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
33namespace 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>
52        T Clone();
53    }
54}
55