/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */

/*

 * Copyright (c) 2008 INRIA

 *

 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify

 * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as

 * published by the Free Software Foundation;

 *

 * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,

 * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

 * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the

 * GNU General Public License for more details.

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

 * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software

 * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA

 *

 * Author: Mathieu Lacage <mathieu.lacage@sophia.inria.fr>

 */

#ifndef ATTRIBUTE_LIST_H

#define ATTRIBUTE_LIST_H

#include <string>

#include <vector>

#include "attribute.h"

#include "type-id.h"

namespace ns3 {

/**

 * \brief a container of attributes to be used during object's construction

 *        and in ns3::Object::Set.

 *

 */

class AttributeList

{

public:

  AttributeList ();

  AttributeList (const AttributeList &o);

  AttributeList &operator = (const AttributeList &o);

  ~AttributeList ();

  /**

   * \param name the full name of the attribute to set

   * \param value the value to set

   *

   * This method checks that a attribute with the requested

   * name exists and that the value specified is an acceptable

   * value of that attribute. If any of these checks fails,

   * the program terminates with a message.

   */

  /**

   * \param name the full name of the attribute to set

   * \param value the value to set

   * \returns true if the requested attribute exists and could be

   *          stored, false otherwise.

   */

  /**

   * \param tid the TypeId associated to this attribute

   * \param name the name (not full!) of the attribute

   * \param value the value to set

   *

   * This method checks that a attribute with the requested

   * name exists and that the value specified is an acceptable

   * value of that attribute. If any of these checks fails,

   * the program terminates with a message.

   */

  /**

   * Clear the content of this instance.

   */

  void Reset (void);

  /**

   * \returns the global attribute container

   *

   * The global attribute container can be used to specify

   * a set of attribute values without having to re-specify

   * them for each object when it is created. This container

   * is checked only during object construction and 

   * it is always checked last, after any per-object

   * container is checked.

   */

  static AttributeList *GetGlobal (void);

  // XXX: untested.

  std::string SerializeToString (void) const;

  bool DeserializeFromString (std::string value);

private:

  friend class ObjectBase;

  struct Attr {

    Ptr<const AttributeChecker> checker;

  };

  typedef std::vector<struct Attr> Attrs;

  typedef Attrs::iterator Iterator;

  typedef Attrs::const_iterator CIterator;

  std::string LookupAttributeFullNameByChecker (Ptr<const AttributeChecker> checker) const;

  Attrs m_attributes;

};

} // namespace ns3

#endif /* ATTRIBUTE_LIST_H */