Decoder (Apache LDAP API 2.1.1 API Documentation)

```
public interface Decoder
```
Provides the highest level of abstraction for Decoders. This is the sister interface of Encoder. All Decoders implement this common generic interface.

Allows a user to pass a generic Object to any Decoder implementation in the codec package.

One of the two interfaces at the center of the codec package.

Author:

Apache Directory Project

- Method Summary
  
  All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
  Modifier and Type Method Description
  
  Object decode(Object object)
  Decodes an "encoded" Object and returns a "decoded" Object.

- Method Detail
  - decode
```
Object decode(Object object)
       throws DecoderException
```
    Decodes an "encoded" Object and returns a "decoded" Object. Note that the implementation of this interface will try to cast the Object parameter to the specific type expected by a particular Decoder implementation. If a ClassCastException occurs this decode method will throw a DecoderException.
    
    Parameters:
    
    object - an object to "decode"
    
    Returns:
    
    a 'decoded" object
    
    Throws:
    
    DecoderException - a decoder exception can be thrown for any number of reasons. Some good candidates are that the parameter passed to this method is null, a param cannot be cast to the appropriate type for a specific encoder.