after construction but before any custom elements are parsed.

  See Also:
    `NamespaceHandlerSupport.registerBeanDefinitionParser(String, BeanDefinitionParser)`

### parse

    BeanDefinition parse(Element element,
                         ParserContext parserContext)

  Parse the specified `Element` and register any resulting `BeanDefinitions` with the `BeanDefinitionRegistry` that is embedded in the supplied `ParserContext`.

  Implementations should return the primary `BeanDefinition` that results from the parse phase if they wish to be used nested inside (for example) a `<property>` tag.

  Implementations may return `null` if they will not be used in a nested scenario.

  Parameters:
    `element` - the element that is to be parsed into one or more `BeanDefinitions`
    `parserContext` - the object encapsulating the current state of the parsing process
  Returns:
    the primary `BeanDefinition` (can be `null` as explained above)

### decorate

    BeanDefinitionHolder decorate(Node source,
                                  BeanDefinitionHolder definition,
                                  ParserContext parserContext)

  Parse the specified `Node` and decorate the supplied `BeanDefinitionHolder`, returning the decorated definition.

  The `Node` may be either an `Attr` or an `Element`, depending on whether a custom attribute or element is being parsed.

  Implementations may choose to return a completely new definition, which will replace the original definition in the resulting `BeanFactory`.

  The supplied `ParserContext` can be used to register any additional beans needed to support the main definition.

  Parameters:
    `source` - the source element or attribute that is to be parsed
    `definition` - the current bean definition
    `parserContext` - the object encapsulating the current state of the parsing process
  Returns:
    the decorated definition (to be registered in the BeanFactory), or simply the original bean definition if no decoration is required. A `null` value is strictly speaking invalid, but will be leniently treated like the case where the original bean definition gets returned.