h:messages validation not working when project is online

Question

I am creating web application using JSF 2.0 where I am doing validation for full name.

<h:inputText value="#{PersonalInformationDataBean.fullName}" size="75" id="fullName" >
     <f:validator validatorId="fullNameValidator" />
</h:inputText>
<font color="red"><br /><h:message for="fullName"/></font>

In java below is what I have

public class FullNameValidator implements Validator {

    public void validate(FacesContext context, UIComponent component, Object value)
            throws ValidatorException {

        String enteredName = (String) value;
        // Pattern p = Pattern.compile("([a-zA-Z]+|[a-zA-Z]+\\s[a-zA-Z]+)");
        Pattern p = Pattern.compile("([a-zA-Z\\s]+)");
        Matcher m = p.matcher(enteredName.trim());
        System.out.println("trimmed data is " + enteredName.trim());
        boolean matchFound = m.matches();

        if (enteredName.trim().length() == 0) {
            FacesMessage message = new FacesMessage();
            message.setSummary("Please enter name.");
            throw new ValidatorException(message);
        }

        if (enteredName.trim().length() < 10) {
            FacesMessage message = new FacesMessage();
            message.setSummary("Name should be atleast 10 characters.");
            throw new ValidatorException(message);
        }

        if (!matchFound) {
            FacesMessage message = new FacesMessage();
            message.setSummary("Invalid Name.");
            throw new ValidatorException(message);
        }

//        FacesMessage message = new FacesMessage();
//        message.setSummary("");
//        throw new ValidatorException(message);

    }
}

When I run project locally, it runs perfectly.

When I took this project online, I am facing problem.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ fullName data as        +   Error Message                      +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ 123343543534545         +   Invalid Name                       +
+ fahim                   +   Full name should be 10 characters  +
+ null (blank)            +   NO MESSAGE, here I was expecting   +
+                         +   result as Please enter name        +
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I don't understand when I don't pass any value, why I don't get error message saying Please enter name. Any idea what I am missing here?

Note:

I don't even get trimmed data is in catalina.out file where I get all message which I have printed under System.out.println

The problem is when I pass data at that time only validation is called. Else validation is not happening. Please let me know what I am missing here.

Answer 1

The reason for your question may be is that if you want to validate the empty values you should change you web.xml's setting, to let empty fields allowed.

  <context-param>
    <param-name>javax.faces.VALIDATE_EMPTY_FIELDS</param-name>
    <param-value>true</param-value>
  </context-param>

But this way is not suggested by authority. The jsf doc said that :

For a validator to be fully compliant with Version 2 and later of the specification, it must not fail validation on null or empty values unless it is specifically intended to address null or empty values. An application-wide is provided to allow validators designed for JSF 1.2 to work with JSF 2 and later. The javax.faces.VALIDATE_EMPTY_FIELDS must be set to false to enable this backwards compatibility behavior.]1

So as you are using jsf2.0, a another way to validate the empty value is that you can add do like this :
<h:inputText value="#{PersonalInformationDataBean.fullName}" size="75" id="fullName" required="true" requiredMessage="Please enter name." > And also make sure the web.xml' setting as follows :

<context-param>
  <param-name>javax.faces.INTERPRET_EMPTY_STRING_SUBMITTED_VALUES_AS_NULL</param-name>
  <param-value>true</param-value>
</context-param>

But this way will accuse another unreasonable thing.When you input the name will some thing and this form is failed for this sumbit.And user delete the name field's value to blank, it will will throw Please enter name message.But the name field in page is still the pre value(not blank).
So it is a JSF bug.To fix this, you've to alter the first part of HtmlBasicRenderer#getCurrentValue(),Please take a look at this: JSF 2 - Bean Validation: validation failed -> empty values are replaced with last valid values from managed bean

Answer 2

I guess you might validate if the value passed by the Validator is not empty with

StringUtils.isNotEmpty(String) 

and throw a ValidatorException before you verify it`s size.

If the field is mandatory, you may also consider using required="true"

Consider adding the following snippet of code:

String enteredName = (String) value;
// checks for null and empty String values
if ( StringUtils.isEmpty(enteredName) ) {
    FacesMessage message = new FacesMessage();
    message.setSummary("Please enter name.");
    throw new ValidatorException(message);
}
// rest of your validation code

Answer 3

A validator is not called when no input value is entered, the idea being that there is nothing to validate. This is a bit unintuitive, but required="true" attribute should be used to check is a value is needed. There is an alternative:

<h:inputText label="Username" validatorMessage="The value entered for #{component.label} is invalid">
      <f:validateRegex pattern="[A-Za-z]{10,30}"/>
</h:inputText>

You don't need both == 0 and < 10, just < 10. Use the attribute requiredMessage to add your own message for the required attribute.

Note that you don't need to use StringUtils.isNotEmpty(String), just this:

String s;
if(s.isEmpty() {
...

Note also that the font tag was deprecated in HTML 4.01, try this:

<h:message for="fullName" style="color: red"/>