Niall,
I guess your formula does reduce coding for ActionsForms which require
simple validation & do not need to access the model for any type of
validation, but I think you will still have to write a class for every
form where you will create your validation rules. This does not eliminate
the total number of classes vs. the total number of classes required by
Struts. Please correct me if I did not get this right.
Maybe you could use XML-Schema to define every rules for every form. Rules
can be associated based upon a form name which is handed over to
ActionServlet using a request parameter. The GenericActionForm can load
the XMLSchema for the form & validate the the form input. Regardless, it
is good idea & definetly worth pursuing with a purpose of reducing the
number of classes required in the application implementation.
Rajan Gupta
--- Niall Pemberton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I'm still developing/debugging it at the moment so its fairly
> rudimentary at
> the moment. I'm still considering how I could devlop it at the moment -
> possibly your XML idea.
>
> I have extended Action and done some stuff in the perform method to cast
> the
> form and manage a connection and then call a processForm() method. Also
> it
> handles control with standard success & failure forwards but I'm looking
> at
> developing that as well - probably creating a transport object rather
> than
> just returning a String message key.
>
> A processForm() method validating input looks something like this:
>
> protected String processForm(HttpServletRequest request,
> HttpServletResponse response,
> GenericActionForm form,
> Connection connection) throws Exception {
>
> // Validate the form
> form.setRule("empl_id", true, form.INT); // required Integer
> form.setRule("empl_name", true); // required String
> form.setRule("empl_dob", true, form.DATE); // required date
> form.setRule("empl_married", form.BOOLEAN); // optional Boolean
> if (form.validateProperties() != null) {
> return message;
> }
>
> // Store values from the form in GenericBean(s)
> GenericBean bean = form.createBean();
>
> // Process Business Logic
> return message = new
> LogicBuildProgram().createBuildProgram(connection,
> bean);
> }
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Rajan Gupta [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > Sent: 13 April 2001 13:32
> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: RE: Action Forms And Model objects
> >
> >
> > How do you store or manage your validation rules since your
> > GenericActionForm could be validating fields types of forms?
> > --- Niall Pemberton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > > Niall-
> > > > To understand it a little better, does it mean that you do not
> allow
> > > > ActionServlet to call the validate() method on your
> GenericActionForm
> > > > since u do your validation in Action instead? Or I missed
> something!
> > >
> > > Yes.
> > >
> > > > Also, do you store your validation rules in some type of a XML
> file or
> > > > similar?
> > >
> > > No.
> > >
> > > > Further, I would imagine that your Action itself checks with the
> model
> > > for
> > > > any incorrect data in the form if it needs to?
> > >
> > > Yes.
> > >
> > > > I guess u still derive GenericActionForm from ActionForm
> > >
> > > Yes.
> > >
> > > > -Rajan
> > > > --- Niall Pemberton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > > > > Normally you extend ActionForm and implement getters/setters for
> > > each
> > > > > property
> > > > > e.g. public String getCustName()
> > > > > public void setCustName(String name)
> > > > >
> > > > > I have a GenericActionForm which has some standard
> getters/setters
> > > > > e.g. public String getString(String property)
> > > > > public void setString(String property, String value)
> > > > >
> > > > > GenericActionForm stores these property/value pairs in internal
> > > arrays.
> > > > > I
> > > > > have customised ActionServlet to populate these and also
> customised
> > > some
> > > > > of
> > > > > the <html> tags to use the generic getter method if the form is
> an
> > > > > instance
> > > > > of my GenericActionForm.
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't really know what you mean by "dynamic" validation of
> > > properties.
> > > > > When processing a GenericActionForm in the Action you can set up
> > > rules
> > > > > for
> > > > > each of the properties to say whether it is required input and
> what
> > > data
> > > > > type it should be. The form has a validate method to check whats
> > > been
> > > > > received agaist those rules. Its not dynamic but it is straight
> > > forward.
> > > > >
> > > > > If the above checks fail, I can then re-display the form with
> the
> > > values
> > > > > entered. If the checks pass I can then safely populate the data
> into
> > > > > beans
> > > > > converting from Strings to the correct data types.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > From: Levi Cook [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > > > > Sent: 13 April 2001 01:05
> > > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > > > > Subject: Re: Action Forms And Model objects
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Can you elaborate on what you mean by "dynamic" properties?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > How does this refer to dynamic validation of properties?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -- Levi
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > From: "Niall Pemberton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > > > > Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 5:58 PM
> > > > > > Subject: RE: Action Forms And Model objects
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > We are currently building the following:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > 1) GenericActionForm with dynamic properties
> > > > > > > 2) Override ActionServlet to populate the GenericActionForm
> > > > > > > 3) Provide type validation & conversion mechanisms in the
> > > > > > GenericActionForm
> > > > > > > 4) Provide mechanism to unload the GenericActionForm into
> > > > > GenericBeans
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Our Actions initiate form validation, unload data into
> > > > > > GenericBeans which
> > > > > > > are then passed to our logic layer and I believe this will
> > > > > > allow us to put
> > > > > > > most of our effort into developing the JSP's and logic
> layer.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > > > > From: Natra, Uday [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> > > > > > > > Sent: 12 April 2001 20:17
> > > > > > > > To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
> > > > > > > > Subject: Action Forms And Model objects
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Hi All,
> > > > > > > > I want to know how you all are desiging the Datacopy from
> > > > > ActionForm
> > > > > > Beans
> > > > > > > > to actual Model objects. In my opinion ActionForms should
> have
> > > > > only
> > > > > > String
> > > > > > > > DataTypes(Dates are represented as strings). But the Model
> > > > > > objects have
> > > > > > > > actual Data Types since they represent the actual Domain
> > > > > > objects. If it
> > > > > > is
> > > > > > > > the case, we need to write code to copy the contents of
> the
> > > > > > > > ActionForm into
> > > > > > > > the Domain Object as we cannot use the
> > > > > > > > PropertyUtils.copyProperties(formBean, modelObject);
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Can anybody comment on this??
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > > > > Uday.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > __________________________________________________
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> > >
> >
> >
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>
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