diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ui/table/CellComparator.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ui/table/CellComparator.java
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+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/ui/table/CellComparator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2015 Open Networking Laboratory
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ *
+ */
+
+package org.onosproject.ui.table;
+
+/**
+ * Defines a comparator for cell values.
+ */
+public interface CellComparator {
+
+    /**
+     * Compares its two arguments for order.  Returns a negative integer,
+     * zero, or a positive integer as the first argument is less than, equal
+     * to, or greater than the second.<p>
+     *
+     * Note that nulls are permitted, and should be sorted to the beginning
+     * of an ascending sort; i.e. null is considered to be "smaller" than
+     * non-null values.
+     *
+     * @see java.util.Comparator#compare(Object, Object)
+     *
+     * @param o1 the first object to be compared.
+     * @param o2 the second object to be compared.
+     * @return a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as the
+     *         first argument is less than, equal to, or greater than the
+     *         second.
+     * @throws ClassCastException if the arguments' types prevent them from
+     *         being compared by this comparator.
+     */
+    int compare(Object o1, Object o2);
+
+}