/*
 * @(#)GatheringByteChannel.java	1.11 03/01/23
 *
 * Copyright 2003 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.
 * SUN PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
 */

package java.nio.channels;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.ByteBuffer;


/**
 * A channel that can write bytes from a sequence of buffers.
 *
 * <p> A <i>gathering</i> write operation writes, in a single invocation, a
 * sequence of bytes from one or more of a given sequence of buffers.
 * Gathering writes are often useful when implementing network protocols or
 * file formats that, for example, group data into segments consisting of one
 * or more fixed-length headers followed by a variable-length body.  Similar
 * <i>scattering</i> read operations are defined in the {@link
 * ScatteringByteChannel} interface.  </p>
 *
 *
 * @author Mark Reinhold
 * @author JSR-51 Expert Group
 * @version 1.11, 03/01/23
 * @since 1.4
 */

public interface GatheringByteChannel
    extends WritableByteChannel
{

    /**
     * Writes a sequence of bytes to this channel from a subsequence of the
     * given buffers.
     *
     * <p> An attempt is made to write up to <i>r</i> bytes to this channel,
     * where <i>r</i> is the total number of bytes remaining in the specified
     * subsequence of the given buffer array, that is,
     *
     * <blockquote><pre>
     * srcs[offset].remaining()
     *     + srcs[offset+1].remaining()
     *     + ... + srcs[offset+length-1].remaining()</pre></blockquote>
     *
     * at the moment that this method is invoked.
     *
     * <p> Suppose that a byte sequence of length <i>n</i> is written, where
     * <tt>0</tt> <tt><=</tt> <i>n</i> <tt><=</tt> <i>r</i>.
     * Up to the first <tt>srcs[offset].remaining()</tt> bytes of this sequence
     * are written from buffer <tt>srcs[offset]</tt>, up to the next
     * <tt>srcs[offset+1].remaining()</tt> bytes are written from buffer
     * <tt>srcs[offset+1]</tt>, and so forth, until the entire byte sequence is
     * written.  As many bytes as possible are written from each buffer, hence
     * the final position of each updated buffer, except the last updated
     * buffer, is guaranteed to be equal to that buffer's limit.
     *
     * <p> Unless otherwise specified, a write operation will return only after
     * writing all of the <i>r</i> requested bytes.  Some types of channels,
     * depending upon their state, may write only some of the bytes or possibly
     * none at all.  A socket channel in non-blocking mode, for example, cannot
     * write any more bytes than are free in the socket's output buffer.
     *
     * <p> This method may be invoked at any time.  If another thread has
     * already initiated a write operation upon this channel, however, then an
     * invocation of this method will block until the first operation is
     * complete. </p>
     *
     * @param  srcs
     *         The buffers from which bytes are to be retrieved
     *
     * @param  offset
     *         The offset within the buffer array of the first buffer from
     *         which bytes are to be retrieved; must be non-negative and no
     *         larger than <tt>srcs.length</tt>
     *
     * @param  length
     *         The maximum number of buffers to be accessed; must be
     *         non-negative and no larger than
     *         <tt>srcs.length</tt> - <tt>offset</tt>
     *
     * @return  The number of bytes written, possibly zero
     *
     * @throws  IndexOutOfBoundsException
     *          If the preconditions on the <tt>offset</tt> and <tt>length</tt>
     *          parameters do not hold
     *
     * @throws  NonWritableChannelException
     *          If this channel was not opened for writing
     *
     * @throws  ClosedChannelException
     *          If this channel is closed
     *
     * @throws  AsynchronousCloseException
     *          If another thread closes this channel
     *          while the write operation is in progress
     *
     * @throws  ClosedByInterruptException
     *          If another thread interrupts the current thread
     *          while the write operation is in progress, thereby
     *          closing the channel and setting the current thread's
     *          interrupt status
     *
     * @throws  IOException
     *          If some other I/O error occurs
     */
    public long write(ByteBuffer[] srcs, int offset, int length)
	throws IOException;


    /**
     * Writes a sequence of bytes to this channel from the given buffers.
     *
     * <p> An invocation of this method of the form <tt>c.write(srcs)</tt>
     * behaves in exactly the same manner as the invocation
     *
     * <blockquote><pre>
     * c.write(srcs, 0, srcs.length);</pre></blockquote>
     *
     * @param  srcs
     *         The buffers from which bytes are to be retrieved
     *
     * @return  The number of bytes written, possibly zero
     *
     * @throws  NonWritableChannelException
     *          If this channel was not opened for writing
     *
     * @throws  ClosedChannelException
     *          If this channel is closed
     *
     * @throws  AsynchronousCloseException
     *          If another thread closes this channel
     *          while the write operation is in progress
     *
     * @throws  ClosedByInterruptException
     *          If another thread interrupts the current thread
     *          while the write operation is in progress, thereby
     *          closing the channel and setting the current thread's
     *          interrupt status
     *
     * @throws  IOException
     *          If some other I/O error occurs
     */
    public long write(ByteBuffer[] srcs) throws IOException;

}