Interface IDataType

The data type that is specified for a particular value type. It provides methods to convert values to and from binary. Diffusion provides several IDataTypes implementations.

Namespace: PushTechnology.ClientInterface.Data

Assembly: Diffusion.Client.dll

Syntax

public interface IDataType

Remarks

Value types should provide a string representation and define reasonable equality.

A data type can optionally support incremental changes to values, represented by one or more types of delta. A delta is the difference between two values. For large or composite values that change in small steps, it is more efficient to transmit an initial value followed by a delta for each change than to transmit a complete value for each change. The data type provides an implementation of IDeltaType for each type of delta it supports via DeltaType(String) and DeltaType(Type).

Since 5.8

Properties

TypeName

Returns the external type identifier.

Declaration

string TypeName { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
System.String	The external type identifier.

Methods

CanReadAs(Type)

Checks whether this data type is compatible with the given resultType.

Declaration

bool CanReadAs(Type resultType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
Type	resultType	The type to check for compatibility.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Boolean	True if the data type is compatible with the given resultType. Otherwise false.

Remarks

This means that any valid binary representation of this data type can be read as an instance of the given resultType.

Any value type can be read as a resultType.

DeltaType(String)

Returns a IDeltaType by name.

Declaration

IDeltaType DeltaType(string typeName)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	typeName	The delta type name as returned by Name.

Returns

Type	Description
IDeltaType	The delta type.

DeltaType(Type)

Returns a IDeltaType by type.

Declaration

IDeltaType DeltaType(Type valueDeltaType)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
Type	valueDeltaType	The delta value type.

Returns

Type	Description
IDeltaType	The delta type.

ReadAs(Type, IBytes)

Creates a value of a compatible type from binary.

Declaration

object ReadAs(Type resultType, IBytes bytes)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
Type	resultType	The type of the result.
IBytes	bytes	The binary data.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Object	The value object.

Remarks

This is equivalent to calling ReadAs(type, input.ToByteArray()).

Any value type can be read as a resultType.

ReadAs(Type, Byte[])

Creates a value of a compatible type from a binary data segment.

Declaration

object ReadAs(Type resultType, byte[] input)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
Type	resultType	The type of the result.
System.Byte[]	input	The binary data. The implementation may re-use the array to avoid copying. The caller must ensure the array is not modified.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Object	The value object.

Remarks

This is equivalent to calling ReadAs(type, input, 0, input.Length).

Any value type can be read as a resultType.

ReadAs(Type, Byte[], Int32, Int32)

Creates a value of a compatible type from a binary data segment.

Declaration

object ReadAs(Type resultType, byte[] input, int offset, int length)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
Type	resultType	The type of the result.
System.Byte[]	input	The binary data. The implementation may re-use the array to avoid copying. The caller must ensure the array is not modified.
System.Int32	offset	The starting index of the data segment.
System.Int32	length	The length of the data segment.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Object	The value object.

Remarks

Any value type can be read as a resultType.

ReadValue(IBytes)

Parses a value from binary.

Declaration

object ReadValue(IBytes bytes)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
IBytes	bytes	The binary data.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Object	The value object.

Remarks

This is equivalent to ReadValue(bytes.ToByteArray()).

ReadValue(Byte[])

Parses a value from a binary.

Declaration

object ReadValue(byte[] input)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Byte[]	input	The binary data. The implementation may re-use the array to avoid copying. The caller must ensure the array is not modified.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Object	The value object.

Remarks

This is equivalent to ReadValue(input,0,input.Length).

ReadValue(Byte[], Int32, Int32)

Parses a value from a binary data segment.

Declaration

object ReadValue(byte[] input, int offset, int length)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Byte[]	input	The binary data. The implementation may re-use the array to avoid copying. The caller must ensure the array is not modified.
System.Int32	offset	The starting index of the data segment.
System.Int32	length	The length of the data segment.

Returns

Type	Description
System.Object	The value object.

ToBytes(Object)

Returns the serialized form of the given value as IBytes.

Declaration

IBytes ToBytes(object value)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Object	value	The value to serialize.

Returns

Type	Description
IBytes	The IBytes representing the serialized form of the given value.

Remarks

Since 6.0

Validate(Object)

Checks whether a value is valid.

Declaration

void Validate(object value)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Object	value	The value object to check for validity.

Remarks

A DataType implementation is not required to check the binary data supplied to ReadValue(Byte[], Int32, Int32). This method can be used the check the value at a later time.

WriteValue(Object, Stream)

Serializes a value to binary.

Declaration

void WriteValue(object value, Stream outputStream)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.Object	value	The value object.
Stream	outputStream	The output stream.