Developer
<?php
namespace Hamcrest;
/*
Copyright (c) 2009 hamcrest.org
*/
/**
* A matcher over acceptable values.
* A matcher is able to describe itself to give feedback when it fails.
* <p/>
* Matcher implementations should <b>NOT directly implement this interface</b>.
* Instead, <b>extend</b> the {@link Hamcrest\BaseMatcher} abstract class,
* which will ensure that the Matcher API can grow to support
* new features and remain compatible with all Matcher implementations.
* <p/>
* For easy access to common Matcher implementations, use the static factory
* methods in {@link Hamcrest\CoreMatchers}.
*
* @see Hamcrest\CoreMatchers
* @see Hamcrest\BaseMatcher
*/
interface Matcher extends SelfDescribing
{
/**
* Evaluates the matcher for argument <var>$item</var>.
*
* @param mixed $item the object against which the matcher is evaluated.
*
* @return boolean <code>true</code> if <var>$item</var> matches,
* otherwise <code>false</code>.
*
* @see Hamcrest\BaseMatcher
*/
public function matches($item);
/**
* Generate a description of why the matcher has not accepted the item.
* The description will be part of a larger description of why a matching
* failed, so it should be concise.
* This method assumes that <code>matches($item)</code> is false, but
* will not check this.
*
* @param mixed $item The item that the Matcher has rejected.
* @param Description $description
* @return
*/
public function describeMismatch($item, Description $description);
}
Developer
To ensure a smooth integration process and optimal performance, follow these best practices: