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 *  distributed with this work for additional information
 *  regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
 *  to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
 *  "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
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 *  KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
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package org.apache.cayenne.lifecycle.audit;

import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
import java.lang.annotation.Inherited;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

/**
 * A built-in annotation used to tag an object that is not auditable on its own, but whose
 * changes should be tracked together with changes of another ("parent") object. This
 * annotation allows to group changes in a closely related subtree of objects. Either
 * {@link #value()} or {@link #objectIdRelationship()} must be set to a non-empty String,
 * so that a processor of AuditableChild could find the parent of the annotated object.
 * 
 * @since 3.1
 */
@Target(ElementType.TYPE)
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME)
@Documented
@Inherited
public @interface AuditableChild {

    /**
     * Returns the name of a to-one relationship from an annotated object to the "parent"
     * object that should be audited when annotated object is changed.
     */
    String value() default "";

    /**
     * Returns the name of the property of the annotated entity of the relationship that
     * stores a String "FK" of a related "parent" entity.
     */
    String objectIdRelationship() default "";

    String[] ignoredProperties() default {};
}