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   * Copyright (c) 2005, 2006, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
   * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
   *
   * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
   * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
   * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
   * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
   *
   * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
   * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
   * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
   * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
   * accompanied this code).
   *
   * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
   * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
   * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
   *
   * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
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   */
  
  package java.sql;
  
  /**
   *
   * The representation (mapping) in the Java programming language of an SQL ROWID
   * value. An SQL ROWID is a built-in type, a value of which can be thought of as
   * an address  for its identified row in a database table. Whether that address
   * is logical or, in any  respects, physical is determined by its originating data
   * source.
   * <p>
   * Methods in the interfaces <code>ResultSet</code>, <code>CallableStatement</code>,
   * and <code>PreparedStatement</code>, such as <code>getRowId</code> and <code>setRowId</code>
   * allow a programmer to access a SQL <code>ROWID</code>  value. The <code>RowId</code>
   * interface provides a method
   * for representing the value of the <code>ROWID</code> as a byte array or as a
   * <code>String</code>.
   * <p>
   * The method <code>getRowIdLifetime</code> in the interface <code>DatabaseMetaData</code>,
   * can be used
   * to determine if a <code>RowId</code> object remains valid for the duration of the transaction in
   * which  the <code>RowId</code> was created, the duration of the session in which
   * the <code>RowId</code> was created,
   * or, effectively, for as long as its identified row is not deleted. In addition
   * to specifying the duration of its valid lifetime outside its originating data
   * source, <code>getRowIdLifetime</code> specifies the duration of a <code>ROWID</code>
   * value's valid lifetime
   * within its originating data source. In this, it differs from a large object,
   * because there is no limit on the valid lifetime of a large  object within its
   * originating data source.
   * <p>
   * All methods on the <code>RowId</code> interface must be fully implemented if the
   * JDBC driver supports the data type.
   *
   * @see DatabaseMetaData
   * @since 1.6
   */
  
  public interface RowId {
      /**
       * Compares this <code>RowId</code> to the specified object. The result is
       * <code>true</code> if and only if the argument is not null and is a RowId
       * object that represents the same ROWID as  this object.
       * <p>
       * It is important
       * to consider both the origin and the valid lifetime of a <code>RowId</code>
       * when comparing it to another <code>RowId</code>. If both are valid, and
       * both are from the same table on the same data source, then if they are equal
       * they identify
       * the same row; if one or more is no longer guaranteed to be valid, or if
       * they originate from different data sources, or different tables on the
       * same data source, they  may be equal but still
       * not identify the same row.
       *
       * @param obj the <code>Object</code> to compare this <code>RowId</code> object
       *     against.
       * @return true if the <code>RowId</code>s are equal; false otherwise
       * @since 1.6
       */
      boolean equals(Object obj);
  
      /**
       * Returns an array of bytes representing the value of the SQL <code>ROWID</code>
       * designated by this <code>java.sql.RowId</code> object.
       *
       * @return an array of bytes, whose length is determined by the driver supplying
       *     the connection, representing the value of the ROWID designated by this
       *     java.sql.RowId object.
       */
       byte[] getBytes();
  
       /**
        * Returns a String representing the value of the SQL ROWID designated by this
        * <code>java.sql.RowId</code> object.
        * <p>
        *Like <code>java.sql.Date.toString()</code>
        * returns the contents of its DATE as the <code>String</code> "2004-03-17"
        * rather than as  DATE literal in SQL (which would have been the <code>String</code>
        * DATE "2004-03-17"), toString()
        * returns the contents of its ROWID in a form specific to the driver supplying
        * the connection, and possibly not as a <code>ROWID</code> literal.
        *
        * @return a String whose format is determined by the driver supplying the
        *     connection, representing the value of the <code>ROWID</code> designated
        *     by this <code>java.sql.RowId</code>  object.
        */
       String toString();
  
       /**
        * Returns a hash code value of this <code>RowId</code> object.
        *
        * @return a hash code for the <code>RowId</code>
        */
       int hashCode();
  
  }
  