1 files changed, 67 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/uk/org/ury/server/protocol/ProtocolUtils.java b/src/uk/org/ury/server/protocol/ProtocolUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e45bb22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/uk/org/ury/server/protocol/ProtocolUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+/**
+ * 
+ */
+package uk.org.ury.server.protocol;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.json.simple.JSONObject;
+import org.json.simple.JSONValue;
+
+
+/**
+ * Utilities for converting between strings encoded in the response 
+ * protocol and collections of items.
+ * 
+ * @author  Matt Windsor
+ *
+ */
+
+public class ProtocolUtils
+{
+  /**
+   * Encode a key-value map into a protocol string.
+   * 
+   * The map can contain strings, lists and other maps.  Other 
+   * types may be accepted by the underlying encoding engine, 
+   * but the above types are the only ones explicitly accepted.
+   * 
+   * @param items  The key-value map of items, which should contain 
+   *               strings, lists and maps.  The keys of any map 
+   *               should be protocol directives.
+   *               
+   * @return       A string containing the encoded representation of 
+   *               the map.
+   */
+  
+  public static String
+  encode (Map<String, Object> items)
+  {
+    return JSONValue.toJSONString (items);
+  }
+  
+  
+  /**
+   * Decode a protocol string into a key-value map.
+   * 
+   * @param string  The string to decode.
+   * 
+   * @return        A key-value map mapping directives to strings,
+   *                lists and maps.
+   *                
+   * @throws        DecodeFailureException if the decoding engine 
+   *                returns something other than a map.
+   */
+  
+  public static Map<?, ?>
+  decode (String string) throws DecodeFailureException
+  {
+    Object result = JSONValue.parse (string);
+    
+    if (result instanceof JSONObject)
+      return (JSONObject) result;
+    else
+      throw new DecodeFailureException ("Result not a map.");
+  }
+  
+}