gnodet-bot commented on code in PR #27792:
URL: https://github.com/apache/camel/pull/27792#discussion_r4279837152


##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/docs/citrus-component.adoc:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,409 @@
+= Citrus Component
+:doctitle: Citrus
+:shortname: citrus
+:artifactid: camel-test-citrus
+:description: Citrus message validation component for testing
+:since: 4.24
+:supportlevel: Preview
+:tabs-sync-option:
+:component-header: Only producer is supported
+
+*Since Camel {since}*
+
+*{component-header}*
+
+The Citrus component integrates with the https://citrusframework.org/[Citrus 
integration test framework]
+to perform message validation on exchanges arriving at a Camel endpoint. It 
allows test authors to
+verify exchange body content, headers, and path expressions (JsonPath, XPath) 
using Citrus validation
+modules.
+
+This component is intended for use in Camel route unit and integration tests.
+
+== Maven dependency
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<dependency>
+    <groupId>org.apache.camel</groupId>
+    <artifactId>camel-test-citrus</artifactId>
+    <scope>test</scope>
+</dependency>
+----
+
+== URI format
+
+----
+citrus:operation/name[?options]
+----
+
+Where `operation` is `validate` or `receive`, and `name` is an optional 
identifier to distinguish
+multiple Citrus endpoints in the same route.
+
+* `validate` — validates exchanges without modifying them (pass-through 
validation).
+* `receive` — validates exchanges and returns a simulated response 
(request/response simulation).
+
+// component options: START
+include::partial$component-configure-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-headers.adoc[]
+// component options: END
+
+== Usage
+
+The Citrus endpoint acts as a producer-only endpoint. Routes send exchanges 
*to* `citrus:validate`,
+and the component validates each exchange using Citrus message validation.
+
+=== Validation modules
+
+The component does not bundle Citrus validation modules. You must add the 
required validation
+module dependency for your message type to your test classpath:
+
+[cols="1,2", options="header"]
+|===
+| Dependency | Description
+
+| `citrus-validation-json`
+| JSON message validation with JsonPath expressions and JSON schema support
+
+| `citrus-validation-xml`
+| XML message validation with XPath expressions, XML schema (XSD/WSDL) and 
XSLT support
+
+| `citrus-validation-text`
+| Plain text message validation including binary (stream and base64) and gzip 
support
+
+| `citrus-validation-yaml`
+| YAML message validation
+
+| `citrus-validation-binary`
+| Binary message validation with stream comparison and base64 encoding
+
+| `citrus-validation-hamcrest`
+| Hamcrest matcher assertions for use with JsonPath and XPath expressions
+|===
+
+All modules use the `org.citrusframework` group ID. Refer to the
+https://citrusframework.org/citrus/reference/html/[Citrus reference 
documentation] for detailed
+usage of each validation module.
+
+=== Citrus empowered message validation
+
+Citrus uses a powerful template-based approach to message validation: you 
provide an expected message template and
+Citrus compares it against the received message using format-aware comparison. 
This brings several
+capabilities beyond simple string equality.
+
+==== Ignore expressions
+
+Use the `@ignore@` placeholder anywhere in an expected message template to 
skip validation of dynamic
+values such as timestamps, generated IDs, or correlation tokens. The element 
must be present, but its
+value is not checked.
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "orderId": "@ignore@",
+  "timestamp": "@ignore@",
+  "status": "created"
+}
+----
+
+This works across all supported message types — in XML element and attribute 
values, JSON property values,
+and YAML property values. The ignore placeholder can also replace an entire 
sub-object or element
+including its children.
+
+For plain text messages, the `@ignore@` placeholder works on a positional 
basis — it matches a word-length
+character sequence at the exact position in the text. Use `@ignore(n)@` to 
ignore exactly _n_ characters
+when the value contains non-word characters:
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore@", it expires on 01/01/2030
+----
+
+This ignores the word following `id is "` based on the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+Because no character count is specified, Citrus ignores the entire word 
regardless of its length.
+The word boundary is determined by the first non-word character (whitespace, 
punctuation, etc.).
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore(12)@", it expires on @ignore(10)@
+----
+
+This ignores the next 12 characters starting at the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+This also includes whitespace and non-word characters (e.g. `Your current id 
is "1234/ 34567 D", it expires on 01/01/2030`).
+
+==== Validation matchers
+
+Citrus validation matchers are inline assertions embedded directly in the 
expected message template,
+surrounded by `@` markers. They work across all message formats (JSON, XML, 
YAML, plain text) and
+provide richer assertions than exact equality:
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "name": "@equalsIgnoreCase('JOHN')@",
+  "age": "@greaterThan(17)@",
+  "email": "@matches('[a-z]+@[a-z]+\\.[a-z]+')@",
+  "created": "@matchesDatePattern('yyyy-MM-dd')@",
+  "id": "@isNumber()@",
+  "token": "@startsWith('tk-')@",
+  "status": "@contains('active')@"
+}
+----
+
+You can also use `@variable('name')@` to extract the actual value into a 
Citrus test variable for
+later use, and `@assertThat(hamcrestMatcher)@` to use Hamcrest matchers inline 
(requires
+`citrus-validation-hamcrest`):
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "count": "@assertThat(allOf(greaterThan(0), lessThan(100)))@",
+  "type": "@assertThat(anyOf(equalTo(A), equalTo(B)))@"
+}
+----
+
+==== JSON validation
+
+Citrus JSON validation compares JSON object structures regardless of property 
order.
+It supports two modes configurable via `citrus.json.message.validation.strict`:
+
+* **Strict mode** (default): the received JSON must match the expected 
structure exactly — no
+  additional properties or array items are allowed.
+* **Non-strict mode**: the expected JSON can be a subset of the received 
message — additional
+  properties and array items in the received JSON are silently ignored. This 
is useful when you
+  only want to verify specific fields.
+
+JSON validation also supports:
+
+* **JsonPath expressions** for targeted field validation without specifying 
the full message body
+* **JSON schema validation** against JSON Schema V3/V4 definitions
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within JSON values
+
+==== XML validation
+
+Citrus XML validation performs a structural DOM tree comparison that correctly 
handles:
+
+* **XML namespaces** with different prefixes — the comparison is 
namespace-aware, so
+  `<ns1:element xmlns:ns1="...">` and `<ns2:element xmlns:ns2="...">` are 
treated as equivalent
+  when they share the same namespace URI.
+* **XML schema validation** against XSD and WSDL definitions to verify 
structural correctness.
+* **XPath expressions** for targeted element validation, with full namespace 
support via
+  namespace context configuration. This includes automatic namespace prefix 
resolution when the
+  prefixes differ between the control template and the received message.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within XML element values and 
attributes.
+
+==== Plain text validation
+
+Plain text validation performs exact string comparison with support for:
+
+* **Positional `@ignore@`** to skip dynamic word-length sequences at specific 
positions.
+* **`@ignore(n)@`** to skip exactly _n_ characters (useful for values with 
non-word characters).
+* **`@variable('name')@`** to extract values at specific positions into test 
variables.
+* **Whitespace normalization** (configurable) to ignore line separator 
differences (CR, LF, CRLF)
+  or all whitespace.
+* **Gzip** and **binary/base64** content comparison via the respective message 
types.
+
+==== YAML validation
+
+YAML validation compares YAML documents structurally, similar to JSON 
validation:
+
+* **Strict/non-strict mode** — configurable via 
`citrus.yaml.message.validation.strict`.
+* **Path expressions** for ignoring specific elements in the YAML structure.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within YAML values.
+
+=== Validation specification API
+
+The endpoint provides a fluent API for specifying validation expectations. You 
can define a single
+validation that applies to all incoming exchanges, or specify individual 
validations for each
+exchange in sequence.
+
+==== Single validation for all exchanges
+
+Use `validateAll()` to define one validation specification that is applied to 
every exchange.
+The returned `MessageValidationSpec` provides a fluent API with `body()`, 
`header()`, and
+`validate()` methods:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+citrus.validateAll()
+    .body("{\"status\": \"ok\"}")
+    .header("operation", "test");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+// All three exchanges are validated against the same spec
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+==== Per-exchange sequential validation
+
+Use `validate()` to specify different validation expectations for the 1st, 
2nd, 3rd, etc.
+exchange. Each call to `validate()` auto-increments the index, so specs are 
applied in order.
+Each incoming exchange triggers the next validation spec in sequence:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"created\"}").header("action", "create");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"updated\"}").header("action", "update");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"deleted\"}").header("action", "delete");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"created\"}", 
"action", "create");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"updated\"}", 
"action", "update");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"deleted\"}", 
"action", "delete");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+You can also use `validate(index)` to target a specific exchange by its 
0-based position.
+
+When both `validate(index)` and `validateAll()` are configured, the indexed 
spec takes priority —
+it replaces `validateAll()` for that exchange entirely (the two are never 
combined). The
+`validateAll()` spec acts as a fallback for exchanges that have no matching 
indexed spec.
+
+If an exchange arrives at an index with no matching indexed spec and no 
`validateAll()` fallback,
+the endpoint records a failure. For the `validate` operation, the failure is 
collected and reported
+when `assertIsSatisfied()` is called (similar to MockEndpoint). For the 
`receive` operation, the
+failure is thrown immediately as an exception.
+
+[source,java]
+----
+citrus.validate(0).body("{\"event\": \"start\"}");

