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public class SimpleField extends ActionSupport{
    @NotNull()
    @NotEmpty
    @Length(max = 3)
    private String name;
...
}

Use the @AssertValid annotation to validate nested objects, like

public class MemberObject extends ActionSupport {
    @AssertValid
    private Person person = new Person();

    public Person getPerson() {
        return person;
    }
}

XML Configuration

OVal provides support for defining the validation via XML. Validation files must end in "-validation.xml" and the rules to find them, are the same rules used to find the validation XML files used by the regular validation mechanisms (default validation in xwork):

...

notnull.field=${field.name} cannot be null

field.too.long=${field.name} value is too long, allowed length is ${max}

and this class:

public class BookActionextends ActionSupport {
    @NotNull(message = "notnull.field")
    @Length(max = 3, message = "field.too.long")
    private String title;

    @NotNull(message = "You must enter a valid ISBN")
    private String isbn;
...
}

...

• "title cannot be null"
• "You must enter a valid ISBN"
• "title value is too long, allowed length is 3"

The current OVal "context" object is pushed into the stack for each validator, so it can be accessed from the property file to build the error message. See the OVal javadoc for more properties available in the FieldContext class.

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