Cross field validation with Hibernate Validator (JSR 303)

Question

Is there an implementation of (or third-party implementation for) cross field validation in Hibernate Validator 4.x? If not, what is the cleanest way to implement a cross field validator?

As an example, how can you use the API to validate two bean properties are equal (such as validating a password field matches the password verify field).

In annotations, I'd expect something like:

public class MyBean {
  @Size(min=6, max=50)
  private String pass;

  @Equals(property="pass")
  private String passVerify;
}

Answer 1

I'm surprised this isn't available out of the box. Anyway, here is a possible solution.

I've created a class level validator, not the field level as described in the original question.

Here is the annotation code:

package com.moa.podium.util.constraints;

import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.*;
import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.*;

import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

import javax.validation.Constraint;
import javax.validation.Payload;

@Target({TYPE, ANNOTATION_TYPE})
@Retention(RUNTIME)
@Constraint(validatedBy = MatchesValidator.class)
@Documented
public @interface Matches {

  String message() default "{com.moa.podium.util.constraints.matches}";

  Class<?>[] groups() default {};

  Class<? extends Payload>[] payload() default {};

  String field();

  String verifyField();
}

And the validator itself:

package com.moa.podium.util.constraints;

import org.mvel2.MVEL;

import javax.validation.ConstraintValidator;
import javax.validation.ConstraintValidatorContext;

public class MatchesValidator implements ConstraintValidator<Matches, Object> {

  private String field;
  private String verifyField;


  public void initialize(Matches constraintAnnotation) {
    this.field = constraintAnnotation.field();
    this.verifyField = constraintAnnotation.verifyField();
  }

  public boolean isValid(Object value, ConstraintValidatorContext context) {
    Object fieldObj = MVEL.getProperty(field, value);
    Object verifyFieldObj = MVEL.getProperty(verifyField, value);

    boolean neitherSet = (fieldObj == null) && (verifyFieldObj == null);

    if (neitherSet) {
      return true;
    }

    boolean matches = (fieldObj != null) && fieldObj.equals(verifyFieldObj);

    if (!matches) {
      context.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
      context.buildConstraintViolationWithTemplate("message")
          .addNode(verifyField)
          .addConstraintViolation();
    }

    return matches;
  }
}

Note that I've used MVEL to inspect the properties of the object being validated. This could be replaced with the standard reflection APIs or if it is a specific class you are validating, the accessor methods themselves.

The @Matches annotation can then be used used on a bean as follows:

@Matches(field="pass", verifyField="passRepeat")
public class AccountCreateForm {

  @Size(min=6, max=50)
  private String pass;
  private String passRepeat;

  ...
}

As a disclaimer, I wrote this in the last 5 minutes, so I probably haven't ironed out all the bugs yet. I'll update the answer if anything goes wrong.

Answer 2

hi,

i tried this example but the validator is never called. Im using JSF2 (RI, 2.0.1) + HibernateValidator (4.0.2GA). Have you any idea ?

Answer 3

You need to call it explicitly. In the example above, bradhouse has given you all the steps to write a custom constraint.

Add this code in your caller class.

ValidatorFactory factory = Validation.buildDefaultValidatorFactory(); validator = factory.getValidator();

Set> constraintViolations = validator.validate(yourObject);

in the above case it would be Set> constraintViolations = validator.validate(objAccountCreateForm);

Answer 4

thank you for your answer but how can i add this while the caller is JSF?

Is it possible to implement an "Equals" annotation like in ExtVal with JSR-303?

Answer 5

I suggest you another possible solution. Perhaps less elegant, but easier!

public class MyBean {
  @Size(min=6, max=50)
  private String pass;

  private String passVerify;

  @AssertTrue(message="passVerify field should be equal than pass field")
  private boolean match() {
    return this.pass == this.passVerify;
  }
}

match() method is invoked by the validator automatically.

Answer 6

Very nice solution bradhouse. Is there any way to apply the @Matches annotation to more than one field?

EDIT: Here's the solution I came up with to answer this question, I modified the Constraint to accept an array instead of a single value:

@Matches(fields={"password", "email"}, verifyFields={"confirmPassword", "confirmEmail"})
public class UserRegistrationForm  {

    @NotNull
    @Size(min=8, max=25)
    private String password;

    @NotNull
    @Size(min=8, max=25)
    private String confirmPassword;


    @NotNull
    @Email
    private String email;

    @NotNull
    @Email
    private String confirmEmail;
}

The code for the annotation:

package springapp.util.constraints;

import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.*;
import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.*;

import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

import javax.validation.Constraint;
import javax.validation.Payload;

@Target({TYPE, ANNOTATION_TYPE})
@Retention(RUNTIME)
@Constraint(validatedBy = MatchesValidator.class)
@Documented
public @interface Matches {

  String message() default "{springapp.util.constraints.matches}";

  Class<?>[] groups() default {};

  Class<? extends Payload>[] payload() default {};

  String[] fields();

