Module java.base
Package java.security

Class Permission

java.lang.Object
java.security.Permission
All Implemented Interfaces:
Serializable, Guard
Direct Known Subclasses:
AllPermission, BasicPermission, FilePermission, MBeanPermission, PrivateCredentialPermission, ServicePermission, SocketPermission, UnresolvedPermission, URLPermission

public abstract class Permission extends Object implements Guard, Serializable
Abstract class for representing access to a system resource. All permissions have a name (whose interpretation depends on the subclass), as well as abstract functions for defining the semantics of the particular Permission subclass.

Most Permission objects also include an "actions" list that tells the actions that are permitted for the object. For example, for a java.io.FilePermission object, the permission name is the pathname of a file (or directory), and the actions list (such as "read, write") specifies which actions are granted for the specified file (or for files in the specified directory). The actions list is optional for Permission objects, such as java.lang.RuntimePermission, that don't need such a list; you either have the named permission (such as "system.exit") or you don't.

An important method that must be implemented by each subclass is the implies method to compare Permissions. Basically, "permission p1 implies permission p2" means that if one is granted permission p1, one is naturally granted permission p2. Thus, this is not an equality test, but rather more of a subset test.

Permission objects are similar to String objects in that they are immutable once they have been created. Subclasses should not provide methods that can change the state of a permission once it has been created.

Since:
1.2
See Also: