#994: Add methods to convert between an entity and a string

By: Jishuna <joshl5324@gmail.com>

paper-api/src/main/java/org/bukkit/entity/Entity.java

@@ -726,6 +726,17 @@ public interface Entity extends Metadatable, CommandSender, Nameable, Persistent
      */
     boolean isInWorld();
 
+    /**
+     * Get this entity as an NBT string.
+     * <p>
+     * This string should not be relied upon as a serializable value.
+     *
+     * @return the NBT string or null if one cannot be made
+     */
+    @Nullable
+    @ApiStatus.Experimental
+    String getAsString();
+
     /**
      * Crates an {@link EntitySnapshot} representing the current state of this entity.
      *

paper-api/src/main/java/org/bukkit/entity/EntityFactory.java

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package org.bukkit.entity;
+
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+
+@ApiStatus.Experimental
+public interface EntityFactory {
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new EntitySnapshot with the supplied input.<br>
+     * Accepts strings in the format output by {@link EntitySnapshot#getAsString()}.
+     *
+     * @param input the input string
+     * @return the created EntitySnapshot
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the input string was provided in an invalid or unsupported format
+     */
+    @NotNull
+    EntitySnapshot createEntitySnapshot(@NotNull String input) throws IllegalArgumentException;
+}

paper-api/src/main/java/org/bukkit/entity/EntitySnapshot.java

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package org.bukkit.entity;
 
 import org.bukkit.Location;
 import org.bukkit.World;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
 /**
@@ -36,4 +37,15 @@ public interface EntitySnapshot {
      */
     @NotNull
     EntityType getEntityType();
+
+    /**
+     * Get this EntitySnapshot as an NBT string.
+     * <p>
+     * This string should not be relied upon as a serializable value.
+     *
+     * @return the NBT string
+     */
+    @NotNull
+    @ApiStatus.Experimental
+    String getAsString();
 }