/*=========================================================================

  Program:   wxMaracas
  Module:    $RCSfile: marObject.h,v $
  Language:  C++
  Date:      $Date: 2009/01/15 11:09:47 $
  Version:   $Revision: 1.4 $

  Copyright: (c) 2002, 2003
  License:
  
     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even 
     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR 
     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.

=========================================================================*/
#ifndef __MAR__KERNEL__OBJECT__HXX__
#define __MAR__KERNEL__OBJECT__HXX__

#include <string>
#include "marTypes.h"
#include "marParameters.h"

/** /def marObject
 *  \brief General maracas object.
 */
class creaMaracasVisu_EXPORT marObject
{
    public:

    /** Default constructor.
     */
    marObject( marParameters* p );

    /** Default destructor.
     */
    virtual ~marObject( );

    /** Parameters assignation methods.
     *
     *  You can assign a marParameters object by reference (setParameters)
     *  or by value (copyParameters).
     *  Besides, if you want to make your actual reference to be by value,
     *  call makeACopyParameters.
     */
    void setParameters( marParameters* p );
    void copyParameters( marParameters* p );
    void makeACopyParameters( )
    {
	    copyParameters( _parameters );
    }

    /** Parameters analizers.
     */
    marParameters* getParameters( ) { return( _parameters ); };
    bool parametersOwned( ) { return( _parametersCopied ); };

    /** Virtual general methods
     *  (must be defined in each sub-class).
     */
    virtual void reset( ) = 0;
    virtual void copyFrom( const marObject& from ) = 0;

    /** Virtual persistence methods
     *  (must be defined in each sub-class).
     */
    virtual bool save( std::ofstream& os ) = 0;
    virtual bool load( std::ifstream& is ) = 0;

    /** Persistence methods
     */
    bool save( std::string& nw );
    bool load( std::string& nr );

    private:

    marParameters* _parameters;
    bool _parametersCopied;

};

#endif // __MAR__KERNEL__OBJECT__HXX__

// eof - marObject.h