diff --git a/rust/pact_matching/src/engine/mod.rs b/rust/pact_matching/src/engine/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1619a7d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust/pact_matching/src/engine/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+//! Structs and traits to support a general matching engine
+
+use std::panic::RefUnwindSafe;
+
+use pact_models::v4::http_parts::HttpRequest;
+use pact_models::v4::interaction::V4Interaction;
+use pact_models::v4::pact::V4Pact;
+use pact_models::v4::synch_http::SynchronousHttp;
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
+pub enum PlanNodeType {
+  #[default]
+  CONTAINER
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
+pub struct ExecutionPlanNode {
+  pub node_type: PlanNodeType,
+  pub children: Vec<ExecutionPlanNode>
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
+pub struct ExecutionPlan {
+  pub plan_root: ExecutionPlanNode
+}
+
+impl ExecutionPlan {
+  pub fn str_form(&self) -> String {
+    String::new()
+  }
+
+  pub fn pretty_form(&self) -> String {
+    String::new()
+  }
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct PlanMatchingContext {
+  pub pact: V4Pact,
+  pub interaction: Box<dyn V4Interaction + Send + Sync + RefUnwindSafe>
+}
+
+impl Default for PlanMatchingContext {
+  fn default() -> Self {
+    PlanMatchingContext {
+      pact: Default::default(),
+      interaction: Box::new(SynchronousHttp::default())
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+pub fn build_request_plan(
+  expected: &HttpRequest,
+  context: &PlanMatchingContext
+) -> anyhow::Result<ExecutionPlan> {
+  Ok(ExecutionPlan::default())
+}
+
+pub fn execute_request_plan(
+  plan: &ExecutionPlan,
+  actual: &HttpRequest,
+  context: &PlanMatchingContext
+) -> anyhow::Result<ExecutionPlan> {
+  Ok(ExecutionPlan::default())
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+  use expectest::prelude::*;
+  use serde_json::json;
+  use pact_models::bodies::OptionalBody;
+  use pact_models::v4::http_parts::HttpRequest;
+  use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+
+  use crate::engine::{build_request_plan, execute_request_plan, ExecutionPlan, PlanMatchingContext};
+
+  #[test]
+  fn simple_match_request_test() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let request = HttpRequest {
+      method: "POST".to_string(),
+      path: "/test".to_string(),
+      query: None,
+      headers: None,
+      body: OptionalBody::from(&json!({
+        "b": "22"
+      })),
+      matching_rules: Default::default(),
+      generators: Default::default(),
+    };
+    let expected_request = HttpRequest {
+      method: "POST".to_string(),
+      path: "/test".to_string(),
+      query: None,
+      headers: None,
+      body: OptionalBody::from(&json!({
+        "a": 100,
+        "b": 200.1
+      })),
+      matching_rules: Default::default(),
+      generators: Default::default(),
+    };
+    let context = PlanMatchingContext::default();
+    let plan = build_request_plan(&expected_request, &context)?;
+
+    assert_eq!(plan.pretty_form(), r#"(
+      :request (
+        :method (
+          %match:equality (
+            (%upper-case ($.method)), "GET"
+          )
+        ),
+        :path (
+          %match:equality ($.path, "/test")
+        ),
+        :"query parameters" (
+          %expect:empty ($.query)
+        ),
+        :body (
+          %if (
+            %match:equality (%content-type (), "application/json"),
+            :body:$ (
+              :body:$:a (
+                %if (
+                  %expect:present ($.body."$.a"),
+                  %match:equality ($.body."$.a", 100)
+                )
+              ),
+              :body:$:b (
+                %if (
+                  %expect:present ($.body."$.b"),
+                  %match:equality ($.body."$.b", 200.1)
+                )
+              )
+            )
+          )
+        )
+      )
+    )"#);
+
+    let executed_plan = execute_request_plan(&plan, &request, &context)?;
+    assert_eq!(executed_plan.pretty_form(), r#"(
+      :request (
+        :method (
+          %match:equality (
+            (%upper-case ($.method ~ "GET")), "GET" ~ OK
+          )
+        ),
+        :path (
+          %match:equality ($.path ~ "/test", "/test") ~ OK
+        ),
+        :"query parameters" (
+          %expect:empty ($.query ~ {}) ~ OK
+        ),
+        :body (
+          %if (
+            %match:equality (%content-type () ~ "application/json", "application/json") ~ OK,
+            :body:$ (
+              :body:$:a (
+                %if (
+                  %expect:present ($.body."$.a" ~ NULL) ~ ERROR(Expected attribute "$.a" but it was missing),
+                  %match:equality ($.body."$.a", 100) ~ NULL
+                )
+              ),
+              :body:$:b (
+                %if (
+                  %expect:present ($.body."$.b" ~ "22") ~ OK,
+                  %match:equality ($.body."$.b" ~ "22", 200.1) ~ ERROR(Expected attribute "$.b" to equal "22" (String) but it was 200.1 (Double))
+                )
+              )
+            )
+          )
+        )
+      )
+    )"#);
+
+    Ok(())
+  }
+}
diff --git a/rust/pact_matching/src/lib.rs b/rust/pact_matching/src/lib.rs
index 48551d7e..b2cca8e0 100644
--- a/rust/pact_matching/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/pact_matching/src/lib.rs
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ pub mod logging;
 pub mod matchingrules;
 pub mod metrics;
 pub mod generators;
+pub mod engine;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "xml")] mod xml;
 pub mod binary_utils;