/interpreter/tags/at2dist030708/src/edu/vub/at/objects/natives/NATByCopy.java

 1/**
 2 * AmbientTalk/2 Project
 3 * NATByCopy.java created on 29-dec-2006 at 16:58:23
 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.natives;
29
30import edu.vub.at.exceptions.InterpreterException;
31import edu.vub.at.objects.ATObject;
32import edu.vub.at.objects.coercion.NativeTypeTags;
33
34/**
35 * This class is the abstract superclass of all AT/2 object types which should
36 * be passed by copy when passed as a parameter between actors.
37 * 
38 * All subclasses of this class should override {@link #meta_typeTags()} to
39 * include the type {@link NativeTypeTags#_ISOLATE_} to mark that these objects
40 * are passed by-copy.
41 *
42 * @author tvcutsem
43 */
44public abstract class NATByCopy extends NativeATObject {
45
46    /**
47     * When a by-copy object is asked which object to serialize in its stead,
48     * the by-copy object returns itself, so that it itself will be serialized.
49     */
50    public ATObject meta_pass() throws InterpreterException {
51    	return this;
52    }
53	
54    /**
55     * When a by-copy object is asked which object it represents when it
56     * is deserialized, the object returns itself.
57     */
58    public ATObject meta_resolve() throws InterpreterException {
59    	return this;
60    }
61	
62}