MatchingRule (midPoint API Distribution 4.4 API)

```
public interface MatchingRule<T>
```
Interface for generic matching rules. The responsibility of a matching rule is to decide if two objects of the same type match. This may seem a simple thing to do but the details may get quite complex. E.g. comparing string in case sensitive or insensitive manner, comparing PolyStrings, etc.

Author:

Radovan Semancik

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`QName`	`getName()`	QName that identifies the rule.
`boolean`	`match(T a, T b)`	Matches two objects.
`boolean`	`matchRegex(T a, String regex)`	Matches value against given regex.
`T`	`normalize(T original)`	Returns a normalized version of the value.
`boolean`	`supports(QName xsdType)`	Returns true if the rule can be applied to the specified XSD type.

- Method Detail
  - getName
```
QName getName()
```
    QName that identifies the rule. This QName may be used to refer to this specific matching rule, it is an matching rule identifier.
  - supports
```
boolean supports(QName xsdType)
```
    Returns true if the rule can be applied to the specified XSD type.
  - match
```
boolean match(T a,
              T b)
       throws SchemaException
```
    Matches two objects.
    
    Throws:
    
    SchemaException
  - matchRegex
```
boolean matchRegex(T a,
                   String regex)
            throws SchemaException
```
    Matches value against given regex.
    
    Throws:
    
    SchemaException
  - normalize
```
T normalize(T original)
     throws SchemaException
```
    Returns a normalized version of the value. For normalized version the following holds: if A matches B then normalize(A) == normalize(B)
    
    Throws:
    
    SchemaException