Review Comment:
   ⚠️ **`validate(index)` docs say 0-based but `MockEndpoint` counter is 
1-based**
   
   The docs say "0-based position" and show `validate(0)` / `// Exchange 0 → 
...`. But `MockEndpoint.performAssertions()` calls `counter.incrementAndGet()` 
(starting at 0 → 1 on first exchange) and then looks up `processors.get(1)`. 
`validate(0)` registers at index 0 which is **never looked up** — the first 
exchange looks up index 1.
   
   The auto-incrementing `validate()` call correctly starts at 1 
(`nextSpecIndex.incrementAndGet()` with initial value 0 → returns 1 on first 
call), and all tests use 1-based indices. The docs need to say "1-based" and 
use `validate(1)`.
   
   ```suggestion
   You can also use `validate(index)` to target a specific exchange by its 
1-based position.
   ```



##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/docs/citrus-component.adoc:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,409 @@
+= Citrus Component
+:doctitle: Citrus
+:shortname: citrus
+:artifactid: camel-test-citrus
+:description: Citrus message validation component for testing
+:since: 4.24
+:supportlevel: Preview
+:tabs-sync-option:
+:component-header: Only producer is supported
+
+*Since Camel {since}*
+
+*{component-header}*
+
+The Citrus component integrates with the https://citrusframework.org/[Citrus 
integration test framework]
+to perform message validation on exchanges arriving at a Camel endpoint. It 
allows test authors to
+verify exchange body content, headers, and path expressions (JsonPath, XPath) 
using Citrus validation
+modules.
+
+This component is intended for use in Camel route unit and integration tests.
+
+== Maven dependency
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<dependency>
+    <groupId>org.apache.camel</groupId>
+    <artifactId>camel-test-citrus</artifactId>
+    <scope>test</scope>
+</dependency>
+----
+
+== URI format
+
+----
+citrus:operation/name[?options]
+----
+
+Where `operation` is `validate` or `receive`, and `name` is an optional 
identifier to distinguish
+multiple Citrus endpoints in the same route.
+
+* `validate` — validates exchanges without modifying them (pass-through 
validation).
+* `receive` — validates exchanges and returns a simulated response 
(request/response simulation).
+
+// component options: START
+include::partial$component-configure-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-headers.adoc[]
+// component options: END
+
+== Usage
+
+The Citrus endpoint acts as a producer-only endpoint. Routes send exchanges 
*to* `citrus:validate`,
+and the component validates each exchange using Citrus message validation.
+
+=== Validation modules
+
+The component does not bundle Citrus validation modules. You must add the 
required validation
+module dependency for your message type to your test classpath:
+
+[cols="1,2", options="header"]
+|===
+| Dependency | Description
+
+| `citrus-validation-json`
+| JSON message validation with JsonPath expressions and JSON schema support
+
+| `citrus-validation-xml`
+| XML message validation with XPath expressions, XML schema (XSD/WSDL) and 
XSLT support
+
+| `citrus-validation-text`
+| Plain text message validation including binary (stream and base64) and gzip 
support
+
+| `citrus-validation-yaml`
+| YAML message validation
+
+| `citrus-validation-binary`
+| Binary message validation with stream comparison and base64 encoding
+
+| `citrus-validation-hamcrest`
+| Hamcrest matcher assertions for use with JsonPath and XPath expressions
+|===
+
+All modules use the `org.citrusframework` group ID. Refer to the
+https://citrusframework.org/citrus/reference/html/[Citrus reference 
documentation] for detailed
+usage of each validation module.
+
+=== Citrus empowered message validation
+
+Citrus uses a powerful template-based approach to message validation: you 
provide an expected message template and
+Citrus compares it against the received message using format-aware comparison. 
This brings several
+capabilities beyond simple string equality.
+
+==== Ignore expressions
+
+Use the `@ignore@` placeholder anywhere in an expected message template to 
skip validation of dynamic
+values such as timestamps, generated IDs, or correlation tokens. The element 
must be present, but its
+value is not checked.
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "orderId": "@ignore@",
+  "timestamp": "@ignore@",
+  "status": "created"
+}
+----
+
+This works across all supported message types — in XML element and attribute 
values, JSON property values,
+and YAML property values. The ignore placeholder can also replace an entire 
sub-object or element
+including its children.
+
+For plain text messages, the `@ignore@` placeholder works on a positional 
basis — it matches a word-length
+character sequence at the exact position in the text. Use `@ignore(n)@` to 
ignore exactly _n_ characters
+when the value contains non-word characters:
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore@", it expires on 01/01/2030
+----
+
+This ignores the word following `id is "` based on the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+Because no character count is specified, Citrus ignores the entire word 
regardless of its length.
+The word boundary is determined by the first non-word character (whitespace, 
punctuation, etc.).
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore(12)@", it expires on @ignore(10)@
+----
+
+This ignores the next 12 characters starting at the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+This also includes whitespace and non-word characters (e.g. `Your current id 
is "1234/ 34567 D", it expires on 01/01/2030`).
+
+==== Validation matchers
+
+Citrus validation matchers are inline assertions embedded directly in the 
expected message template,
+surrounded by `@` markers. They work across all message formats (JSON, XML, 
YAML, plain text) and
+provide richer assertions than exact equality:
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "name": "@equalsIgnoreCase('JOHN')@",
+  "age": "@greaterThan(17)@",
+  "email": "@matches('[a-z]+@[a-z]+\\.[a-z]+')@",
+  "created": "@matchesDatePattern('yyyy-MM-dd')@",
+  "id": "@isNumber()@",
+  "token": "@startsWith('tk-')@",
+  "status": "@contains('active')@"
+}
+----
+
+You can also use `@variable('name')@` to extract the actual value into a 
Citrus test variable for
+later use, and `@assertThat(hamcrestMatcher)@` to use Hamcrest matchers inline 
(requires
+`citrus-validation-hamcrest`):
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "count": "@assertThat(allOf(greaterThan(0), lessThan(100)))@",
+  "type": "@assertThat(anyOf(equalTo(A), equalTo(B)))@"
+}
+----
+
+==== JSON validation
+
+Citrus JSON validation compares JSON object structures regardless of property 
order.
+It supports two modes configurable via `citrus.json.message.validation.strict`:
+
+* **Strict mode** (default): the received JSON must match the expected 
structure exactly — no
+  additional properties or array items are allowed.
+* **Non-strict mode**: the expected JSON can be a subset of the received 
message — additional
+  properties and array items in the received JSON are silently ignored. This 
is useful when you
+  only want to verify specific fields.
+
+JSON validation also supports:
+
+* **JsonPath expressions** for targeted field validation without specifying 
the full message body
+* **JSON schema validation** against JSON Schema V3/V4 definitions
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within JSON values
+
+==== XML validation
+
+Citrus XML validation performs a structural DOM tree comparison that correctly 
handles:
+
+* **XML namespaces** with different prefixes — the comparison is 
namespace-aware, so
+  `<ns1:element xmlns:ns1="...">` and `<ns2:element xmlns:ns2="...">` are 
treated as equivalent
+  when they share the same namespace URI.
+* **XML schema validation** against XSD and WSDL definitions to verify 
structural correctness.
+* **XPath expressions** for targeted element validation, with full namespace 
support via
+  namespace context configuration. This includes automatic namespace prefix 
resolution when the
+  prefixes differ between the control template and the received message.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within XML element values and 
attributes.
+
+==== Plain text validation
+
+Plain text validation performs exact string comparison with support for:
+
+* **Positional `@ignore@`** to skip dynamic word-length sequences at specific 
positions.
+* **`@ignore(n)@`** to skip exactly _n_ characters (useful for values with 
non-word characters).
+* **`@variable('name')@`** to extract values at specific positions into test 
variables.
+* **Whitespace normalization** (configurable) to ignore line separator 
differences (CR, LF, CRLF)
+  or all whitespace.
+* **Gzip** and **binary/base64** content comparison via the respective message 
types.
+
+==== YAML validation
+
+YAML validation compares YAML documents structurally, similar to JSON 
validation:
+
+* **Strict/non-strict mode** — configurable via 
`citrus.yaml.message.validation.strict`.
+* **Path expressions** for ignoring specific elements in the YAML structure.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within YAML values.
+
+=== Validation specification API
+
+The endpoint provides a fluent API for specifying validation expectations. You 
can define a single
+validation that applies to all incoming exchanges, or specify individual 
validations for each
+exchange in sequence.
+
+==== Single validation for all exchanges
+
+Use `validateAll()` to define one validation specification that is applied to 
every exchange.
+The returned `MessageValidationSpec` provides a fluent API with `body()`, 
`header()`, and
+`validate()` methods:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+citrus.validateAll()
+    .body("{\"status\": \"ok\"}")
+    .header("operation", "test");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+// All three exchanges are validated against the same spec
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+==== Per-exchange sequential validation
+
+Use `validate()` to specify different validation expectations for the 1st, 
2nd, 3rd, etc.
+exchange. Each call to `validate()` auto-increments the index, so specs are 
applied in order.
+Each incoming exchange triggers the next validation spec in sequence:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"created\"}").header("action", "create");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"updated\"}").header("action", "update");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"deleted\"}").header("action", "delete");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"created\"}", 
"action", "create");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"updated\"}", 
"action", "update");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"deleted\"}", 
"action", "delete");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+You can also use `validate(index)` to target a specific exchange by its 
0-based position.
+
+When both `validate(index)` and `validateAll()` are configured, the indexed 
spec takes priority —
+it replaces `validateAll()` for that exchange entirely (the two are never 
combined). The
+`validateAll()` spec acts as a fallback for exchanges that have no matching 
indexed spec.
+
+If an exchange arrives at an index with no matching indexed spec and no 
`validateAll()` fallback,
+the endpoint records a failure. For the `validate` operation, the failure is 
collected and reported
+when `assertIsSatisfied()` is called (similar to MockEndpoint). For the 
`receive` operation, the
+failure is thrown immediately as an exception.
+
+[source,java]
+----
+citrus.validate(0).body("{\"event\": \"start\"}");
+citrus.validateAll().body("{\"event\": \"progress\"}").header("type", 
"status");
+
+// Exchange 0 → validated against validate(0) only (validateAll() is NOT 
applied)
+// Exchange 1, 2, ... → validated against validateAll() (body + header)
+----

Review Comment:
   ⚠️ **Comment is wrong — index is 1-based**
   
   ```suggestion
   // Exchange 1 → validated against validate(1) only (validateAll() is NOT 
applied)
   ```



