package com.fasterxml.jackson.databind;

import java.io.IOException;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.*;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.jsontype.TypeSerializer;

Interface that can be implemented by objects that know how to serialize themselves to JSON, using JsonGenerator (and SerializerProvider if necessary). 

Note that implementing this interface binds implementing object
closely to Jackson API, and that it is often not necessary to do
so -- if class is a bean, it can be serialized without
implementing this interface.
 Note that while it is possible to just directly implement JsonSerializable, actual implementations are strongly recommended to instead extend Base. /**
 * Interface that can be implemented by objects that know how to
 * serialize themselves to JSON, using {@link JsonGenerator}
 * (and {@link SerializerProvider} if necessary).
 *<p>
 * Note that implementing this interface binds implementing object
 * closely to Jackson API, and that it is often not necessary to do
 * so -- if class is a bean, it can be serialized without
 * implementing this interface.
 *<p>
 * Note that while it is possible to just directly implement {@link JsonSerializable},
 * actual implementations are strongly recommended to instead extend
 * {@link JsonSerializable.Base}.
 */
public interface JsonSerializable
{
    
Serialization method called when no additional type information is
to be included in serialization.
/**
     * Serialization method called when no additional type information is
     * to be included in serialization.
     */
    public void serialize(JsonGenerator gen, SerializerProvider serializers) throws IOException;

    
Serialization method called when additional type information is
expected to be included in serialization, for deserialization to use.
 Usually implementation consists of a call to TypeSerializer.writeTypePrefix followed by serialization of contents, followed by a call to TypeSerializer.writeTypeSuffix). Details of the type id argument to pass depend on shape of JSON Object used (Array, Object or scalar like String/Number/Boolean). 

Note that some types (most notably, "natural" types: String, Integer,
Double and Boolean) never include type information.
/**
     * Serialization method called when additional type information is
     * expected to be included in serialization, for deserialization to use.
     *<p>
     * Usually implementation consists of a call to {@link TypeSerializer#writeTypePrefix}
     * followed by serialization of contents,
     * followed by a call to {@link TypeSerializer#writeTypeSuffix}).
     * Details of the type id argument to pass depend on shape of JSON Object used
     * (Array, Object or scalar like String/Number/Boolean).
     *<p>
     * Note that some types (most notably, "natural" types: String, Integer,
     * Double and Boolean) never include type information.
     */
    public void serializeWithType(JsonGenerator gen, SerializerProvider serializers,
            TypeSerializer typeSer) throws IOException;

    
Base class with minimal implementation, as well as couple of extension methods that core Jackson databinding makes use of. Use of this base class is strongly recommended over directly implementing JsonSerializable. 
Since:
2.6/**
     * Base class with minimal implementation, as well as couple of extension methods
     * that core Jackson databinding makes use of.
     * Use of this base class is strongly recommended over directly implementing
     * {@link JsonSerializable}.
     *
     * @since 2.6
     */
    public abstract static class Base implements JsonSerializable
    {
        
Method that may be called on instance to determine if it is considered
"empty" for purposes of serialization filtering or not.
/**
         * Method that may be called on instance to determine if it is considered
         * "empty" for purposes of serialization filtering or not.
         */
        public boolean isEmpty(SerializerProvider serializers) {
            return false;
        }
    }
}