<?php


/**
 * Page DocBlock definition
 * @package org.zadara.marius.pax
 */

/**
 * General interface for a config object.
 * The config object is a representation of a hash-map. 
 * 
 * @author Marius Zadara <hide@address.com>
 * @category Interfaces
 * @copyright (C) 2008-2009 Marius Zadara
 * @license Free for non-comercial use
 * @package org.zadara.marius.pax
 * @see IPAXObject
 * @since 5.0 
 */
interface IConfig extends IPAXObject  
{
	/**
	 * Method to set a variable to a value in the hash-map.
	 * If the key already exists, the value wil be updated.
	 *
	 * @access public
	 * @param string <b>$variable</b> The variable name
	 * @param mixed <b>$value</b> The variable value
	 * @return void
	 */
	public function set($variable, $value);
	
	/**
	 * Method to get the variabile value from the hash-map.
	 *
	 * @access public
	 * @param string <b>$variable</b> The variable name
	 * @param mixed <b>$defaultValue</b> The variable default value (used in case the variabile has not been found)
	 * @return mixed The value of the variables as defined 
	 */
	
	public function get($variable, $defaultValue=NULL);
	
	/**
	 * Method to return only the keys.
	 *
	 * @access public
	 * @return array The list of all the keys 
	 */
	public function getKeys();

	
	/**
	 * Method to return only the values.
	 *
	 * @access public
	 * @return array The list of all the values
	 */
	public function getValues();
	

	/**
	 * Method to delete a key.
	 *
	 * @access public
	 * @param string <b>$key</b> The name of the key
	 * @return boolean True/False if the key has been deleted
	 */	
	public function deleteKey($key);

	
	/**
	 * Method to delete the keys matching a pattern.
	 * The match is performed case insensitive.
	 *
	 * @access public
	 * @param string <b>$pattern</b> The pattern to use when searching for the keys
	 * @return boolean True/False if the key(s) has been deleted
	 */
	public function deleteKeysLike($pattern);

	
	/**
	 * Method to get the key-value pairs from the hash-map.
	 * Due to construction of the hash-map, will return the content of te hash-map.
	 * 
	 * @access public
	 * @return array The object's content
	 */
	public function getKeyValuePairs();	
	
	
	/**
	 * Method to search if a key exists.
	 * 
	 * @access public 
	 * @param string <b>$key</b> The key searched
	 * @return boolean True/False if the key has been found or not
	 */
	public function keyExists($key);	
}

?>