##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/docs/citrus-component.adoc:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,409 @@
+= Citrus Component
+:doctitle: Citrus
+:shortname: citrus
+:artifactid: camel-test-citrus
+:description: Citrus message validation component for testing
+:since: 4.24
+:supportlevel: Preview
+:tabs-sync-option:
+:component-header: Only producer is supported
+
+*Since Camel {since}*
+
+*{component-header}*
+
+The Citrus component integrates with the https://citrusframework.org/[Citrus 
integration test framework]
+to perform message validation on exchanges arriving at a Camel endpoint. It 
allows test authors to
+verify exchange body content, headers, and path expressions (JsonPath, XPath) 
using Citrus validation
+modules.
+
+This component is intended for use in Camel route unit and integration tests.
+
+== Maven dependency
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<dependency>
+    <groupId>org.apache.camel</groupId>
+    <artifactId>camel-test-citrus</artifactId>
+    <scope>test</scope>
+</dependency>
+----
+
+== URI format
+
+----
+citrus:operation/name[?options]
+----
+
+Where `operation` is `validate` or `receive`, and `name` is an optional 
identifier to distinguish
+multiple Citrus endpoints in the same route.
+
+* `validate` — validates exchanges without modifying them (pass-through 
validation).
+* `receive` — validates exchanges and returns a simulated response 
(request/response simulation).
+
+// component options: START
+include::partial$component-configure-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-headers.adoc[]
+// component options: END
+
+== Usage
+
+The Citrus endpoint acts as a producer-only endpoint. Routes send exchanges 
*to* `citrus:validate`,
+and the component validates each exchange using Citrus message validation.
+
+=== Validation modules
+
+The component does not bundle Citrus validation modules. You must add the 
required validation
+module dependency for your message type to your test classpath:
+
+[cols="1,2", options="header"]
+|===
+| Dependency | Description
+
+| `citrus-validation-json`
+| JSON message validation with JsonPath expressions and JSON schema support
+
+| `citrus-validation-xml`
+| XML message validation with XPath expressions, XML schema (XSD/WSDL) and 
XSLT support
+
+| `citrus-validation-text`
+| Plain text message validation including binary (stream and base64) and gzip 
support
+
+| `citrus-validation-yaml`
+| YAML message validation
+
+| `citrus-validation-binary`
+| Binary message validation with stream comparison and base64 encoding
+
+| `citrus-validation-hamcrest`
+| Hamcrest matcher assertions for use with JsonPath and XPath expressions
+|===
+
+All modules use the `org.citrusframework` group ID. Refer to the
+https://citrusframework.org/citrus/reference/html/[Citrus reference 
documentation] for detailed
+usage of each validation module.
+
+=== Citrus empowered message validation
+
+Citrus uses a powerful template-based approach to message validation: you 
provide an expected message template and
+Citrus compares it against the received message using format-aware comparison. 
This brings several
+capabilities beyond simple string equality.
+
+==== Ignore expressions
+
+Use the `@ignore@` placeholder anywhere in an expected message template to 
skip validation of dynamic
+values such as timestamps, generated IDs, or correlation tokens. The element 
must be present, but its
+value is not checked.
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "orderId": "@ignore@",
+  "timestamp": "@ignore@",
+  "status": "created"
+}
+----
+
+This works across all supported message types — in XML element and attribute 
values, JSON property values,
+and YAML property values. The ignore placeholder can also replace an entire 
sub-object or element
+including its children.
+
+For plain text messages, the `@ignore@` placeholder works on a positional 
basis — it matches a word-length
+character sequence at the exact position in the text. Use `@ignore(n)@` to 
ignore exactly _n_ characters
+when the value contains non-word characters:
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore@", it expires on 01/01/2030
+----
+
+This ignores the word following `id is "` based on the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+Because no character count is specified, Citrus ignores the entire word 
regardless of its length.
+The word boundary is determined by the first non-word character (whitespace, 
punctuation, etc.).
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore(12)@", it expires on @ignore(10)@
+----
+
+This ignores the next 12 characters starting at the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+This also includes whitespace and non-word characters (e.g. `Your current id 
is "1234/ 34567 D", it expires on 01/01/2030`).
+
+==== Validation matchers
+
+Citrus validation matchers are inline assertions embedded directly in the 
expected message template,
+surrounded by `@` markers. They work across all message formats (JSON, XML, 
YAML, plain text) and
+provide richer assertions than exact equality:
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "name": "@equalsIgnoreCase('JOHN')@",
+  "age": "@greaterThan(17)@",
+  "email": "@matches('[a-z]+@[a-z]+\\.[a-z]+')@",
+  "created": "@matchesDatePattern('yyyy-MM-dd')@",
+  "id": "@isNumber()@",
+  "token": "@startsWith('tk-')@",
+  "status": "@contains('active')@"
+}
+----
+
+You can also use `@variable('name')@` to extract the actual value into a 
Citrus test variable for
+later use, and `@assertThat(hamcrestMatcher)@` to use Hamcrest matchers inline 
(requires
+`citrus-validation-hamcrest`):
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "count": "@assertThat(allOf(greaterThan(0), lessThan(100)))@",
+  "type": "@assertThat(anyOf(equalTo(A), equalTo(B)))@"
+}
+----
+
+==== JSON validation
+
+Citrus JSON validation compares JSON object structures regardless of property 
order.
+It supports two modes configurable via `citrus.json.message.validation.strict`:
+
+* **Strict mode** (default): the received JSON must match the expected 
structure exactly — no
+  additional properties or array items are allowed.
+* **Non-strict mode**: the expected JSON can be a subset of the received 
message — additional
+  properties and array items in the received JSON are silently ignored. This 
is useful when you
+  only want to verify specific fields.
+
+JSON validation also supports:
+
+* **JsonPath expressions** for targeted field validation without specifying 
the full message body
+* **JSON schema validation** against JSON Schema V3/V4 definitions
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within JSON values
+
+==== XML validation
+
+Citrus XML validation performs a structural DOM tree comparison that correctly 
handles:
+
+* **XML namespaces** with different prefixes — the comparison is 
namespace-aware, so
+  `<ns1:element xmlns:ns1="...">` and `<ns2:element xmlns:ns2="...">` are 
treated as equivalent
+  when they share the same namespace URI.
+* **XML schema validation** against XSD and WSDL definitions to verify 
structural correctness.
+* **XPath expressions** for targeted element validation, with full namespace 
support via
+  namespace context configuration. This includes automatic namespace prefix 
resolution when the
+  prefixes differ between the control template and the received message.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within XML element values and 
attributes.
+
+==== Plain text validation
+
+Plain text validation performs exact string comparison with support for:
+
+* **Positional `@ignore@`** to skip dynamic word-length sequences at specific 
positions.
+* **`@ignore(n)@`** to skip exactly _n_ characters (useful for values with 
non-word characters).
+* **`@variable('name')@`** to extract values at specific positions into test 
variables.
+* **Whitespace normalization** (configurable) to ignore line separator 
differences (CR, LF, CRLF)
+  or all whitespace.
+* **Gzip** and **binary/base64** content comparison via the respective message 
types.
+
+==== YAML validation
+
+YAML validation compares YAML documents structurally, similar to JSON 
validation:
+
+* **Strict/non-strict mode** — configurable via 
`citrus.yaml.message.validation.strict`.
+* **Path expressions** for ignoring specific elements in the YAML structure.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within YAML values.
+
+=== Validation specification API
+
+The endpoint provides a fluent API for specifying validation expectations. You 
can define a single
+validation that applies to all incoming exchanges, or specify individual 
validations for each
+exchange in sequence.
+
+==== Single validation for all exchanges
+
+Use `validateAll()` to define one validation specification that is applied to 
every exchange.
+The returned `MessageValidationSpec` provides a fluent API with `body()`, 
`header()`, and
+`validate()` methods:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+citrus.validateAll()
+    .body("{\"status\": \"ok\"}")
+    .header("operation", "test");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+// All three exchanges are validated against the same spec
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+==== Per-exchange sequential validation
+
+Use `validate()` to specify different validation expectations for the 1st, 
2nd, 3rd, etc.
+exchange. Each call to `validate()` auto-increments the index, so specs are 
applied in order.
+Each incoming exchange triggers the next validation spec in sequence:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"created\"}").header("action", "create");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"updated\"}").header("action", "update");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"deleted\"}").header("action", "delete");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"created\"}", 
"action", "create");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"updated\"}", 
"action", "update");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"deleted\"}", 
"action", "delete");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+You can also use `validate(index)` to target a specific exchange by its 
0-based position.
+
+When both `validate(index)` and `validateAll()` are configured, the indexed 
spec takes priority —
+it replaces `validateAll()` for that exchange entirely (the two are never 
combined). The
+`validateAll()` spec acts as a fallback for exchanges that have no matching 
indexed spec.
+
+If an exchange arrives at an index with no matching indexed spec and no 
`validateAll()` fallback,
+the endpoint records a failure. For the `validate` operation, the failure is 
collected and reported
+when `assertIsSatisfied()` is called (similar to MockEndpoint). For the 
`receive` operation, the
+failure is thrown immediately as an exception.
+
+[source,java]
+----
+citrus.validate(0).body("{\"event\": \"start\"}");
+citrus.validateAll().body("{\"event\": \"progress\"}").header("type", 
"status");
+
+// Exchange 0 → validated against validate(0) only (validateAll() is NOT 
applied)

