--- /dev/null
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2020 PANTHEON.tech, s.r.o. and others. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0 which accompanies this distribution,
+ * and is available at http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+ */
+package org.opendaylight.yangtools.yang.data.api.schema;
+
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.NonNull;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.Nullable;
+import org.opendaylight.yangtools.yang.data.api.YangInstanceIdentifier.PathArgument;
+
+/**
+ * A {@link NormalizedNodeContainer} which contains directly-addressable children. It
+ *
+ * <p>
+ * NormalizedNodeContainer does not have a value, but it has a child nodes. Definition of possible and valid child nodes
+ * is introduced in subclasses of this interface.
+ *
+ * <p>
+ * This interface should not be used directly, but rather use of of derived subclasses such as
+ * {@link DataContainerNode}, {@link MapNode}, {@link LeafSetNode}.
+ *
+ * @param <K> Child path argument type
+ * @param <V> Child Node type
+ */
+public interface DistinctNodeContainer<K extends PathArgument, V extends NormalizedNode>
+ extends NormalizedNodeContainer<V> {
+ /**
+ * {@inheritDoc}
+ *
+ * <p>
+ * All nodes returned in this iterable, MUST also be accessible via {@link #childByArg(PathArgument)} using their
+ * associated identifier.
+ *
+ * @return Iteration of all child nodes
+ */
+ @Override
+ Collection<@NonNull V> body();
+
+ /**
+ * Returns a child node identified by provided key.
+ *
+ * @param key Path argument identifying child node
+ * @return Matching child node, or null if no matching child exists
+ * @throws NullPointerException if {@code key} is null
+ */
+ @Nullable V childByArg(K key);
+
+ /**
+ * Attempts to find a child node identified by provided key.
+ *
+ * @param key Path argument identifying child node
+ * @return Optional with child node if child exists. {@link Optional#empty()} if child does not exist
+ * @throws NullPointerException if {@code key} is null
+ */
+ default Optional<V> findChildByArg(final K key) {
+ return Optional.ofNullable(childByArg(key));
+ }
+}