#include "ns3/object-base.h"

#include "tag-buffer.h"

#include <stdint.h>

namespace ns3 {

/**

 * \brief tag a set of bytes in a packet

 *

 * New kinds of tags can be created by subclassing this base class.

 */

class Tag : public ObjectBase

{

public:

  static TypeId GetTypeId (void);

  /**

   * \returns the number of bytes required to serialize the data of the tag.

   *

   * This method is typically invoked by Packet::AddTag just prior to calling

   * Tag::Serialize.

   */

  virtual uint32_t GetSerializedSize (void) const = 0;

  /**

   * \param i the buffer to write data into.

   *

   * Write the content of the tag in the provided tag buffer.

   */

  virtual void Serialize (TagBuffer i) const = 0;

  /**

   * \param i the buffer to read data from.

   *

   * Read the content of the tag from the provided tag buffer.

   */

  virtual void Deserialize (TagBuffer i) = 0;

};

} // namespace ns3