make java custom annotation to mark bean properties for html cleansing

Question

Can I use a Java custom annotation to add some code to a set or get method on a bean property to cleanse the property from bad html being input by my users? I've been looking for examples but I've not seen something that I feel I can extend.

Answer 1

You could define a custom annotation to add a validator to your setter, but is there a reason why you don't want to just embed validation into your bean without an annotation? The annotation mechanism might be difficult for others to understand if they ever need to work with your code.

I would do it this way: Rather than have your property be a String, define your own HtmlString (assuming an equivalent class doesn't already exist in a standard library) which can only be instantiated with valid HTML. Then, have your bean property be of that type. This would solve the validation problem in your component.

Define validation methods in the HtmlString to fit your requirements, so that every HtmlString instance is valid HTML; then, simply define a toString method. This method would likely be much easier for others to follow.