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diff --git a/subprojects/viatra-runtime-rete/src/main/java/tools/refinery/viatra/runtime/rete/network/mailbox/Mailbox.java b/subprojects/viatra-runtime-rete/src/main/java/tools/refinery/viatra/runtime/rete/network/mailbox/Mailbox.java
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index 00000000..05005974
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+++ b/subprojects/viatra-runtime-rete/src/main/java/tools/refinery/viatra/runtime/rete/network/mailbox/Mailbox.java
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ * Copyright (c) 2010-2016, Tamas Szabo, Istvan Rath and Daniel Varro
+ * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+ * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v20.html.
+ * 
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0
+ *******************************************************************************/
+package tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.rete.network.mailbox;
+
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.matchers.tuple.Tuple;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.matchers.util.Clearable;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.matchers.util.Direction;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.rete.network.IGroupable;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.rete.network.Receiver;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.rete.network.communication.CommunicationGroup;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.rete.network.communication.MessageSelector;
+import tools.refinery.viatra.runtime.rete.network.communication.Timestamp;
+
+/**
+ * A mailbox is associated with every {@link Receiver}. Messages can be sent to a {@link Receiver} by posting them into
+ * the mailbox. Different mailbox implementations may differ in the way how they deliver the posted messages.
+ * 
+ * @author Tamas Szabo
+ * @since 2.0
+ *
+ */
+public interface Mailbox extends Clearable, IGroupable {
+
+    /**
+     * Posts a new message to this mailbox.
+     * 
+     * @param direction
+     *            the direction of the update
+     * @param update
+     *            the update element
+     * @since 2.4
+     */
+    public void postMessage(final Direction direction, final Tuple update, final Timestamp timestamp);
+
+    /**
+     * Delivers all messages according to the given selector from this mailbox. The selector can also be null. In this case, no
+     * special separation is expected between the messages.
+     * 
+     * @param selector the message selector
+     */
+    public void deliverAll(final MessageSelector selector);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the {@link Receiver} of this mailbox.
+     * 
+     * @return the receiver
+     */
+    public Receiver getReceiver();
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the {@link CommunicationGroup} of the receiver of this mailbox.
+     * 
+     * @return the communication group
+     */
+    public CommunicationGroup getCurrentGroup();
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the {@link CommunicationGroup} that the receiver of this mailbox is associated with.
+     * 
+     * @param group
+     *            the communication group
+     */
+    public void setCurrentGroup(final CommunicationGroup group);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if this mailbox is empty.
+     * 
+     * @return
+     */
+    public boolean isEmpty();
+
+}