X-Git-Url: http://nitlanguage.org

diff --git a/lib/serialization/serialization.nit b/lib/serialization/serialization.nit
index 10caaef..f94445e 100644
--- a/lib/serialization/serialization.nit
+++ b/lib/serialization/serialization.nit
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ module serialization is
 	new_annotation auto_serializable
 	new_annotation serialize
 	new_annotation noserialize
+	new_annotation serialize_as
 end
 
 # Abstract serialization service to be sub-classed by specialized services.
@@ -87,21 +88,38 @@ end
 
 # Abstract deserialization service
 #
-# After initialization of one of its sub-classes, call `deserialize`
+# The main service is `deserialize`.
 abstract class Deserializer
-	# Main method of this class, returns a Nit object
-	fun deserialize: nullable Object is abstract
+	# Deserialize and return an object, storing errors in the attribute `errors`
+	#
+	# If a `static_type` is given, only subtypes of the `static_type` are accepted.
+	#
+	# This method behavior varies according to the implementation engines.
+	fun deserialize(static_type: nullable String): nullable Object is abstract
 
-	# Internal method to be implemented by sub-classes
-	fun deserialize_attribute(name: String): nullable Object is abstract
+	# Deserialize the attribute with `name` from the object open for deserialization
+	#
+	# The `static_type` can be used as last resort if the deserialized object
+	# desn't have any metadata declaring the dynamic type.
+	#
+	# Return the deserialized value or null on error, and set
+	# `deserialize_attribute_missing` to whether the attribute was missing.
+	#
+	# Internal method to be implemented by the engines.
+	fun deserialize_attribute(name: String, static_type: nullable String): nullable Object is abstract
 
-	# Internal method called by objects in creation,
-	# to be implemented by sub-classes
+	# Was the attribute queried by the last call to `deserialize_attribute` missing?
+	var deserialize_attribute_missing = false
+
+	# Register a newly allocated object (even if not completely built)
+	#
+	# Internal method called by objects in creation, to be implemented by the engines.
 	fun notify_of_creation(new_object: Object) is abstract
 
 	# Deserialize the next available object as an instance of `class_name`
 	#
-	# Returns the deserialized object on success, aborts on error.
+	# Return the deserialized object on success and
+	# record in `errors` if `class_name` is unknown.
 	#
 	# This method should be redefined for each custom subclass of `Serializable`.
 	# All refinement should look for a precise `class_name` and call super
@@ -138,10 +156,12 @@ abstract class Deserializer
 	var errors = new Array[Error]
 end
 
-# Deserialization got wrong attribute names
+# Error on invalid dynamic type for a deserialized attribute
 class AttributeTypeError
 	super Error
 
+	autoinit receiver, attribute_name, attribute, expected_type
+
 	# Parent object of the problematic attribute
 	var receiver: Object
 
@@ -154,8 +174,7 @@ class AttributeTypeError
 	# Name of the type expected for `attribute`
 	var expected_type: String
 
-	redef fun to_s
-	do
+	redef var message is lazy do
 		var attribute = attribute
 		var found_type = if attribute != null then attribute.class_name else "null"
 
@@ -220,8 +239,8 @@ redef class Bool super DirectSerializable end
 redef class Char super DirectSerializable end
 redef class Int super DirectSerializable end
 redef class Float super DirectSerializable end
-redef class NativeString super DirectSerializable end
-redef class String super DirectSerializable end
+redef class CString super DirectSerializable end
+redef class Text super DirectSerializable end
 redef class SimpleCollection[E] super Serializable end
 redef class Map[K, V] super Serializable end