1 #region Copyright notice and license 2 // Protocol Buffers - Google's data interchange format 3 // Copyright 2015 Google Inc. All rights reserved. 4 // https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/ 5 // 6 // Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without 7 // modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are 8 // met: 9 // 10 // * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright 11 // notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 12 // * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above 13 // copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer 14 // in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the 15 // distribution. 16 // * Neither the name of Google Inc. nor the names of its 17 // contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from 18 // this software without specific prior written permission. 19 // 20 // THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS 21 // "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT 22 // LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR 23 // A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT 24 // OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, 25 // SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT 26 // LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, 27 // DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY 28 // THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT 29 // (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE 30 // OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 31 #endregion 32 33 namespace Google.Protobuf 34 { 35 /// <summary> 36 /// Generic interface for a deeply cloneable type. 37 /// </summary> 38 /// <remarks> 39 /// <para> 40 /// All generated messages implement this interface, but so do some non-message types. 41 /// Additionally, due to the type constraint on <c>T</c> in <see cref="IMessage{T}"/>, 42 /// it is simpler to keep this as a separate interface. 43 /// </para> 44 /// </remarks> 45 /// <typeparam name="T">The type itself, returned by the <see cref="Clone"/> method.</typeparam> 46 public interface IDeepCloneable<T> 47 { 48 /// <summary> 49 /// Creates a deep clone of this object. 50 /// </summary> 51 /// <returns>A deep clone of this object.</returns> Clone()52 T Clone(); 53 } 54 } 55