Review Comment:
   ⚠️ **`validate(0)` example is wrong — must be `validate(1)`**
   
   As explained above, index 0 is never matched by `MockEndpoint`'s counter. 
The first exchange maps to index 1.
   
   ```suggestion
   citrus.validate(1).body("{"event": "start"}");
   ```



##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/docs/citrus-component.adoc:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,409 @@
+= Citrus Component
+:doctitle: Citrus
+:shortname: citrus
+:artifactid: camel-test-citrus
+:description: Citrus message validation component for testing
+:since: 4.24
+:supportlevel: Preview
+:tabs-sync-option:
+:component-header: Only producer is supported
+
+*Since Camel {since}*
+
+*{component-header}*
+
+The Citrus component integrates with the https://citrusframework.org/[Citrus 
integration test framework]
+to perform message validation on exchanges arriving at a Camel endpoint. It 
allows test authors to
+verify exchange body content, headers, and path expressions (JsonPath, XPath) 
using Citrus validation
+modules.
+
+This component is intended for use in Camel route unit and integration tests.
+
+== Maven dependency
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<dependency>
+    <groupId>org.apache.camel</groupId>
+    <artifactId>camel-test-citrus</artifactId>
+    <scope>test</scope>
+</dependency>
+----
+
+== URI format
+
+----
+citrus:operation/name[?options]
+----
+
+Where `operation` is `validate` or `receive`, and `name` is an optional 
identifier to distinguish
+multiple Citrus endpoints in the same route.
+
+* `validate` — validates exchanges without modifying them (pass-through 
validation).
+* `receive` — validates exchanges and returns a simulated response 
(request/response simulation).
+
+// component options: START
+include::partial$component-configure-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-options.adoc[]
+include::partial$component-endpoint-headers.adoc[]
+// component options: END
+
+== Usage
+
+The Citrus endpoint acts as a producer-only endpoint. Routes send exchanges 
*to* `citrus:validate`,
+and the component validates each exchange using Citrus message validation.
+
+=== Validation modules
+
+The component does not bundle Citrus validation modules. You must add the 
required validation
+module dependency for your message type to your test classpath:
+
+[cols="1,2", options="header"]
+|===
+| Dependency | Description
+
+| `citrus-validation-json`
+| JSON message validation with JsonPath expressions and JSON schema support
+
+| `citrus-validation-xml`
+| XML message validation with XPath expressions, XML schema (XSD/WSDL) and 
XSLT support
+
+| `citrus-validation-text`
+| Plain text message validation including binary (stream and base64) and gzip 
support
+
+| `citrus-validation-yaml`
+| YAML message validation
+
+| `citrus-validation-binary`
+| Binary message validation with stream comparison and base64 encoding
+
+| `citrus-validation-hamcrest`
+| Hamcrest matcher assertions for use with JsonPath and XPath expressions
+|===
+
+All modules use the `org.citrusframework` group ID. Refer to the
+https://citrusframework.org/citrus/reference/html/[Citrus reference 
documentation] for detailed
+usage of each validation module.
+
+=== Citrus empowered message validation
+
+Citrus uses a powerful template-based approach to message validation: you 
provide an expected message template and
+Citrus compares it against the received message using format-aware comparison. 
This brings several
+capabilities beyond simple string equality.
+
+==== Ignore expressions
+
+Use the `@ignore@` placeholder anywhere in an expected message template to 
skip validation of dynamic
+values such as timestamps, generated IDs, or correlation tokens. The element 
must be present, but its
+value is not checked.
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "orderId": "@ignore@",
+  "timestamp": "@ignore@",
+  "status": "created"
+}
+----
+
+This works across all supported message types — in XML element and attribute 
values, JSON property values,
+and YAML property values. The ignore placeholder can also replace an entire 
sub-object or element
+including its children.
+
+For plain text messages, the `@ignore@` placeholder works on a positional 
basis — it matches a word-length
+character sequence at the exact position in the text. Use `@ignore(n)@` to 
ignore exactly _n_ characters
+when the value contains non-word characters:
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore@", it expires on 01/01/2030
+----
+
+This ignores the word following `id is "` based on the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+Because no character count is specified, Citrus ignores the entire word 
regardless of its length.
+The word boundary is determined by the first non-word character (whitespace, 
punctuation, etc.).
+
+[source,plaintext]
+----
+Your current id is "@ignore(12)@", it expires on @ignore(10)@
+----
+
+This ignores the next 12 characters starting at the position of the ignore 
expression in the template.
+This also includes whitespace and non-word characters (e.g. `Your current id 
is "1234/ 34567 D", it expires on 01/01/2030`).
+
+==== Validation matchers
+
+Citrus validation matchers are inline assertions embedded directly in the 
expected message template,
+surrounded by `@` markers. They work across all message formats (JSON, XML, 
YAML, plain text) and
+provide richer assertions than exact equality:
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "name": "@equalsIgnoreCase('JOHN')@",
+  "age": "@greaterThan(17)@",
+  "email": "@matches('[a-z]+@[a-z]+\\.[a-z]+')@",
+  "created": "@matchesDatePattern('yyyy-MM-dd')@",
+  "id": "@isNumber()@",
+  "token": "@startsWith('tk-')@",
+  "status": "@contains('active')@"
+}
+----
+
+You can also use `@variable('name')@` to extract the actual value into a 
Citrus test variable for
+later use, and `@assertThat(hamcrestMatcher)@` to use Hamcrest matchers inline 
(requires
+`citrus-validation-hamcrest`):
+
+[source,json]
+----
+{
+  "count": "@assertThat(allOf(greaterThan(0), lessThan(100)))@",
+  "type": "@assertThat(anyOf(equalTo(A), equalTo(B)))@"
+}
+----
+
