/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */

/*

 * Copyright (c) 2007 INRIA

 *

 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify

 * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as

 * published by the Free Software Foundation;

 *

 * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,

 * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

 * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the

 * GNU General Public License for more details.

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

 * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software

 * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA

 *

 * Author: Mathieu Lacage <mathieu.lacage@sophia.inria.fr>

 */

#ifndef SOCKET_FACTORY_H

#define SOCKET_FACTORY_H

#include "ns3/object.h"

#include "ns3/ptr.h"

namespace ns3 {

class Socket;

/**

 * \ingroup socket

 *

 * \brief Object to create transport layer instances that provide a 

 * socket API to applications.

 *

 * This base class defines the API for creating sockets.  

 * The socket factory also can hold the global variables used to

 * initialize newly created sockets, such as values that are

 * set through the sysctl or proc interfaces in Linux.

 * If you want to write a new transport protocol accessible through

 * sockets, you need to subclass this factory class, implement CreateSocket, 

 * instantiate the object, and aggregate it to the node.  

 * 

 * \see Udp

 * \see UdpImpl

 */

class SocketFactory : public Object

{

public:

  static TypeId GetTypeId (void);

  SocketFactory ();

  /**

   * \return smart pointer to Socket

   * 

   * Base class method for creating socket instances.

   */

  virtual Ptr<Socket> CreateSocket (void) = 0;

};

} // namespace ns3

#endif /* SOCKET_FACTORY_H */