Importable (Sakai Entity Broker API 22.3 API)

All Superinterfaces:

EntityProvider, Exportable
```
public interface Importable
extends Exportable
```
Indicates an entity provider has the capability of importing entity data that was previously exported via the Exportable capability which will be related to other entities, note that the way to associate the data is left up to the implementor based on the reference supplied
This is one of the capability extensions for the EntityProvider interface

Author:

Aaron Zeckoski (aaronz@vt.edu)

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`String[]`	`importData(String reference, InputStream data, String encodingKey, Map<String,Object> params)`	Request that an import stream be turned into real data related to the entities in this provider and associated with a specific entity (this will probably not be an entity in this provider)

Methods inherited from interface org.sakaiproject.entitybroker.entityprovider.EntityProvider
getEntityPrefix

Methods inherited from interface org.sakaiproject.entitybroker.entityprovider.capabilities.Exportable
exportData

- Method Detail
  - importData
```
String[] importData(String reference,
                    InputStream data,
                    String encodingKey,
                    Map<String,Object> params)
```
    Request that an import stream be turned into real data related to the entities in this provider and associated with a specific entity (this will probably not be an entity in this provider)
    
    Parameters:
    
    reference - a globally unique reference to an entity, this is the entity that the imported data should be associated with (e.g. a reference to a site object or user)
    
    data - a stream of data from the archiver/importer, this should match a previous export stream exactly (or at least very closely in order for the importer to be able to understand it)
    
    encodingKey - a string representing the encoding used and possibly other info like a version, this should be the string sent with the export
    
    params - (optional) incoming set of parameters which may be used to send data specific to this request, may be null
    
    Returns:
    
    the array of all entity references which were created from the import OR empty if none created
    
    Throws:
    
    IllegalArgumentException - if any arguments are invalid or missing
    
    IllegalStateException - if a failure occurs with the import (message should be as descriptive as possible)