1. /*

  2.  * @(#)Principal.java	1.18 01/11/29

  3.  *

  4.  * Copyright 2002 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.

  5.  * SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.

  6.  */

  7. 

  8. package java.security;

  9. 

  10. /**

  11.  * This interface represents the abstract notion of a principal, which

  12.  * can be used to represent any entity, such as an individual, a

  13.  * corporation, and a login id.

  14.  *

  15.  * @see java.security.cert.X509Certificate

  16.  *

  17.  * @version 1.18, 01/11/29

  18.  * @author Li Gong

  19.  */

  20. public interface Principal {

  21. 

  22.     /**

  23.      * Compares this principal to the specified object.  Returns true

  24.      * if the object passed in matches the principal represented by

  25.      * the implementation of this interface.

  26.      *

  27.      * @param another principal to compare with.

  28.      *

  29.      * @return true if the principal passed in is the same as that

  30.      * encapsulated by this principal, and false otherwise.

  31. 

  32.      */

  33.     public boolean equals(Object another);

  34. 

  35.     /**

  36.      * Returns a string representation of this principal.

  37.      *

  38.      * @return a string representation of this principal.

  39.      */

  40.     public String toString();

  41. 

  42.     /**

  43.      * Returns a hashcode for this principal.

  44.      *

  45.      * @return a hashcode for this principal.

  46.      */

  47.     public int hashCode();

  48. 

  49.     /**

  50.      * Returns the name of this principal.

  51.      *

  52.      * @return the name of this principal.

  53.      */

  54.     public String getName();

  55. }