Jenkins: Using validateButton on a class without Descriptor

Question

I have a hudson.model.ManagementLink (which creates a page which can be accessed via Manage Jenkins.

I have some form fields which I'd like to validate using the f:validateButton. If this were to be done on say the config.jelly page of a Publisher (which has a descriptor) a simple doXXX() method would work in the descriptor.

If I add a similar doXXX() method directly to hudson.model.ManagementLink it is in fact accessible directly via the URL myPage/myMethod however the f:validateButton just returns a 404 and obviously I need to send the form values.

One potential solution I've come accross is withCustomDescriptorByName and have the logic in a descriptor I have elsewhere, but I can't get that to work.

Answer 1

To answer the actual question above (i.e. no descriptor), you can supply any fields needed for validation to the with attribute of f:validateButton (comma separated) then set the method attribute to something like the following...

method="${it.fullURL}triggerOfficial"

... then in the java (it) there's a method...

public String getFullURL(){
    return Stapler.getCurrentRequest().getOriginalRequestURI().substring(1);
}

...then also the method to perform the validation itself...

public FormValidation doTriggerOfficial() { 
    return FormValidation.ok("hello");
}

---

However, if you want to perform normal field validation (without a validateButton) on a class type which doesn't normally have a descriptor...

1) Add implements Describable<YourClassName> to your class signature

2) Add something like this...

@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
@Override
public Descriptor<ConfigLink> getDescriptor() {
    Jenkins jenkins = Jenkins.getInstance();
    if (jenkins == null) {
        throw new IllegalStateException("Jenkins has not been started");
    }
    return jenkins.getDescriptorOrDie(getClass());
}

3) Plus an inner class (with the normal doCheckXXX methods)

@Extension
public static final class DescriptorImpl extends Descriptor<YourClassName> {...}

4) Then finally to link it in the jelly add attribute descriptor="${it.descriptor}" to the f:form tag containing your form elements you want to have auto-validated (this will invoke the getDescriptor detailed in step 2)