[Chapter 17] Observer
Author: Mark Grand and Jonathan Knudsen
Date: Fri Aug 8 17:43:29 1997

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| Chapter 17 The java.util Package |

# Observer

## Name

Observer

## Synopsis

Interface Name:

  `java.util.Observer`

Super-interface:

  None

Immediate Sub-interfaces:

  None

Implemented By:

  None

Availability:

  JDK 1.0 or later

## Description

The `Observer` interface is used to implement the view portion of the model-view paradigm. The idea is that an `Observable` object, the model, represents some data that is being manipulated through a user interface, while `Observer` objects provide the user with a view of the data. When the `Observable` object is modified, it tells the `Observer` objects that the model has been modified by calling `notifyObservers()`. An `Observer` object registers with an `Observable` object to receive notifications when the `Observable` is modified. The `Observer` object is then notified of changes via the `update()` method.

## Interface Summary

    public abstract interface java.util.Observer {
      // Methods
      public abstract void update(Observable o, Object arg);
    }

## Methods

### update

#### void update(Observable o, Object arg)

Parameters

  `o`

    The object that has been changed.

  `arg`

    A "hint" object that describes the change.

Description

  This method is called to indicate that the data in the model implemented by the specified `Observable` object has been modified. The `arg` parameter is used to communicate changed information from the model to its view.

  This "hint" object can be used to efficiently update the views of a model. For example, an `Observable` object could represent satellite image data. A set of `Observer` objects would provide different graphical views of the data. If the model data changed, the `arg` object would describe the part of the data that changed, and the `Observer` views could use this "hint" to update only parts of their displays.

## See Also

`Observable`

Observable |  | Properties