1. /*

  2.  * @(#)Principal.java	1.19 00/02/02

  3.  *

  4.  * Copyright 1996-2000 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  5.  * 

  6.  * This software is the proprietary information of Sun Microsystems, Inc.  

  7.  * Use is subject to license terms.

  8.  * 

  9.  */

  10. 

  11. package java.security;

  12. 

  13. /**

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

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

  16.  * corporation, and a login id.

  17.  *

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

  19.  *

  20.  * @version 1.19, 00/02/02

  21.  * @author Li Gong

  22.  */

  23. public interface Principal {

  24. 

  25.     /**

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

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

  28.      * the implementation of this interface.

  29.      *

  30.      * @param another principal to compare with.

  31.      *

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

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

  34. 

  35.      */

  36.     public boolean equals(Object another);

  37. 

  38.     /**

  39.      * Returns a string representation of this principal.

  40.      *

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

  42.      */

  43.     public String toString();

  44. 

  45.     /**

  46.      * Returns a hashcode for this principal.

  47.      *

  48.      * @return a hashcode for this principal.

  49.      */

  50.     public int hashCode();

  51. 

  52.     /**

  53.      * Returns the name of this principal.

  54.      *

  55.      * @return the name of this principal.

  56.      */

  57.     public String getName();

  58. }