////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

//

// Copyright (c) 2009 Tyler Wright, Robert Taylor, Jacob Wright

// 

// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy

// of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal

// in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights

// to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell

// copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is

// furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

// 

// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in

// all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

// 

// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR

// IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,

// FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE

// AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER

// LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,

// OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN

// THE SOFTWARE.

//

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////



package flight.vo

{

	/**

	 * IValueObject is a common interface for many data structures, allowing

	 * complex objects to be treated as simple types, as value versus reference.

	 * 

	 * <p>A value object is an object that can be compared by the values of its

	 * properties rather than its identiy. Two value objects may be equal

	 * because their data is identical, even if they are individual reference

	 * objects in ActionScript. Through implementing equals() two value objects

	 * can be compared by their data, while clone() allows value objects to be

	 * passed by value (as copies).</p>

	 * 

	 * @see		#equals

	 * @see		#clone

	 */

	public interface IValueObject

	{

		/**

		 * Evaluates the equality of another object of the same type, based on

		 * its properties.

		 * 

		 * @param	value			The target of the comparison.

		 */

		function equals(value:Object):Boolean;

		

		/**

		 * Returns a new object that is an exact copy of this object.

		 * 

		 * @return					The replicated object.

		 */

		function clone():Object;

	}

}