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

/*

 * Copyright (c) 2005 INRIA

 * All rights reserved.

 *

 * 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 HEADER_H

#define HEADER_H

#include "chunk.h"

namespace ns3 {

/**

 * \brief Protocol header serialization and deserialization.

 *

 * Every Protocol header which needs to be inserted or removed

 * from a Packet instance must derive from this abstract base class

 * and implement the private pure virtual methods listed below:

 *   - ns3::Header::SerializeTo

 *   - ns3::Header::DeserializeFrom

 *   - ns3::Header::GetSerializedSize

 *   - ns3::Header::PrintTo

 */

class Header : public Chunk {

public:

  virtual ~Header ();

private:

  /**

   * \param os the std output stream in which this 

   *       protocol header must print itself.

   */

  virtual void PrintTo (std::ostream &os) const = 0;

  /**

   * \returns the size of the serialized Header.

   */

  virtual uint32_t GetSerializedSize (void) const = 0;

  /**

   * \param start the buffer iterator in which the protocol header

   *    must serialize itself. This iterator identifies 

   *    the start of the buffer.

   */

  virtual void SerializeTo (Buffer::Iterator start) const = 0;

  /**

   * \param start the buffer iterator from which the protocol header must

   *    deserialize itself. This iterator identifies 

   *    the start of the buffer.

   * \returns the number of bytes read from the buffer

   */

  virtual uint32_t DeserializeFrom (Buffer::Iterator start) = 0;

};

}; // namespace ns3

#endif /* HEADER_H */