+==== JSON validation
+
+Citrus JSON validation compares JSON object structures regardless of property 
order.
+It supports two modes configurable via `citrus.json.message.validation.strict`:
+
+* **Strict mode** (default): the received JSON must match the expected 
structure exactly — no
+  additional properties or array items are allowed.
+* **Non-strict mode**: the expected JSON can be a subset of the received 
message — additional
+  properties and array items in the received JSON are silently ignored. This 
is useful when you
+  only want to verify specific fields.
+
+JSON validation also supports:
+
+* **JsonPath expressions** for targeted field validation without specifying 
the full message body
+* **JSON schema validation** against JSON Schema V3/V4 definitions
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within JSON values
+
+==== XML validation
+
+Citrus XML validation performs a structural DOM tree comparison that correctly 
handles:
+
+* **XML namespaces** with different prefixes — the comparison is 
namespace-aware, so
+  `<ns1:element xmlns:ns1="...">` and `<ns2:element xmlns:ns2="...">` are 
treated as equivalent
+  when they share the same namespace URI.
+* **XML schema validation** against XSD and WSDL definitions to verify 
structural correctness.
+* **XPath expressions** for targeted element validation, with full namespace 
support via
+  namespace context configuration. This includes automatic namespace prefix 
resolution when the
+  prefixes differ between the control template and the received message.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within XML element values and 
attributes.
+
+==== Plain text validation
+
+Plain text validation performs exact string comparison with support for:
+
+* **Positional `@ignore@`** to skip dynamic word-length sequences at specific 
positions.
+* **`@ignore(n)@`** to skip exactly _n_ characters (useful for values with 
non-word characters).
+* **`@variable('name')@`** to extract values at specific positions into test 
variables.
+* **Whitespace normalization** (configurable) to ignore line separator 
differences (CR, LF, CRLF)
+  or all whitespace.
+* **Gzip** and **binary/base64** content comparison via the respective message 
types.
+
+==== YAML validation
+
+YAML validation compares YAML documents structurally, similar to JSON 
validation:
+
+* **Strict/non-strict mode** — configurable via 
`citrus.yaml.message.validation.strict`.
+* **Path expressions** for ignoring specific elements in the YAML structure.
+* **`@ignore@` and validation matchers** within YAML values.
+
+=== Validation specification API
+
+The endpoint provides a fluent API for specifying validation expectations. You 
can define a single
+validation that applies to all incoming exchanges, or specify individual 
validations for each
+exchange in sequence.
+
+==== Single validation for all exchanges
+
+Use `validateAll()` to define one validation specification that is applied to 
every exchange.
+The returned `MessageValidationSpec` provides a fluent API with `body()`, 
`header()`, and
+`validate()` methods:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+citrus.validateAll()
+    .body("{\"status\": \"ok\"}")
+    .header("operation", "test");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+// All three exchanges are validated against the same spec
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"status\": \"ok\"}", 
"operation", "test");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+==== Per-exchange sequential validation
+
+Use `validate()` to specify different validation expectations for the 1st, 
2nd, 3rd, etc.
+exchange. Each call to `validate()` auto-increments the index, so specs are 
applied in order.
+Each incoming exchange triggers the next validation spec in sequence:
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:validate?messageType=json", CitrusEndpoint.class);
+
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"created\"}").header("action", "create");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"updated\"}").header("action", "update");
+citrus.validate().body("{\"event\": \"deleted\"}").header("action", "delete");
+citrus.expectedMessageCount(3);
+
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"created\"}", 
"action", "create");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"updated\"}", 
"action", "update");
+template.sendBodyAndHeader("direct:start", "{\"event\": \"deleted\"}", 
"action", "delete");
+
+citrus.assertIsSatisfied();
+----
+
+You can also use `validate(index)` to target a specific exchange by its 
0-based position.
+
+When both `validate(index)` and `validateAll()` are configured, the indexed 
spec takes priority —
+it replaces `validateAll()` for that exchange entirely (the two are never 
combined). The
+`validateAll()` spec acts as a fallback for exchanges that have no matching 
indexed spec.
+
+If an exchange arrives at an index with no matching indexed spec and no 
`validateAll()` fallback,
+the endpoint records a failure. For the `validate` operation, the failure is 
collected and reported
+when `assertIsSatisfied()` is called (similar to MockEndpoint). For the 
`receive` operation, the
+failure is thrown immediately as an exception.
+
+[source,java]
+----
+citrus.validate(0).body("{\"event\": \"start\"}");
+citrus.validateAll().body("{\"event\": \"progress\"}").header("type", 
"status");
+
+// Exchange 0 → validated against validate(0) only (validateAll() is NOT 
applied)
+// Exchange 1, 2, ... → validated against validateAll() (body + header)
+----
+
+=== Receive operation (request/response simulation)
+
+The `receive` operation extends the validation endpoint with response 
simulation. It uses a
+Gherkin-style fluent API to define what the endpoint expects to receive 
(`when`) and what it
+should respond with (`then`). This is useful for simulating backend services 
in route tests.
+
+==== Basic usage
+
+[source,java]
+----
+CitrusEndpoint citrus = 
context.getEndpoint("citrus:receive/service?messageType=json", 
CitrusEndpoint.class);
+
+// Define expected request and simulated response
+citrus.when().allMessages().receive()

