root/trunk/cdmlib/cdmlib-model/src/main/java/eu/etaxonomy/cdm/model/description/IModifiable.java

// $Id$
/**
* Copyright (C) 2007 EDIT
* European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy 
* http://www.e-taxonomy.eu
* 
* The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1
* See LICENSE.TXT at the top of this package for the full license terms.
*/

package eu.etaxonomy.cdm.model.description;

import java.util.Set;

import eu.etaxonomy.cdm.model.common.IVersionableEntity;

/**
 * @author n.hoffmann
 * @created Sep 15, 2010
 * @version 1.0
 */
public interface IModifiable extends IVersionableEntity {

        /** 
         * Returns the set of {@link Modifier modifiers} used to qualify the validity
         * of <i>this</i> state data. This is only metainformation.
         */
        public Set<Modifier> getModifiers();
        
        /**
         * Adds a {@link Modifier modifier} to the set of {@link #getModifiers() modifiers}
         * used to qualify the validity of <i>this</i> state data.
         * 
         * @param modifier      the modifier to be added to <i>this</i> state data
         * @see                         #getModifiers()
         */
        public void addModifier(Modifier modifier);
        /** 
         * Removes one element from the set of {@link #getModifiers() modifiers}
         * used to qualify the validity of <i>this</i> state data.
         *
         * @param  modifier     the modifier which should be removed
         * @see                 #getModifiers()
         * @see                 #addModifier(Modifier)
         */
        public void removeModifier(Modifier modifier);
}