package com.exanimo.utils
{


	/**
	 *
	 * 
	 * 
	 * @langversion ActionScript 3
	 * @playerversion Flash 9.0.0
	 *
	 * @author Matthew Tretter
	 * @since  2008.08.27
	 *
	 */
    public interface ICloneable
    {


    	/**
    	 *
    	 *
    	 * Creates and returns a copy of this object. The precise meaning of
    	 * "copy" may depend on the class of the object. The general intent is
    	 * that, for any object x, the expression:
		 * x.clone() != x
		 * will be true, and that the expression:
		 * getQualifiedClassName(x.clone()) == getQualifiedClassName(x)
		 * will be true, but these are not absolute requirements. While it is
		 * typically the case that:
		 * x.clone().equals(x)
		 * will be true, this is not an absolute requirement.
		 * By convention, the returned object should be obtained by calling
		 * super.clone. If a class and all of its superclasses (except Object)
		 * obey this convention, it will be the case that
		 * getQualifiedClassName(x.clone()) == getQualifiedClassName(x).
		 * By convention, the object returned by this method should be
		 * independent of this object (which is being cloned). To achieve this
		 * independence, it may be necessary to modify one or more fields of the
		 * object returned by super.clone before returning it. Typically, this
		 * means copying any mutable objects that comprise the internal "deep
		 * structure" of the object being cloned and replacing the references to
		 * these objects with references to the copies. If a class contains only
		 * primitive fields or references to immutable objects, then it is
		 * usually the case that no fields in the object returned by super.clone
		 * need to be modified.
		 *
		 * @return
		 *     a clone of this instance.
    	 *
    	 * @see http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/java/lang/Object.html#clone()
    	 *
    	 */
		function clone():Object;


    }
}