javax.validation
Interface Validator

public interface Validator

Validates bean instances. Implementations of this interface must be thread-safe.

Author:

Emmanuel Bernard, Hardy Ferentschik, Gunnar Morling

Method Summary

ExecutableValidator	forExecutables() Returns the contract for validating parameters and return values of methods and constructors.
BeanDescriptor	getConstraintsForClass(Class<?> clazz) Returns the descriptor object describing bean constraints.
<T> T	unwrap(Class<T> type) Returns an instance of the specified type allowing access to provider-specific APIs.
<T> Set<ConstraintViolation<T>>	validate(T object, Class<?>... groups) Validates all constraints on object.
<T> Set<ConstraintViolation<T>>	validateProperty(T object, String propertyName, Class<?>... groups) Validates all constraints placed on the property of object named propertyName.
<T> Set<ConstraintViolation<T>>	validateValue(Class<T> beanType, String propertyName, Object value, Class<?>... groups) Validates all constraints placed on the property named propertyName of the class beanType would the property value be value.

Method Detail

validate

<T> Set<ConstraintViolation<T>> validate(T object,
                                         Class<?>... groups)

Validates all constraints on object.

Parameters:

object - object to validate

groups - the group or list of groups targeted for validation (defaults to Default)

Returns:

constraint violations or an empty set if none

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if object is null or if null is passed to the varargs groups

ValidationException - if a non recoverable error happens during the validation process

validateProperty

<T> Set<ConstraintViolation<T>> validateProperty(T object,
                                                 String propertyName,
                                                 Class<?>... groups)

Validates all constraints placed on the property of object named propertyName.

Parameters:

object - object to validate

propertyName - property to validate (i.e. field and getter constraints)

groups - the group or list of groups targeted for validation (defaults to Default)

Returns:

constraint violations or an empty set if none

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if object is null, if propertyName is null, empty or not a valid object property or if null is passed to the varargs groups

ValidationException - if a non recoverable error happens during the validation process

validateValue

<T> Set<ConstraintViolation<T>> validateValue(Class<T> beanType,
                                              String propertyName,
                                              Object value,
                                              Class<?>... groups)

Validates all constraints placed on the property named propertyName of the class beanType would the property value be value.

ConstraintViolation objects return null for ConstraintViolation.getRootBean() and ConstraintViolation.getLeafBean().

Parameters:

beanType - the bean type

propertyName - property to validate

value - property value to validate

groups - the group or list of groups targeted for validation (defaults to Default).

Returns:

constraint violations or an empty set if none

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if beanType is null, if propertyName is null, empty or not a valid object property or if null is passed to the varargs groups

ValidationException - if a non recoverable error happens during the validation process

getConstraintsForClass

BeanDescriptor getConstraintsForClass(Class<?> clazz)

Returns the descriptor object describing bean constraints.

The returned object (and associated objects including ConstraintDescriptors) are immutable.

Parameters:

clazz - class or interface type evaluated

Returns:

the bean descriptor for the specified class

Throws:

IllegalArgumentException - if clazz is null

ValidationException - if a non recoverable error happens during the metadata discovery or if some constraints are invalid.

unwrap

<T> T unwrap(Class<T> type)

Returns an instance of the specified type allowing access to provider-specific APIs.

If the Bean Validation provider implementation does not support the specified class, ValidationException is thrown.

Parameters:

type - the class of the object to be returned

Returns:

an instance of the specified class

Throws:

ValidationException - if the provider does not support the call

forExecutables

ExecutableValidator forExecutables()

Returns the contract for validating parameters and return values of methods and constructors.

Returns:

contract for method and constructor validation

Since:

1.1