Review Comment:
   ⚠️ **Receive operation docs reference API methods that do not exist in this 
commit**
   
   The `WhenSpec` inner class has `receive()`, `receive(int index)`, 
`receiveAll()`, and `then()` — but **no `allMessages()` method** and **no 
`message(index)` method**. `CitrusEndpoint` has **no top-level `then()` 
method** (only `when()`). The Gherkin-style API bulleted list and all code 
examples in this section are wrong:
   
   - `when().allMessages().receive()` — `WhenSpec` has no `allMessages()` → 
does not compile
   - `when().message(0).receive()` — `WhenSpec` has no `message()` → does not 
compile
   - `then().allMessages().respond()` — `CitrusEndpoint` has no `then()` → does 
not compile
   - `then().message(0).respond()` — same → does not compile
   
   The correct API is the chained style used in `CitrusReceiveTest.java`:
   ```java
   // All exchanges (same expectation)
   citrus.when().receiveAll().body("{"action": "greet"}").then().respond()
       .body("{"greeting": "Hello!"}");
   
   // Per-exchange
   citrus.when().receive(1).body("{"action": "create"}").then().respond()
       .body("{"id": "1", "status": "created"}");
   citrus.when().receive(2).body("{"action": "update"}").then().respond()
       .body("{"id": "1", "status": "updated"}");
   ```
   
   The entire "Receive operation" section needs to be rewritten to match the 
actual `1188c529` API.



