diff --git a/include/proto/pattern.h b/include/proto/pattern.h
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/proto/pattern.h
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+/*
+ * include/proto/pattern.h
+ * This file provides structures and types for pattern matching.
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2000-2013 Willy Tarreau - w@1wt.eu
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation, version 2.1
+ * exclusively.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ */
+
+#ifndef _PROTO_PATTERN_H
+#define _PROTO_PATTERN_H
+
+/* parse the <text> with <expr> compliant parser. <pattern> is a context for
+ * the current parsed acl. It must initialized at NULL:
+ *
+ *    struct acl_pattern *pattern = NULL
+ *    acl_register_pattern(..., &pattern, ...);
+ *
+ * patflag are a combination of 'ACL_PAT_F_*' flags pattern compatible. see
+ * <types/acl.h>.
+ *
+ * The function returns 1 if the processing is ok, return -1 if the parser
+ * fails, with <err> message filled. It returns -2 in "out of memory"
+ * error case.
+ */
+int acl_register_pattern(struct acl_expr *expr, char *text, struct sample_storage *smp, struct acl_pattern **pattern, int patflags, char **err);
+
+/* This function executes a pattern match on a sample. It applies pattern <expr>
+ * to sample <smp>. If <sample> is not NULL, a pointer to an optional sample
+ * associated to the matching patterned will be put there. The function returns
+ * ACL_PAT_FAIL, ACL_PAT_MISS or ACL_PAT_PASS.
+ */
+inline int acl_exec_match(struct acl_expr *expr, struct sample *smp, struct sample_storage **sample);
+
+/*
+ *
+ * The following functions are general purpose pattern matching functions.
+ *
+ */
+
+
+/* ignore the current line */
+int acl_parse_nothing(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* NB: For two strings to be identical, it is required that their lengths match */
+int acl_match_str(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* NB: For two binary buffers to be identical, it is required that their lengths match */
+int acl_match_bin(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the length of the pattern in <test> is included between min and max */
+int acl_match_len(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the integer in <test> is included between min and max */
+int acl_match_int(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Parse an integer. It is put both in min and max. */
+int acl_parse_int(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse an version. It is put both in min and max. */
+int acl_parse_dotted_ver(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse a range of integers delimited by either ':' or '-'. If only one
+ * integer is read, it is set as both min and max.
+ */
+int acl_parse_range(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse a string. It is allocated and duplicated. */
+int acl_parse_str(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse a hexa binary definition. It is allocated and duplicated. */
+int acl_parse_bin(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse and concatenate strings into one. It is allocated and duplicated. */
+int acl_parse_strcat(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse a regex. It is allocated. */
+int acl_parse_reg(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* Parse an IP address and an optional mask in the form addr[/mask].
+ * The addr may either be an IPv4 address or a hostname. The mask
+ * may either be a dotted mask or a number of bits. Returns 1 if OK,
+ * otherwise 0.
+ */
+int acl_parse_ip(const char **text, struct acl_pattern *pattern, struct sample_storage *smp, int *opaque, char **err);
+
+/* always return false */
+int acl_match_nothing(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the pattern matches the end of the tested string. */
+int acl_match_end(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the pattern matches the beginning of the tested string. */
+int acl_match_beg(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the pattern is included inside the tested string. */
+int acl_match_sub(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the pattern is included inside the tested string, but enclosed
+ * between slashes or at the beginning or end of the string. Slashes at the
+ * beginning or end of the pattern are ignored.
+ */
+int acl_match_dir(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Checks that the pattern is included inside the tested string, but enclosed
+ * between dots or at the beginning or end of the string. Dots at the beginning
+ * or end of the pattern are ignored.
+ */
+int acl_match_dom(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Check that the IPv4 address in <test> matches the IP/mask in pattern */
+int acl_match_ip(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+/* Executes a regex. It temporarily changes the data to add a trailing zero,
+ * and restores the previous character when leaving.
+ */
+int acl_match_reg(struct sample *smp, struct acl_pattern *pattern);
+
+int acl_read_patterns_from_file(struct acl_expr *expr, const char *filename, int patflags, char **err);
+void free_pattern(struct acl_pattern *pat);
+void free_pattern_list(struct list *head);
+void free_pattern_tree(struct eb_root *root);
+
+#endif