The System.Web.Services.Protocols.PatternMatcher class performs pattern matching using regular expressions to find Web method return values in text encoded in the body of an HTTP response. The System.Web.Services.Protocols.PatternMatcher class is called by the client-side System.Web.Services.Protocols.TextReturnReader class, which deserializes Web service return values.

Text pattern matching provides a way for Web services to retrieve HTML content without converting it to XML documents that must be bound to XML Schema definitions. Regular expression search targets are specified in a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) document via match XML elements within text elements. Both elements belong to the namespace http://microsoft.com/wsdl/mime/textMatching/.

When match elements are specified in a WSDL document, the Wsdl.exe tool applies System.Web.Services.Protocols.MatchAttribute attributes to the corresponding Web methods in the client proxy class that is generated. A System.Web.Services.Protocols.MatchAttribute attribute's properties establish the search criteria for a System.Web.Services.Protocols.PatternMatcher instance.

A developer typically does not need to directly use System.Web.Services.Protocols.PatternMatcher.

Namespace: System.Web.Services.Protocols
Assembly: System.Web.Services (in System.Web.Services.dll)
Assembly Versions: 1.0.5000.0, 2.0.0.0