// $Header: /home/cvs/jakarta-jmeter/src/core/org/apache/jmeter/testelement/property/JMeterProperty.java,v 1.6 2004/02/18 22:32:06 sebb Exp $
/*
 * Copyright 2003-2004 The Apache Software Foundation.
 *
 * 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 org.apache.jmeter.testelement.property;

import java.io.Serializable;

import org.apache.jmeter.testelement.TestElement;

public interface JMeterProperty extends Serializable, Cloneable, Comparable
{
    /**
     * Returns whether the property is a running version.
     * @return boolean
     */
    public boolean isRunningVersion();
    
    /**
     * The name of the property.  Typically this should match the name that keys
     * the property's location in the test elements Map.
     * @return String
     */
    public String getName();
    
    /**
     * Set the property name.
     * @param name
     */
    public void setName(String name);
    
    /**
     * Make the property a running version or turn it off as the running
     * version.  A property that is made a running version will preserve the
     * current state in such a way that it is retrievable by a future call to
     * 'recoverRunningVersion()'.  Additionally, a property that is a running
     * version will resolve all functions prior to returning it's property
     * value.  A non-running version property will return functions as their
     * uncompiled string representation.
     * @param runningVersion
     */
    public void setRunningVersion(boolean runningVersion);
    
    /**
     * Tell the property to revert to the state at the time 
     * setRunningVersion(true) was called.
     */
    public void recoverRunningVersion(TestElement owner);
    
    /**
     * Take the given property object and merge it's value with the current
     * property object.  For most property types, this will simply be ignored.
     * But for collection properties and test element properties, more complex
     * behavior is required.
     * @param prop
     */
    public void mergeIn(JMeterProperty prop);
    
    public int getIntValue();
    
    public long getLongValue();
    
    public double getDoubleValue();
    
    public float getFloatValue();
    
    public boolean getBooleanValue();
    
    public String getStringValue();
    
    public Object getObjectValue();
    
    public void setObjectValue(Object value);
    
    public Object clone();
}