##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/java/org/apache/camel/component/citrus/CitrusValidationProcessor.java:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+ * The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+ * (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
+ * the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.apache.camel.component.citrus;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.apache.camel.Exchange;
+import org.apache.camel.Processor;
+import org.citrusframework.CitrusContext;
+import org.citrusframework.context.TestContext;
+import org.citrusframework.message.DefaultMessage;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessagePayloadBuilder;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessagePayloadUtils;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessageType;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.MessageValidator;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.MessageValidatorRegistry;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.DefaultMessageValidationContext;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.HeaderValidationContext;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.ValidationContext;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+class CitrusValidationProcessor implements Processor {
+
+    private static final Logger LOG = 
LoggerFactory.getLogger(CitrusValidationProcessor.class);
+
+    private final CitrusContext citrusContext;
+    private final String messageType;
+    private final MessageValidationSpec spec;
+    private final MessageResponseSpec responseSpec;
+
+    CitrusValidationProcessor(CitrusContext citrusContext, String messageType,
+                              MessageValidationSpec validationSpec) {
+        this(citrusContext, messageType, validationSpec, null);
+    }
+
+    CitrusValidationProcessor(CitrusContext citrusContext, String messageType,
+                              MessageValidationSpec validationSpec,
+                              MessageResponseSpec responseSpec) {
+        this.citrusContext = citrusContext;
+        this.messageType = messageType;
+        this.spec = validationSpec;
+        this.responseSpec = responseSpec;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void process(Exchange exchange) throws Exception {
+        TestContext testContext = citrusContext.createTestContext();
+        propagateExchangeVariables(exchange, testContext);
+
+        try {
+            if (spec != null) {
+                DefaultMessage receivedMessage = 
buildReceivedMessage(exchange);
+                DefaultMessage controlMessage = buildControlMessage(spec, 
testContext);
+
+                String resolvedType = resolveMessageType(spec);
+                controlMessage.setType(resolvedType);
+
+                List<ValidationContext> validationContexts = 
buildValidationContexts(spec);
+                performCitrusValidation(receivedMessage, controlMessage, 
testContext, validationContexts, resolvedType);
+            }
+
+            if (responseSpec != null) {
+                applyResponse(exchange, responseSpec, testContext);
+            }
+        } finally {
+            writeBackExtractedVariables(exchange, testContext);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // --- Citrus validation helpers ---
+
+    private DefaultMessage buildReceivedMessage(Exchange exchange) {
+        Object body = exchange.getIn().getBody();
+        Map<String, Object> headers = new 
LinkedHashMap<>(exchange.getIn().getHeaders());
+        return new DefaultMessage(body, headers);
+    }
+
+    private DefaultMessage buildControlMessage(MessageValidationSpec spec, 
TestContext testContext) {
+        Object resolvedBody = resolveBody(spec.getBody(), 
spec.getBodyBuilder(), testContext);
+        DefaultMessage controlMessage = resolvedBody != null
+                ? new DefaultMessage(resolvedBody)
+                : new DefaultMessage();
+
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : spec.getHeaders().entrySet()) {
+            Object value = entry.getValue();
+            if (value instanceof String s) {
+                value = testContext.replaceDynamicContentInString(s);
+            }
+            controlMessage.setHeader(entry.getKey(), value);
+        }
+        return controlMessage;
+    }
+
+    private String resolveMessageType(MessageValidationSpec spec) {
+        if (messageType != null) {
+            if (MessageType.knows(messageType)) {
+                return 
MessageType.valueOf(messageType.toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT)).name();
+            } else {
+                return messageType.toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT);
+            }
+        }
+
+        String expectedBody = spec.getBody();
+        if (expectedBody != null) {
+            if (MessagePayloadUtils.isJson(expectedBody)) {
+                return MessageType.JSON.name();
+            } else if (MessagePayloadUtils.isXml(expectedBody)) {
+                return MessageType.XML.name();
+            } else if (MessagePayloadUtils.isYaml(expectedBody)) {
+                return MessageType.YAML.name();
+            }
+        }
+        return MessageType.PLAINTEXT.name();
+    }
+
+    private List<ValidationContext> 
buildValidationContexts(MessageValidationSpec spec) {
+        List<ValidationContext> contexts = new ArrayList<>();
+        contexts.add(new DefaultMessageValidationContext());
+        if (!spec.getHeaders().isEmpty()) {
+            contexts.add(new HeaderValidationContext());
+        }
+        for (ValidationContext.Builder<?, ?> builder : 
spec.getValidationContextBuilders()) {
+            contexts.add(builder.build());
+        }
+        return contexts;
+    }
+
+    @SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked", "rawtypes" })
+    private void performCitrusValidation(
+            DefaultMessage receivedMessage, DefaultMessage controlMessage,
+            TestContext testContext, List<ValidationContext> 
validationContexts,
+            String resolvedType) {
+
+        MessageValidatorRegistry registry = 
testContext.getMessageValidatorRegistry();
+        List<MessageValidator<? extends ValidationContext>> validators
+                = registry.findMessageValidators(resolvedType, 
receivedMessage);
+
+        if (validators.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException(
+                    "No Citrus message validator found for message type '" + 
resolvedType
+                                            + "'. Make sure to add the 
required Citrus validation module "
+                                            + "to the test classpath (e.g. 
citrus-validation-json, "
+                                            + "citrus-validation-xml, 
citrus-validation-text).");
+        }
+
+        LOG.debug("Validating exchange with {} Citrus validator(s) for message 
type '{}'",
+                validators.size(), resolvedType);
+
+        for (MessageValidator validator : validators) {
+            validator.validateMessage(receivedMessage, controlMessage, 
testContext, validationContexts);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void applyResponse(Exchange exchange, MessageResponseSpec 
responseSpec, TestContext testContext) {
+        Object resolvedBody = resolveBody(responseSpec.getBody(), 
responseSpec.getBodyBuilder(), testContext);
+        if (resolvedBody != null) {
+            exchange.getIn().setBody(resolvedBody);
+        }
+        Map<String, Object> resolvedHeaders = 
testContext.resolveDynamicValuesInMap(responseSpec.getHeaders());
+        resolvedHeaders.forEach((key, value) -> 
exchange.getIn().setHeader(key, value));
+    }
+
+    private Object resolveBody(String body, MessagePayloadBuilder bodyBuilder, 
TestContext testContext) {
+        if (bodyBuilder != null) {
+            return bodyBuilder.buildPayload(testContext);
+        }
+        if (body != null) {
+            return testContext.replaceDynamicContentInString(body);
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    // --- Variable propagation ---
+
+    private void propagateExchangeVariables(Exchange exchange, TestContext 
testContext) {
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : 
exchange.getProperties().entrySet()) {
+            if (entry.getValue() != null) {
+                testContext.setVariable(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
+            }
+        }
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : 
exchange.getVariables().entrySet()) {
+            if (entry.getValue() != null) {
+                testContext.setVariable(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void writeBackExtractedVariables(Exchange exchange, TestContext 
testContext) {
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : 
testContext.getVariables().entrySet()) {
+            String key = entry.getKey();
+            if (!exchange.getProperties().containsKey(key) && 
!exchange.getVariables().containsKey(key)) {
+                exchange.setVariable(key, entry.getValue());

Review Comment:
   💡 **`writeBackExtractedVariables` leaks Citrus-internal variables to the 
exchange**
   
   This iterates ALL `testContext.getVariables()`, which includes 
Citrus-internal entries like `citrus.test.name`, `citrus.test.package`, 
`CITRUS_MESSAGES`, etc. The filter (`!containsKey(key)`) only skips keys 
already on the exchange — freshly created Citrus-internal keys all leak into 
exchange variables, polluting the exchange for downstream processors.
   
