//========= Copyright Valve Corporation, All rights reserved. ============//
//
// Purpose: 
//
// $NoKeywords: $
//=============================================================================//

#ifndef ICHANNEL_H
#define ICHANNEL_H
#ifdef _WIN32
#pragma once
#endif


#include "tier1/utlvector.h"


class IChannel
{
public:
	// Note: this also releases any channels contained inside. So if you make a reliable
	// channel that contains an unreliable channel and release the reliable one,
	// it will automatically release the unreliable one it contains.
	virtual	void	Release() = 0;

	// Send data to the destination.
	virtual bool	Send( const void *pData, int len ) = 0;
	
	// This version puts all the chunks into one packet and ships it off.
	virtual bool	SendChunks( void const * const *pChunks, const int *pChunkLengths, int nChunks ) = 0;
	
	// Check for any packets coming in from the destination.
	// Returns false if no packet was received.
	//
	// flTimeout can be used to make it wait for data.
	//
	// Note: this is most efficient if you keep the buffer around between calls so it only
	// reallocates it when it needs more space.
	virtual bool	Recv( CUtlVector<unsigned char> &data, double flTimeout=0 ) = 0;

	// Returns false if the connection has been broken.
	virtual bool	IsConnected() = 0;

	// If IsConnected returns false, you can call this to find out why the socket got disconnected.
	virtual void	GetDisconnectReason( CUtlVector<char> &reason ) = 0;
};


#endif // ICHANNEL_H