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  package org.apache.cayenne.validation;
  
  import java.io.Serializable;
  
  /**
   * Defines a single failure during the validation process. Implementing classes may
   * store any extra information to help callers to identify the source and reasons 
   * for the failure.
   *
   * @see BeanValidationFailure
   * @since 1.1
   */
  public interface ValidationFailure extends Serializable {
  
      /**
       * Returns the object that has generated the failure. For example, if a <code>Person</code>
       * must have a name and a <code>ValidationFailure</code> is created when the
       * user attempts to save it, the <code>Person</code> object would be the failure source.
       *
       * @return the failure's source or null in case a source cannot be defined.
       */
      public Object getSource();
  
      /**
       * Returns an user defined error object.
       */
      public Object getError();
  
      /**
       * Returns a String representation of the error object.
       * This is used in log messages and exceptions.
       */
      public String getDescription();
  
  }
  