/interpreter/tags/at2-build060407/src/edu/vub/at/objects/symbiosis/SymbioticATObjectMarker.java

 1/**
 2 * AmbientTalk/2 Project
 3 * SymbioticATObjectMarker.java created on 6-nov-2006 at 10:49:45
 4 * (c) Programming Technology Lab, 2006 - 2007
 5 * Authors: Tom Van Cutsem & Stijn Mostinckx
 6 * 
 7 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
 8 * obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
 9 * files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without
10 * restriction, including without limitation the rights to use,
11 * copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
12 * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
13 * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following
14 * conditions:
15 *
16 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
17 * included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
18 *
19 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
20 * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES
21 * OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
22 * NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT
23 * HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
24 * WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
25 * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
26 * OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
27 */
28package edu.vub.at.objects.symbiosis;
29
30import edu.vub.at.objects.natives.NATObject;
31
32import java.io.ObjectStreamException;
33import java.io.Serializable;
34
35/**
36 * This empty marker interface marks Java objects which actually represent wrappers around AmbientTalk
37 * objects that 'pretend' to be a Java object of a certain interface type. It is used to properly
38 * convert such objects back into their AmbientTalk equivalent when they re-enter the AmbientTalk meta- or base-level.
39 * 
40 * @author tvcutsem
41 */
42public interface SymbioticATObjectMarker extends Serializable {
43
44	/**
45	 * Accessor to unwrap the symbiotic object.
46	 */
47	public NATObject _returnNativeAmbientTalkObject();
48	
49	/**
50	 * Coercers implement writeReplace such that their principal is serialized as them instead.
51	 */
52	public Object writeReplace() throws ObjectStreamException;
53	
54}