/*-
 * See the file LICENSE for redistribution information.
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2002-2006
 *      Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.
 *
 * $Id: EntityInput.java,v 1.14 2006/09/19 06:22:58 mark Exp $
 */

package com.sleepycat.persist.impl;

/**
 * Used for reading object fields.
 *
 * <p>Unlike TupleInput, Strings are returned by {@link #readObject} when using
 * this class.</p>
 *
 * @author Mark Hayes
 */
public interface EntityInput {


    /**
     * Returns the Catalog associated with this input.
     */
    Catalog getCatalog();

    /**
     * Return whether this input is in raw mode, i.e., whether it is returning
     * raw instances.
     */
    boolean isRawAccess();

    /**
     * Changes raw mode and returns the original mode, which is normally 
     * restored later.  For temporarily changing the mode during a conversion.
     */
    boolean setRawAccess(boolean rawAccessParam);

    /**
     * Called via Accessor to read all fields with reference types, except for
     * the primary key field and composite key fields (see readKeyObject
     * below).
     */
    Object readObject();

    /**
     * Called for a primary key field or a composite key field with a reference
     * type.
     *
     * <p>For such key fields, no formatId is present nor can the object
     * already be present in the visited object set.</p>
     */
    Object readKeyObject(Format format);

    /**
     * Called via Accessor.readSecKeyFields for a primary key field with a
     * reference type.  This method must be called before reading any other
     * fields.
     */
    void registerPriKeyObject(Object o);

    /**
     * Called by ObjectArrayFormat and PrimitiveArrayFormat to read the array
     * length.
     */
    int readArrayLength();

    /**
     * Called by EnumFormat to read and return index of the enum constant.
     */
    int readEnumConstant(String[] names);

    /**
     * Called via PersistKeyCreator to skip fields prior to the secondary key
     * field.  Also called during class evolution so skip deleted fields.
     */
    void skipField(Format declaredFormat);

    /* The following methods are a subset of the methods in TupleInput. */

    String readString();
    char readChar();
    boolean readBoolean();
    byte readByte();
    short readShort();
    int readInt();
    long readLong();
    float readSortedFloat();
    double readSortedDouble();
}
