/* ===========================================================

 * JFreeChart : a free chart library for the Java(tm) platform

 * ===========================================================

 *

 * (C) Copyright 2000-2004, by Object Refinery Limited and Contributors.

 *

 * Project Info:  http://www.jfree.org/jfreechart/index.html

 *

 * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms

 * of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation;

 * either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

 *

 * This library 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 Lesser General Public License for more details.

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this

 * library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330,

 * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.

 *

 * [Java is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. 

 * in the United States and other countries.]

 *

 * -----------------------------

 * CategoryToolTipGenerator.java

 * -----------------------------

 * (C) Copyright 2001-2004, by Object Refinery Limited.

 *

 * Original Author:  David Gilbert (for Object Refinery Limited);

 * Contributor(s):   -;

 *

 * $Id: CategoryToolTipGenerator.java,v 1.1 2004/08/31 14:36:24 mungady Exp $

 *

 * Changes

 * -------

 * 15-Apr-2004 : Separated tool tip method from CategoryItemLabelGenerator interface (DG);

 *

 */



package org.jfree.chart.labels;



import org.jfree.data.category.CategoryDataset;



/**

 * A <i>category tool tip generator</i> is an object that can be assigned to a 

 * {@link org.jfree.chart.renderer.category.CategoryItemRenderer} and that assumes responsibility for 

 * creating text items to be used as tooltips for the items in 

 * a {@link org.jfree.chart.plot.CategoryPlot}. 

 * <p>

 * To assist with cloning charts, classes that implement this interface should also implement

 * the {@link org.jfree.util.PublicCloneable} interface.

 * 

 */

public interface CategoryToolTipGenerator {



    /**

     * Generates the tool tip text for an item in a dataset.  Note: in the current dataset

     * implementation, each row is a series, and each column contains values for a 

     * particular category.

     *

     * @param dataset  the dataset (<code>null</code> not permitted).

     * @param row  the row index (zero-based).

     * @param column  the column index (zero-based).

     *

     * @return The tooltip text (possibly <code>null</code>).

     */

    public String generateToolTip(CategoryDataset dataset, int row, int column);

    

}

