I have an entity class with an embedded object in it. The class of the embedded object has validation associated with it and is marked for validation:

@Embedded
@Valid
private Info info;

The embedded class, Info, is used in my places. In a couple of places, I would like to add an additional validation rule for the embedded object. How can I do this?

Thanks
Andrew

Hi Andrew,

your description is a little vague. It would help to see the code for Info and what constraints you want or do not want to be validated.
I would expect, however, that you will have to look at groups. Depending on the entity Info is included you would validate a different group.

--Hardy

Hi, Hardy

Thanks for the reply. The Info class has a begin date and an end date in it, and the class has an @AssertTrue annotation which requires the begin date to be before the end date (if the two dates are not null).

In class A, I use it like this:



In class B, I also use Info as an embedded object and I want to add a constraint: that the begin date is not null. My question is: can I add this constraint to class B?

I think you're suggesting that in the Info class itself (rather than in class B), I add a @NotNull constraint to the begin date field, but tag it with a non-null group name so I turn the not-null validation on and off?

Does that sound right?

No


Something like this, yes.

Would this work (from http://docs.jboss.org/hibernate/validat ... roup-class)?



I would expect that redefining the default group on class B would have the effect of validating the @NotNull constraint in the Info class. On the other hand, a class, say A, without the @GroupSequence would not validate the @NotNull constraint in the Info class.

Does that sound right?

Thanks
Andrew

Good thinking, but this is not how Bean Validation works. As you can also read in the online documentation:



If you are working with groups you will have to call the right groups explicitly.

I think what would help you is a solution to BVAL-208.

--Hardy

I guess there are two basic solutions:

(1) Write a method on the parent/enclosing class to check the fields in the embedded class and annotated it with an @AssertTrue annotation; or
(2) Specify a group on the embedded class for the check and turn it on at validation time

The advantage to #1 is that the validation is wholly self-contained. The disadvantage is that the validation is really at a field level, but is being specified by a class level validator.

The advantage to #2 is that the validation is where it should be: on the field being checked. The disadvantage is that the caller has to know to enable the necessary group.

To me, #1 sounds like the best solution because it is encapsulated.

Andrew