org.neo4j.driver.types.Entity Maven / Gradle / Ivy

/*
 * Copyright (c) "Neo4j"
 * Neo4j Sweden AB [http://neo4j.com]
 *
 * This file is part of Neo4j.
 *
 * 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 org.neo4j.driver.types;

import org.neo4j.driver.util.Immutable;

/**
 * A uniquely identifiable property container that can form part of a Neo4j graph.
 * @since 1.0
 */
@Immutable
public interface Entity extends MapAccessor {
    /**
     * A unique id for this Entity. Ids are guaranteed to remain stable for the duration of the session they were found in, but may be re-used for other
     * entities after that. As such, if you want a public identity to use for your entities, attaching an explicit 'id' property or similar persistent and
     * unique identifier is a better choice.
     * 
     * Please note that depending on server configuration numeric id might not be available and accessing it will result in {@link IllegalStateException}.
     *
     * @return the id of this entity
     * @deprecated superseded by {@link #elementId()}
     */
    @Deprecated
    long id();

    /**
     * A unique id for this Entity.
     * 
     * It is recommended to attach an explicit 'id' property or similar persistent and unique identifier if you want a public identity to use for your
     * entities.
     *
     * @return the id of this entity
     */
    String elementId();
}