[RFC] Pattern expanders

[norberttech]

In most cases patterns are enough to create our expectations against value but sometimes there is a need to check something more. For example if we want to check if integer is lower than X or if array contain specific key/value.
Of course there is a expression pattern which is very elastic but it also make our patterns big, less readable and sometimes hard to understand.
I believe it would be nice to expand patterns with some extra critierias.
Few examples:

Following patterns will match ['foo' => 'bar'] value
@array@.contains('foo':'bar')
@array@.keyExists('foo')
@array@.valueExists('bar')

Following patterns will match "25" value:
@integer@.lowerThan(23)
@integer@.greaterThan(20)
@integer@.between(10, 100)

Following patterns will match "Hello world" value:
@string@.startWith('Hello')
@string@.endWith('World')
@string@.contains('llo Wo')

I think there might be a need to use more than one expander for a pattern.

@string@.startWith('Hello').contains(' ').endWith('World')

First matcher will check if pattern match value and after that value is going to be check against every single expander. The result will be positive only if every single expander return "true".

Maybe there are some more expanders we can add?

[defrag]

Yes this is interesting. I am thinking how to implement the repeat format with was mentioned in other issue like:

[
    {
        "id": @integer@,
        "name": @string@
    }.repeat(1..Inf)
]

Something similar to chancancode/json_expressions#18

[norberttech]

Oh I forgot about repeat expander. But above implementation require custom JSON parser. I think that using following syntax would be much easier:

{
    "deccription": "Users collection", 
    @array@.repeat({'id': @integer@, 'name': @string@}, 1, INF)
}

Exapnder definition:
repeat(pattenr, offset = 0, limit = null)

[norberttech]

Closed by https://github.com/coduo/php-matcher/releases/tag/1.1.0