   ```suggestion
       private void writeBackExtractedVariables(Exchange exchange, TestContext 
testContext) {
           for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : 
testContext.getVariables().entrySet()) {
               String key = entry.getKey();
               if (key.startsWith("citrus.") || key.startsWith("CITRUS_")) {
                   continue;
               }
               if (!exchange.getProperties().containsKey(key) && 
!exchange.getVariables().containsKey(key)) {
                   exchange.setVariable(key, entry.getValue());
               }
           }
       }
   ```



##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/java/org/apache/camel/component/citrus/CitrusValidationProcessor.java:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+ * The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+ * (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
+ * the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.apache.camel.component.citrus;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.apache.camel.Exchange;
+import org.apache.camel.Processor;
+import org.citrusframework.CitrusContext;
+import org.citrusframework.context.TestContext;
+import org.citrusframework.message.DefaultMessage;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessagePayloadBuilder;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessagePayloadUtils;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessageType;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.MessageValidator;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.MessageValidatorRegistry;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.DefaultMessageValidationContext;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.HeaderValidationContext;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.ValidationContext;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+class CitrusValidationProcessor implements Processor {
+
+    private static final Logger LOG = 
LoggerFactory.getLogger(CitrusValidationProcessor.class);
+
+    private final CitrusContext citrusContext;
+    private final String messageType;
+    private final MessageValidationSpec spec;
+    private final MessageResponseSpec responseSpec;
+
+    CitrusValidationProcessor(CitrusContext citrusContext, String messageType,
+                              MessageValidationSpec validationSpec) {
+        this(citrusContext, messageType, validationSpec, null);
+    }
+
+    CitrusValidationProcessor(CitrusContext citrusContext, String messageType,
+                              MessageValidationSpec validationSpec,
+                              MessageResponseSpec responseSpec) {
+        this.citrusContext = citrusContext;
+        this.messageType = messageType;
+        this.spec = validationSpec;
+        this.responseSpec = responseSpec;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void process(Exchange exchange) throws Exception {
+        TestContext testContext = citrusContext.createTestContext();
+        propagateExchangeVariables(exchange, testContext);
+
+        try {
+            if (spec != null) {
+                DefaultMessage receivedMessage = 
buildReceivedMessage(exchange);
+                DefaultMessage controlMessage = buildControlMessage(spec, 
testContext);
+
+                String resolvedType = resolveMessageType(spec);
+                controlMessage.setType(resolvedType);
+
+                List<ValidationContext> validationContexts = 
buildValidationContexts(spec);
+                performCitrusValidation(receivedMessage, controlMessage, 
testContext, validationContexts, resolvedType);
+            }
+
+            if (responseSpec != null) {
+                applyResponse(exchange, responseSpec, testContext);
+            }
+        } finally {
+            writeBackExtractedVariables(exchange, testContext);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // --- Citrus validation helpers ---
+
+    private DefaultMessage buildReceivedMessage(Exchange exchange) {

Review Comment:
   ⚠️ **`StreamCache` body drain — `validate` operation is no longer 
pass-through for stream bodies**
   
   `exchange.getIn().getBody()` without type conversion drains a `StreamCache` 
body (common with HTTP/file routes). Since `validate` is a pass-through 
operation that should not modify the exchange, any downstream processor will 
see an empty body after this call.
   
   Fix: convert to `String` (or check for `StreamCache` and reset after 
reading):
   
   ```suggestion
       private DefaultMessage buildReceivedMessage(Exchange exchange) {
           Object body = exchange.getIn().getBody();
           if (body instanceof org.apache.camel.StreamCache sc) {
               body = exchange.getIn().getBody(String.class);
               sc.reset();
           }
           Map<String, Object> headers = new 
LinkedHashMap<>(exchange.getIn().getHeaders());
           return new DefaultMessage(body, headers);
       }
   ```



##########
components/camel-test/camel-test-citrus/src/main/java/org/apache/camel/component/citrus/CitrusValidationProcessor.java:
##########
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
+ * The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
+ * (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
+ * the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package org.apache.camel.component.citrus;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.apache.camel.Exchange;
+import org.apache.camel.Processor;
+import org.citrusframework.CitrusContext;
+import org.citrusframework.context.TestContext;
+import org.citrusframework.message.DefaultMessage;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessagePayloadBuilder;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessagePayloadUtils;
+import org.citrusframework.message.MessageType;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.MessageValidator;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.MessageValidatorRegistry;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.DefaultMessageValidationContext;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.HeaderValidationContext;
+import org.citrusframework.validation.context.ValidationContext;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+class CitrusValidationProcessor implements Processor {
+
+    private static final Logger LOG = 
LoggerFactory.getLogger(CitrusValidationProcessor.class);
+
+    private final CitrusContext citrusContext;
+    private final String messageType;
+    private final MessageValidationSpec spec;
+    private final MessageResponseSpec responseSpec;
+
+    CitrusValidationProcessor(CitrusContext citrusContext, String messageType,
+                              MessageValidationSpec validationSpec) {
+        this(citrusContext, messageType, validationSpec, null);
+    }
+
+    CitrusValidationProcessor(CitrusContext citrusContext, String messageType,
+                              MessageValidationSpec validationSpec,
+                              MessageResponseSpec responseSpec) {
+        this.citrusContext = citrusContext;
+        this.messageType = messageType;
+        this.spec = validationSpec;
+        this.responseSpec = responseSpec;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void process(Exchange exchange) throws Exception {
+        TestContext testContext = citrusContext.createTestContext();
+        propagateExchangeVariables(exchange, testContext);
+
+        try {
+            if (spec != null) {
+                DefaultMessage receivedMessage = 
buildReceivedMessage(exchange);
+                DefaultMessage controlMessage = buildControlMessage(spec, 
testContext);
+
+                String resolvedType = resolveMessageType(spec);
+                controlMessage.setType(resolvedType);
+
+                List<ValidationContext> validationContexts = 
buildValidationContexts(spec);
+                performCitrusValidation(receivedMessage, controlMessage, 
testContext, validationContexts, resolvedType);
+            }
+
+            if (responseSpec != null) {
+                applyResponse(exchange, responseSpec, testContext);
+            }
+        } finally {
+            writeBackExtractedVariables(exchange, testContext);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // --- Citrus validation helpers ---
+
+    private DefaultMessage buildReceivedMessage(Exchange exchange) {
+        Object body = exchange.getIn().getBody();

Review Comment:
   💡 **Case-insensitive Camel headers become case-sensitive in Citrus**
   
   `new LinkedHashMap<>(exchange.getIn().getHeaders())` copies Camel's 
`CaseInsensitiveMap` into a case-sensitive `LinkedHashMap`. Citrus header 
validation then fails if the validation spec uses a different case than the 
actual header key in the received message.
   
   Consider adding `HeaderValidationContext.Builder#ignoreCase(true)` in 
`buildValidationContexts()`, or at minimum document this limitation.



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