/*

  * Copyright 2012-2013 smartics, Kronseder & Reiner GmbH

  *

  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");

  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.

  * You may obtain a copy of the License at

  *

  *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

  *

  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software

  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,

  * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.

  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and

  * limitations under the License.

  */

 package de.smartics.properties.api.config.domain.key;

 import java.io.Serializable;

 /**

  * The configuration key identifies a configuration. With this key all

  * configuration values can be accessed by their local configuration keys.

  *

  * @param <T> the implementing type of this interface.

  */

 public interface ConfigurationKey<T extends ConfigurationKey<?>> extends

     Serializable, Comparable<T>

 {

   /**

    * Returns <code>true</code> if this key instance has active dynamic parts.

    * Returns <code>false</code> (otherwise) if this key instance has only static

    * parts. The decision criteria between a static and a dynamic key is, if all

    * keys are known at startup, or if keys have dynamic parts, like the current

    * user or the current tenant which can change during runtime.

    *

    * @return <code>true</code> when this key uses dynamic parts (and not only

    *         static parts). <code>false</code> otherwise.

    */

   boolean hasActiveDynamicParts();

   /**

    * Returns the hash code of the object.

    *

    * @return the hash code.

    */

   int hashCode();

   /**

    * Returns <code>true</code> if the given object is semantically equal to the

    * given object, <code>false</code> otherwise.

    *

    * @param object the instance to compare to.

    * @return <code>true</code> if the given object is semantically equal to the

    *         given object, <code>false</code> otherwise.

    */

   boolean equals(Object object);

   @Override

   int compareTo(T o);

   /**

    * Returns the string representation of the object.

    *

    * @return the string representation of the object.

    */

   String toString();

 }