Question

I am trying to implement a crossfield validation (JSR-303) with a custom annotation on class level. However the isValid method is not called (but the initialize method).

So my question is: Why is the isValid method not being called for this class level validator? Defining it on property level works!

I tried it on JBoss AS 7 and Websphere AS 8.

Here is the code and a JUnit test (which works)

Test.java

public class Test {

@org.junit.Test
public void test() throws ParseException {
    Person person = new Person();
    SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMDD");
    person.setPartyClosingDateFrom(new Date());
    person.setPartyClosingDateTo(sdf.parse("20120210"));
    Set<ConstraintViolation<Person>> violations = Validation.buildDefaultValidatorFactory().getValidator().validate(person);
    for(ConstraintViolation<Person> violation : violations) {
        System.out.println("Message:- " + violation.getMessage());
    }
}
  }

DateCompare.java

 import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.TYPE;
 import static java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy.RUNTIME;
 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})
 @Retention(RUNTIME)
 @Constraint(validatedBy = DateCompareValidator.class)
 @Documented
 public @interface DateCompare {

/** First date. */
String firstDate();

/** Second date. */
String secondDate();

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

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

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

String message() default "totally wrong, dude!";

DateValidator.DateComparisonMode matchMode() default 
    DateValidator.DateComparisonMode.EQUAL;
 }

DateCompareValidator.java

 public class DateCompareValidator implements ConstraintValidator<DateCompare, Object>    {

/** describes the mode the validator should use**/
private DateValidator.DateComparisonMode comparisonMode;

/** The first date field name. */
private String firstDateFieldName;

/** The second date field name. */
private String secondDateFieldName;

/** the message to be used **/
private String messageKey = "failure";

/**
 * Initialize.
 * 
 * This method is used to set the parameters ans is REQUIRED even if you don't use any parameters
 * 
 * @param constraintAnnotation the constraint annotation
 */
@Override
public void initialize(final DateCompare constraintAnnotation) {
    this.comparisonMode = constraintAnnotation.matchMode();
    this.firstDateFieldName = constraintAnnotation.firstDate();
    this.secondDateFieldName = constraintAnnotation.secondDate();

}

/**
 * Checks if it is valid.
 * 
 * @param target the target
 * @param context the context
 * @return true, if is valid
 */
@Override
public boolean isValid(final Object target, final ConstraintValidatorContext context) {
    boolean isValid = true;

    final Date valueDate1 = DateCompareValidator.getPropertyValue(Date.class, this.firstDateFieldName, target);
    final Date valueDate2 = DateCompareValidator.getPropertyValue(Date.class, this.secondDateFieldName, target);
    if (isValid) {
        isValid = DateValidator.isValid(valueDate1, valueDate2, this.comparisonMode);
    } else {
        // at this point comparisonMode does not fit tp the result and we have to
        // design an error Message
        final ResourceBundle messageBundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("resources.messages");
        final MessageFormat message = new MessageFormat(messageBundle.getString(this.messageKey));
        final Object[] messageArguments = { messageBundle.getString(this.messageKey + "." + this.comparisonMode) };

        // replace the default-message with the one we just created
        context.disableDefaultConstraintViolation();
        context.buildConstraintViolationWithTemplate(message.format(messageArguments)).addConstraintViolation();
        isValid = false;
    }
    return isValid;
}


public static <T> T getPropertyValue(final Class<T> requiredType, final String propertyName, final Object instance) {
    if (requiredType == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid argument. requiredType must NOT be null!");
    }
    if (propertyName == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid argument. PropertyName must NOT be null!");
    }
    if (instance == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid argument. Object instance must NOT be null!");
    }
    T returnValue = null;
    try {
        final PropertyDescriptor descriptor = new PropertyDescriptor(propertyName, instance.getClass());
        final Method readMethod = descriptor.getReadMethod();
        if (readMethod == null) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("Property '" + propertyName + "' of " + instance.getClass().getName()
                    + " is NOT readable!");
        }
        if (requiredType.isAssignableFrom(readMethod.getReturnType())) {
            try {
                final Object propertyValue = readMethod.invoke(instance);
                returnValue = requiredType.cast(propertyValue);
            } catch (final Exception e) {
                e.printStackTrace(); // unable to invoke readMethod
            }
        }
    } catch (final IntrospectionException e) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Property '" + propertyName + "' is NOT defined in "
                + instance.getClass().getName() + "!", e);
    }
    return returnValue;
}

DateValidator.java

  public class DateValidator {

/**
 * The Enum DateComparisonMode.
 * 
 * Determins which Type of validation is used
 */
public enum DateComparisonMode {

    /** the given Date must be BEFORE the referenced Date */
    BEFORE,

    /** the given Date must be BEFORE_OR_EQUAL the referenced Date */
    BEFORE_OR_EQUAL,

    /** the given Date must be EQUAL the referenced Date */
    EQUAL,

    /** the given Date must be AFTER_OR_EQUAL the referenced Date */
    AFTER_OR_EQUAL,

    /** the given Date must be AFTER the referenced Date */
    AFTER;
}

/**
 * Compare 2 Date Values based on a given Comparison Mode.
 * 
 * @param baseDate the base date
 * @param valuationDate the valuation date
 * @param comparisonMode the comparison mode
 * @return true, if is valid
 */
public static boolean isValid(final Date baseDate, final Date valuationDate, final DateComparisonMode comparisonMode) {
    // Timevalue of both dates will be set to 00:00:0000
    final Date compValuationDate = DateValidator.convertDate(valuationDate);
    final Date compBaseDate = DateValidator.convertDate(baseDate);

    // compare the values
    final int result = compValuationDate.compareTo(compBaseDate);

    // match the result to the comparisonMode and return true
    // if rule is fulfilled
    switch (result) {
    case -1:
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.BEFORE) {
            return true;
        }
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.BEFORE_OR_EQUAL) {
            return true;
        }

        break;

    case 0:
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.BEFORE_OR_EQUAL) {
            return true;
        }
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.EQUAL) {
            return true;
        }
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.AFTER_OR_EQUAL) {
            return true;
        }
        break;

    case 1:
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.AFTER) {
            return true;
        }
        if (comparisonMode == DateComparisonMode.AFTER_OR_EQUAL) {
            return true;
        }

        break;
    default:
        return false; // should not happen....
    }
    return false;
}

/**
 * Convert date.
 * 
 * sets the time Value of a given Date filed to 00:00:0000
 * 
 * @param t the t
 * @return the date
 */
private static Date convertDate(final Date t) {
    final Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
    calendar.setTime(t);
    calendar.set(Calendar.HOUR_OF_DAY, 0);
    calendar.set(Calendar.MINUTE, 0);
    calendar.set(Calendar.SECOND, 0);
    calendar.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0);
    return (calendar.getTime());
}

Especially the property retrieval was taken from this post question

Answer 1

JSF 2.0 doesn’t call class level validation constraints.
From JSF validation:

JSF 2 provides built-in integration with JSR-303 constraints. When you
are using bean validation in your application, JSF automatically uses
the constraints for beans that are referenced by UIInput values.

You have to call it manually, or you can try Seam Faces which has an extension <f:validateBean>