/**********************************************************************************
 * $URL: https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/entity/tags/sakai_2-3-1/entity-api/api/src/java/org/sakaiproject/entity/api/EntityTransferrer.java $
 * $Id: EntityTransferrer.java 7915 2006-04-18 18:25:01Z ggolden@umich.edu $
 ***********************************************************************************
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2006 The Sakai Foundation.
 * 
 * Licensed under the Educational Community License, Version 1.0 (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.opensource.org/licenses/ecl1.php
 * 
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software 
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, 
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. 
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and 
 * limitations under the License.
 *
 **********************************************************************************/

package org.sakaiproject.entity.api;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * <p>
 * Services which implement EntityTransferrer declare themselves as willing and able to transfer/copy their entities from one context to another.
 * </p>
 */
public interface EntityTransferrer
{
	/**
	 * transfer a copy of Entites from the source context into the destination context
	 * 
	 * @param fromContext
	 *        The source context
	 * @param toContext
	 *        The destination context
	 * @param ids
	 *        when null, all entities will be imported; otherwise, only entities with those ids will be imported
	 */
	void transferCopyEntities(String fromContext, String toContext, List ids);

	/**
	 * Provide the string array of tool ids, for tools that we claim as manipulating our entities.
	 * 
	 * @return
	 */
	String[] myToolIds();
}
