String-based path matching.
+ *
+ * Used by {@link org.springframework.core.io.support.PathMatchingResourcePatternResolver}, + * {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.handler.AbstractUrlHandlerMapping}, + * {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.multiaction.PropertiesMethodNameResolver}, + * and {@link org.springframework.web.servlet.mvc.WebContentInterceptor}. + * + *
The default implementation is {@link AntPathMatcher}, supporting the
+ * Ant-style pattern syntax.
+ *
+ * @author Juergen Hoeller
+ * @since 1.2
+ * @see AntPathMatcher
+ */
+public interface PathMatcher {
+
+ /**
+ * Does the given path represent a pattern that can be matched
+ * by an implementation of this interface?
+ *
If the return value is false, then the {@link #match}
+ * method does not have to be used because direct equality comparisons
+ * on the static path Strings will lead to the same result.
+ * @param path the path String to check
+ * @return true if the given path represents a pattern
+ */
+ boolean isPattern(String path);
+
+ /**
+ * Match the given path against the given pattern,
+ * according to this PathMatcher's matching strategy.
+ * @param pattern the pattern to match against
+ * @param path the path String to test
+ * @return true if the supplied path matched,
+ * false if it didn't
+ */
+ boolean match(String pattern, String path);
+
+ /**
+ * Match the given path against the corresponding part of the given
+ * pattern, according to this PathMatcher's matching strategy.
+ *
Determines whether the pattern at least matches as far as the given base
+ * path goes, assuming that a full path may then match as well.
+ * @param pattern the pattern to match against
+ * @param path the path String to test
+ * @return true if the supplied path matched,
+ * false if it didn't
+ */
+ boolean matchStart(String pattern, String path);
+
+ /**
+ * Given a pattern and a full path, determine the pattern-mapped part.
+ *
This method is supposed to find out which part of the path is matched + * dynamically through an actual pattern, that is, it strips off a statically + * defined leading path from the given full path, returning only the actually + * pattern-matched part of the path. + *
For example: For "myroot/*.html" as pattern and "myroot/myfile.html" + * as full path, this method should return "myfile.html". The detailed + * determination rules are specified to this PathMatcher's matching strategy. + *
A simple implementation may return the given full path as-is in case
+ * of an actual pattern, and the empty String in case of the pattern not
+ * containing any dynamic parts (i.e. the pattern parameter being
+ * a static path that wouldn't qualify as an actual {@link #isPattern pattern}).
+ * A sophisticated implementation will differentiate between the static parts
+ * and the dynamic parts of the given path pattern.
+ * @param pattern the path pattern
+ * @param path the full path to introspect
+ * @return the pattern-mapped part of the given path
+ * (never null)
+ */
+ String extractPathWithinPattern(String pattern, String path);
+
+}