/*
 * Copyright (c) 2007-2011 by The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.  All Rights Reserved.
 *
 * This software is licensed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL),
 * Version 2.1 which is available at http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.php.
 *
 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS." THE BROAD AND MIT MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR
 * WARRANTES OF ANY KIND CONCERNING THE SOFTWARE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING,
 * WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 * PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT, OR THE ABSENCE OF LATENT OR OTHER DEFECTS, WHETHER
 * OR NOT DISCOVERABLE.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE BROAD OR MIT, OR THEIR RESPECTIVE
 * TRUSTEES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES
 * OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
 * ECONOMIC DAMAGES OR INJURY TO PROPERTY AND LOST PROFITS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER
 * THE BROAD OR MIT SHALL BE ADVISED, SHALL HAVE OTHER REASON TO KNOW, OR IN FACT
 * SHALL KNOW OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FOREGOING.
 */

package org.broad.igv.session;

import java.util.Map;

/**
 * Interface for a session persistable object.  Implementors must be able to return object state as a map of
 * key-value string pairs, and restore state from such a map.
 *
 * // TODO -- this whole scheme could probably be more elegantly handled with annotations.
 *
 * @author User: jrobinso
 * Date: Feb 23, 2010
 */
public interface Persistable {

    /**
     * Return object state as a map of key-value string pairs
     * @return
     */

    public Map<String, String> getPersistentState();

    /**
     * Restore object state from a map of key-value string pairs
     * @param values
     */
    public void restorePersistentState(Map<String, String> values);
}