  String[] verifyFields();
}

And the implementation:

package springapp.util.constraints;

import javax.validation.ConstraintValidator;
import javax.validation.ConstraintValidatorContext;

import org.apache.commons.beanutils.BeanUtils;

public class MatchesValidator implements ConstraintValidator<Matches, Object> {

    private String[] fields;
    private String[] verifyFields;

    public void initialize(Matches constraintAnnotation) {
        fields = constraintAnnotation.fields();
        verifyFields = constraintAnnotation.verifyFields();
    }

    public boolean isValid(Object value, ConstraintValidatorContext context) {

        boolean matches = true;

        for (int i=0; i<fields.length; i++) {
            Object fieldObj, verifyFieldObj;
            try {
                fieldObj = BeanUtils.getProperty(value, fields[i]);
                verifyFieldObj = BeanUtils.getProperty(value, verifyFields[i]);
            } catch (Exception e) {
                //ignore
                continue;
            }
            boolean neitherSet = (fieldObj == null) && (verifyFieldObj == null);
            if (neitherSet) {
                continue;
            }

            boolean tempMatches = (fieldObj != null) && fieldObj.equals(verifyFieldObj);

            if (!tempMatches) {
                addConstraintViolation(context, fields[i]+ " fields do not match", verifyFields[i]);
            }

            matches = matches?tempMatches:matches;
        }
        return matches;
    }

    private void addConstraintViolation(ConstraintValidatorContext context, String message, String field) {
        context.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
        context.buildConstraintViolationWithTemplate(message).addNode(field).addConstraintViolation();
    }
}

Answer 7

Each field match constraint should be handled by a distinct validator annotation. The JSR-303 preferred way to express multiple validations of the same type is via a list of annotations. This allows the error message to be specified per match.

For example, validating a common form:

@FieldMatch.List({
        @FieldMatch(first = "password", second = "confirmPassword", message = "The password fields must match"),
        @FieldMatch(first = "email", second = "confirmEmail", message = "The email fields must match")
})
public class UserRegistrationForm  {
    @NotNull
    @Size(min=8, max=25)
    private String password;

    @NotNull
    @Size(min=8, max=25)
    private String confirmPassword;

    @NotNull
    @Email
    private String email;

    @NotNull
    @Email
    private String confirmEmail;
}

The annotation:

package constraints;

import constraints.impl.FieldMatchValidator;

import javax.validation.Constraint;
import javax.validation.Payload;
import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE;
import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.TYPE;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

/**
 * Validation annotation to validate that 2 fields have the same value.
 * An array of fields and their matching confirmation fields can be supplied.
 *
 * Example, compare 1 pair of fields:
 * @FieldMatch(first = "password", second = "confirmPassword", message = "The password fields must match")
 * 
 * Example, compare more than 1 pair of fields:
 * @FieldMatch.List({
 *   @FieldMatch(first = "password", second = "confirmPassword", message = "The password fields must match"),
 *   @FieldMatch(first = "email", second = "confirmEmail", message = "The email fields must match")})
 */
@Target({TYPE, ANNOTATION_TYPE})
@Retention(RUNTIME)
@Constraint(validatedBy = FieldMatchValidator.class)
@Documented
public @interface FieldMatch
{
    String message() default "{constraints.fieldmatch}";

    Class<?>[] groups() default {};

    Class<? extends Payload>[] payload() default {};

    /**
     * @return The first field
     */
    String first();

    /**
     * @return The second field
     */
    String second();

    /**
     * Defines several <code>@FieldMatch</code> annotations on the same element
     *
     * @see FieldMatch
     */
    @Target({TYPE, ANNOTATION_TYPE})
    @Retention(RUNTIME)
    @Documented
            @interface List
    {
        FieldMatch[] value();
    }
}

The implementation:

package constraints.impl;

import constraints.FieldMatch;
import org.apache.commons.beanutils.BeanUtils;

import javax.validation.ConstraintValidator;
import javax.validation.ConstraintValidatorContext;

public class FieldMatchValidator implements ConstraintValidator<FieldMatch, Object>
{
    private String firstFieldName;
    private String secondFieldName;

    @Override
    public void initialize(final FieldMatch constraintAnnotation)
    {
        firstFieldName = constraintAnnotation.first();
        secondFieldName = constraintAnnotation.second();
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isValid(final Object value, final ConstraintValidatorContext context)
    {
        try
        {
            final Object firstObj = BeanUtils.getProperty(value, firstFieldName);
            final Object secondObj = BeanUtils.getProperty(value, secondFieldName);

            return firstObj == null && secondObj == null || firstObj != null && firstObj.equals(secondObj);
        }
        catch (final Exception ignore)
        {
            // ignore
        }
        return true;
    }
}

Answer 8

I have tried Alberthoven's example (hibernate-validator 4.0.2.GA) and i get an ValidationException: „Annotated methods must follow the JavaBeans naming convention. match() does not.“ too. After I renamed the method from „match“ to "isValid" it works.

public class Password {

    private String password;

    private String retypedPassword;

    public Password(String password, String retypedPassword) {
        super();
        this.password = password;
        this.retypedPassword = retypedPassword;
    }

    @AssertTrue(message="password should match retyped password")
    private boolean isValid(){
        if (password == null) {
            return retypedPassword == null;
        } else {
            return password.equals(retypedPassword);
        }
    }

    public String getPassword() {
        return password;
    }

    public String getRetypedPassword() {
        return retypedPassword;
    }

}