variables in error messages

Question

I have a dropdown box and a TextField. The value of the text field must begin with a unique number depending of the selection. If not an error message will be shown.

Depending on the selection the error message looks like this:

the number in the "TextField" must begin with 101 for selection1

or

the number in the "TextField" must begin with 102 for selection2

etc.

I have written a custom validator to validate the TextField.

What I don't like is that for each error I have a resource key with its corresponding value for the error messages:

@Override
protected void onValidate(IValidatable<String> validatable) {

    if(selection.equals(selections1) && !beginsWithGoodNumber){
        error(validatable, "error.selection1");
    }else if(selection.equals(selections1) && !beginsWithGoodNumber){
        error(validatable, "error.selection2");
    }else if(selection.equals(selections1) && !beginsWithGoodNumber){
        error(validatable, "error.selection3");
    }
}

in the property file I have:

error.selection1 = the number in the '${label}' must begin with 101 for selection1
error.selection2 = the number in the '${label}' must begin with 102 for selection2
error.selection3 = the number in the '${label}' must begin with 103 for selection3
error.selection4 = the number in the '${label}' must begin with 104 for selection4

I would like to have something like this in the property file:

error.selection = the number in the '${label}' must begin with {number} for {selection}

where {number} and {selection} are variables.

Is this possible?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Assuming your validator extends AbstractValidator, you can pass a Map of variables to #error().

Or see AbstractRangeValidator on how to create a ValidationError, set variables on it and report it to the component.

Answer 2

You can probably set a ValidationError object and set it on the validatable.error method. The ValidationError has a method to set the variables.