package com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters;

import com.thoughtworks.xstream.io.HierarchicalStreamWriter;
import com.thoughtworks.xstream.io.HierarchicalStreamReader;

/**
 * Converter implementations are responsible marshalling Java objects
 *
 * @author Paul Hammant
 * @see com.thoughtworks.xstream.XStream
 */
public interface AttributeConverter {

    /**
     * Called by XStream to determine whether to use this converter
     * instance to marshall a particular type.
     */
    boolean canConvert(Class type);

    /**
     * Convert an object to textual data.
     *
     * @param source  The object to be marshalled.
     * @param writer  A stream to write to.
     * @param context A context that allows nested objects to be processed by XStream.
     */
    void marshal(Object source, HierarchicalStreamWriter writer, MarshallingContext context);

    /**
     * Convert textual data back into an object.
     *
     * @param instance       The instance on which the attribute was found.
     * @param reader
     */
    void unmarshal(Object instance, HierarchicalStreamReader reader);

}