// Copyright 2008 Thiago H. de Paula Figueiredo

 //

 // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");

 // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.

 // You may obtain a copy of the License at

 //

 //     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

 //

 // Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software

 // distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,

 // WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.

 // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and

 // limitations under the License.

 package br.com.arsmachina.tapestrycrud.grid;

 import java.util.List;

 import br.com.arsmachina.dao.SortCriterion;

 /**

  * Interface that defines a search that can be carried on in a paged fashion.

  *

  * @param <T> the type of the elements returned.

  * @author Thiago H. de Paula Figueiredo

  */

 public interface PagedSearch<T> {

         /**

          * Performs the search.

          *

          * @param firstIndex an <code>int</code> with the index of the first object to be returned.

          * The first object has index 0.

          * @param maximumResults an <code>int</code> with the maximum number of objects to be returned.

          * @param sortingConstraints an {@link SortCriterion} array used to define how the returned

          * list will be sorted.

          * @return a {@link List} of <code>T</code>.

          */

         List<T> search(int firstIndex, int maximumResults, SortCriterion... sortingConstraints);

         /**

          * Return the number of available objects to be returned by the search.

          * 

          * @return an <code>int</code>.

          */

         int count();

 }