/* 
 * This file is part of the Echo Web Application Framework (hereinafter "Echo").
 * Copyright (C) 2002-2009 NextApp, Inc.
 *
 * Version: MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1
 *
 * The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version
 * 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
 * the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
 * http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/
 *
 * Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
 * for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the
 * License.
 *
 * Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
 * either the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later (the "GPL"), or
 * the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 2.1 or later (the "LGPL"),
 * in which case the provisions of the GPL or the LGPL are applicable instead
 * of those above. If you wish to allow use of your version of this file only
 * under the terms of either the GPL or the LGPL, and not to allow others to
 * use your version of this file under the terms of the MPL, indicate your
 * decision by deleting the provisions above and replace them with the notice
 * and other provisions required by the GPL or the LGPL. If you do not delete
 * the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of this file under
 * the terms of any one of the MPL, the GPL or the LGPL.
 */

package nextapp.echo2.app;

/**
 * Interface for objects which may be identified for rendering purposes via
 * via unique String identifiers.   Identifiers must be unique within a given
 * <code>ApplicationInstance</code>.  
 * <p>If an object will only be associated
 * with a single <code>ApplicationInstance</code>, the 
 * <code>ApplicationInstance.generateId()</code> method may be used to generate
 * an application unique identifier.
 * If an object may be associated with multiple 
 * <code>ApplicationInstance</code>s, the 
 * <code>ApplicationInstance.generateSystemId()</code> method should instead
 * be used.
 * <p>
 * An identifier string may only letters, digits and underscores 
 * [A-Z,a-z,0-9,_]
 */
public interface RenderIdSupport {
    
    /**
     * Returns an identifier that is unique within the 
     * <code>ApplicationInstance</code> with which the implementor will be 
     * used.
     */
    public String getRenderId();
}