deferred class
	EL_STRING_REPRESENTABLE_FIELD [G]

feature -- Access

	to_string (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE): READABLE_STRING_GENERAL
		do
			if attached {EL_STRING_FIELD_REPRESENTATION [G, ANY]} representation as l_representation then
				Result := l_representation.to_string (value (a_object))
			else
				Result := to_string_directly (a_object)
			end
		end

feature -- Basic operations

	append_to_string (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE; str: ZSTRING)
		do
			if attached {EL_STRING_FIELD_REPRESENTATION [G, ANY]} representation as l_representation then
				l_representation.append_to_string (value (a_object), str)
			else
				append_directly (a_object, str)
			end
		end

	set_from_string (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE; string: READABLE_STRING_GENERAL)
		-- forced to implement in descendants because of a segmentation fault in finalized exe
		deferred
		end

feature {NONE} -- Implementation

	append_directly (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE; str: ZSTRING)
		deferred
		end

	representation: detachable EL_FIELD_REPRESENTATION [G, ANY]
		deferred
		end

	set_directly (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE; string: READABLE_STRING_GENERAL)
		deferred
		end

	to_string_directly (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE): READABLE_STRING_GENERAL
		deferred
		end

	value (a_object: EL_REFLECTIVE): G
		deferred
		end

end