Index: TopComponent.java
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/openide/src/org/openide/windows/TopComponent.java,v
retrieving revision 1.99.2.22
diff -u -r1.99.2.22 TopComponent.java
--- TopComponent.java	10 Oct 2003 13:17:38 -0000	1.99.2.22
+++ TopComponent.java	30 Oct 2003 08:32:08 -0000
@@ -112,9 +112,6 @@
     /** Localized display name of this <code>TopComponent</code>. */
     private transient String displayName;
     
-    /** Unique TopComponent ID */
-    private transient String tcUniqueId;
-    
     /** identification of serialization version
     * Used in CloneableTopComponent readObject method.
     */
@@ -402,28 +399,60 @@
     }
     
     /**
-     * Subclasses are encouraged to override this method to provide preferred value
+     * Returns unique permanent TopComponent ID. Value is also persistent if TopComponent
+     * is also persistent.
+`    * Subclasses are encouraged to override this method to provide preferred value
      * for unique TopComponent Id returned by getID. Returned value is used as starting
      * value for creating unique TopComponent ID.
-     * Value should be preferably unique, but need not be.
+     * Value should be preferably unique, but need not be. Override and just do:
+     * <PRE>
+     *   public ID get () {
+     *     return new ID ("yourPreferredName");
+     *   }
+     * </PRE>
+     *
+     * @return the ID handle
      */
-    protected String preferredID () {
-        return getName();
+    public ID getID () {
+        return new ID (getName ());
     }
-    
-    /**
-     * Returns unique permanent TopComponent ID. Value is also persistent if TopComponent
-     * is also persistent.
+
+    /** Represents unique ID of the TopComponent.
      */
-    public final synchronized String getID () {
-        // looks up some global collection of TC's
-        // and chooses a unique ID based on
-        // preferredID, and remembers it
-        // will be the same after externalization
-        if (tcUniqueId == null) {
-            tcUniqueId = WindowManager.getDefault().topComponentID(this, preferredID());
+    public final class ID extends Object {
+        private String preferredID;
+
+        public ID (String preferredID) {
+            this.preferredID = preferredID;
+        }
+
+        /**
+        * Returns unique permanent TopComponent ID. Value is also persistent if TopComponent
+        * is also persistent.
+        */
+        public String getID () {
+            return WindowManager.getDefault().topComponentID(TopComponent.this, preferredID);
+        }
+
+        public String toString () {
+            return getID ();
+        }
+
+        public boolean equals (Object obj) {
+            if (obj instanceof ID) {
+                ID i = (ID)obj;
+                return tc () == i.tc ();
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        private TopComponent tc () {
+            return TopComponent.this;
+        }
+
+        public int hashCode () {
+            return System.identityHashCode (TopComponent.this) + 5;
         }
-        return tcUniqueId;
     }
     
     /** Called only when top component was closed on all workspaces before and