org.nakedobjects.applib.adapters
Interface EncoderDecoder<T>

public interface EncoderDecoder<T>

Provides a mechanism for encoding/decoding objects.

This interface is used in two complementary ways:

• As one option, it allows objects to take control of their own encoding/decoding, by implementing directly. However, the instance is used as a factory for itself. The framework will instantiate an instance, invoke the appropriate method method, and use the returned object. The instantiated instance itself will be discarded.
• Alternatively, an implementor of this interface can be nominated in the Encodable annotation, allowing a class that needs to be encodeable to indicate how it can be encoded/decoded.

Whatever the class that implements this interface, it must also expose either a public no-arg constructor, or (for implementations that also are Facets) a public constructor that accepts a single FacetHolder. This constructor allows the framework to instantiate the object reflectively.

See Also:

Parser, DefaultsProvider, ValueSemanticsProvider

Method Summary

T	fromEncodedString(String encodedString) Converts an encoded string to an instance of the object.
String	toEncodedString(T toEncode) Returns the provided object as an encoded string.

Method Detail

toEncodedString

String toEncodedString(T toEncode)

Returns the provided object as an encoded string.

Even if the class is self-encodeable, note that this method is always called on a new instance of the object created via the no-arg constructor. That is, the object shouldn't encode itself, it should encode the object provided to it.

fromEncodedString

T fromEncodedString(String encodedString)

Converts an encoded string to an instance of the object.

Note that here the implementing class is acting as a factory for itself.

See Also:

#toEncodedString(% toEncode)