/*
 * @(#)Attributes.java	1.7 01/02/09
 *
 * Copyright 1999-2001 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 * 
 * This software is the proprietary information of Sun Microsystems, Inc.  
 * Use is subject to license terms.
 * 
 */


package javax.naming.directory;

import java.util.Hashtable;
import java.util.Enumeration;

import javax.naming.NamingException;
import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;

/**
  * This interface represents a collection of attributes.
  *<p>
  * In a directory, named objects can have associated with them
  * attributes.  The Attributes interface represents a collection of attributes.
  * For example, you can request from the directory the attributes
  * associated with an object.  Those attributes are returned in
  * an object that implements the Attributes interface.
  *<p>
  * Attributes in an object that implements the  Attributes interface are 
  * unordered. The object can have zero or more attributes.
  * Attributes is either case-sensitive or case-insensitive (case-ignore).
  * This property is determined at the time the Attributes object is
  * created. (see BasicAttributes constructor for example).
  * In a case-insensitive Attributes, the case of its attribute identifiers
  * is ignored when searching for an attribute, or adding attributes.
  * In a case-sensitive Attributes, the case is significant.
  *<p>
  * Note that updates to Attributes (such as adding or removing an attribute)
  * do not affect the corresponding representation in the directory.  
  * Updates to the directory can only be effected
  * using operations in the DirContext interface.
  *
  * @author Rosanna Lee
  * @author Scott Seligman
  * @version 1.7 01/02/09
  *
  * @see DirContext#getAttributes
  * @see DirContext#modifyAttributes
  * @see DirContext#bind
  * @see DirContext#rebind
  * @see DirContext#createSubcontext
  * @see DirContext#search
  * @see BasicAttributes
  * @since 1.3
  */

public interface Attributes extends Cloneable, java.io.Serializable {
    /**
      * Determines whether the attribute set ignores the case of
      * attribute identifiers when retrieving or adding attributes.
      * @return true if case is ignored; false otherwise.
      */
    boolean isCaseIgnored();

    /**
      * Retrieves the number of attributes in the attribute set.
      *
      * @return The nonnegative number of attributes in this attribute set.
      */
    int size();

    /**
      * Retrieves the attribute with the given attribute id from the
      * attribute set.
      *
      * @param attrID The non-null id of the attribute to retrieve.
      * 	  If this attribute set ignores the character
      *		  case of its attribute ids, the case of attrID
      *		  is ignored.
      * @return The attribute identified by attrID; null if not found.
      * @see #put
      * @see #remove
      */
    Attribute get(String attrID);

    /**
      * Retrieves an enumeration of the attributes in the attribute set.
      * The effects of updates to this attribute set on this enumeration
      * are undefined.
      *
      * @return A non-null enumeration of the attributes in this attribute set.
      *		Each element of the enumeration is of class <tt>Attribute</tt>.
      * 	If attribute set has zero attributes, an empty enumeration 
      * 	is returned.
      */
    NamingEnumeration getAll();

    /**
      * Retrieves an enumeration of the ids of the attributes in the
      * attribute set.
      * The effects of updates to this attribute set on this enumeration
      * are undefined.
      *
      * @return A non-null enumeration of the attributes' ids in
      * 	this attribute set. Each element of the enumeration is
      *		of class String.
      * 	If attribute set has zero attributes, an empty enumeration 
      * 	is returned.
      */
    NamingEnumeration getIDs();

    /**
      * Adds a new attribute to the attribute set.
      *
      * @param attrID 	non-null The id of the attribute to add.
      * 	  If the attribute set ignores the character
      *		  case of its attribute ids, the case of attrID
      *		  is ignored.
      * @param val	The possibly null value of the attribute to add.
      *			If null, the attribute does not have any values.
      * @return The Attribute with attrID that was previous in this attribute set;
      * 	null if no such attribute existed.
      * @see #remove
      */
    Attribute put(String attrID, Object val);

    /**
      * Adds a new attribute to the attribute set.
      *
      * @param attr 	The non-null attribute to add.
      * 		If the attribute set ignores the character
      *		  	case of its attribute ids, the case of
      * 		attr's identifier is ignored.
      * @return The Attribute with the same ID as attr that was previous 
      * 	in this attribute set;
      * 	null if no such attribute existed.
      * @see #remove
      */
    Attribute put(Attribute attr);

    /**
      * Removes the attribute with the attribute id 'attrID' from
      * the attribute set. If the attribute does not exist, ignore.
      *
      * @param attrID 	The non-null id of the attribute to remove.
      * 		If the attribute set ignores the character
      *		  	case of its attribute ids, the case of 
      *               	attrID is ignored.
      * @return The Attribute with the same ID as attrID that was previous 
      * 	in the attribute set;
      * 	null if no such attribute existed.
      */
    Attribute remove(String attrID);

    /**
      * Makes a copy of the attribute set.
      * The new set contains the same attributes as the original set:
      * the attributes are not themselves cloned.
      * Changes to the copy will not affect the original and vice versa.
      *
      * @return A non-null copy of this attribute set.
      */
    Object clone();

    /**
     * Use serialVersionUID from JNDI 1.1.1 for interoperability
     */
    // static final long serialVersionUID = -7247874645443605347L;
}