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 * ORACLE PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
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package javax.print.attribute;

import java.io.Serializable;

import java.util.Date;

/**
 * Class DateTimeSyntax is an abstract base class providing the common
 * implementation of all attributes whose value is a date and time.
 * <P>
 * Under the hood, a date-time attribute is stored as a value of class <code>
 * java.util.Date</code>. You can get a date-time attribute's Date value by
 * calling {@link #getValue() getValue()}. A date-time attribute's
 * Date value is established when it is constructed (see {@link
 * #DateTimeSyntax(Date) DateTimeSyntax(Date)}). Once
 * constructed, a date-time attribute's value is immutable.
 * <P>
 * To construct a date-time attribute from separate values of the year, month,
 * day, hour, minute, and so on, use a <code>java.util.Calendar</code>
 * object to construct a <code>java.util.Date</code> object, then use the
 * <code>java.util.Date</code> object to construct the date-time attribute.
 * To convert
 * a date-time attribute to separate values of the year, month, day, hour,
 * minute, and so on, create a <code>java.util.Calendar</code> object and
 * set it to the <code>java.util.Date</code> from the date-time attribute. Class
 * DateTimeSyntax stores its value in the form of a <code>java.util.Date
 * </code>
 * rather than a <code>java.util.Calendar</code> because it typically takes
 * less memory to store and less time to compare a <code>java.util.Date</code>
 * than a <code>java.util.Calendar</code>.
 * <P>
 *
 * @author Alan Kaminsky
 */
public abstract class DateTimeSyntax implements Serializable, Cloneable {

 private static final long serialVersionUID = -1400819079791208582L;

 // Hidden data members.

 /**
 * This date-time attribute's<code>java.util.Date</code> value.
 * @serial
 */
 private Date value;

 // Hidden constructors.

 /**
 * Construct a new date-time attribute with the given
 * <code>java.util.Date </code> value.
 *
 * @param value <code>java.util.Date</code> value.
 *
 * @exception NullPointerException
 * (unchecked exception) Thrown if <CODE>theValue</CODE> is null.
 */
 protected DateTimeSyntax(Date value) {
 if (value == null) {
 throw new NullPointerException("value is null");
 }
 this.value = value;
 }

 // Exported operations.

 /**
 * Returns this date-time attribute's <code>java.util.Date</code>
 * value.
 * @return the Date.
 */
 public Date getValue() {
 return new Date (value.getTime());
 }

 // Exported operations inherited and overridden from class Object.

 /**
 * Returns whether this date-time attribute is equivalent to the passed in
 * object. To be equivalent, all of the following conditions must be true:
 * <OL TYPE=1>
 * <LI>
 * <CODE>object</CODE> is not null.
 * <LI>
 * <CODE>object</CODE> is an instance of class DateTimeSyntax.
 * <LI>
 * This date-time attribute's <code>java.util.Date</code> value and
 * <CODE>object</CODE>'s <code>java.util.Date</code> value are
 * equal. </OL>
 *
 * @param object Object to compare to.
 *
 * @return True if <CODE>object</CODE> is equivalent to this date-time
 * attribute, false otherwise.
 */
 public boolean equals(Object object) {
 return (object != null &&
 object instanceof DateTimeSyntax &&
 value.equals(((DateTimeSyntax) object).value));
 }

 /**
 * Returns a hash code value for this date-time attribute. The hashcode is
 * that of this attribute's <code>java.util.Date</code> value.
 */
 public int hashCode() {
 return value.hashCode();
 }

 /**
 * Returns a string value corresponding to this date-time attribute.
 * The string value is just this attribute's
 * <code>java.util.Date</code> value
 * converted to a string.
 */
 public String toString() {
 return "" + value;
 }

}