* identify concepts -- such as names, addresses, classes, etc. We do not
* require too much, just that the identifiers are serializable (and this
* transferable).
+ *
+ * Implementations are expected to implement hashCode() and equals() methods
+ * in a way, which ensures that objects before and after serialization are
+ * considered equal.
+ *
+ * Implementations are advised to use the Externalizable Proxy pattern to
+ * allow future evolution of their serialization format.
*/
public interface Identifier extends Serializable, Immutable {
+ @Override
+ boolean equals(Object o);
+
+ @Override
+ int hashCode();
+ @Override
+ String toString();
}