Extending JSR-303 validation: "validate" is not invoked by @Valid annotation

[teh_hahn]

Hello,

I am using Spring 3.1.4 and Hibernate Validator 4.3.1. I've already read the following two threads, both dealing with mixing JSR-303 and (custom) Spring Validation:

• http://forum.springsource.org/showth...lidation-logic
• http://forum.springsource.org/showth...303-annotation

I want my custom validator automatically beeing used when annotating a parameter with the @Valid annotation within a @Controller (plus using JSR-303 "Bean Validation"). Here is my source code:

Entity:

@Entity
public class LoginUser {
    @NotNull
    private String username;
}

Controller:

@Controller
public class LoginUserController {

	Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());

	@Autowired
	private Validator loginUserValidator;

	@InitBinder
	protected void initBinder(final WebDataBinder binder) {
		this.log.info("initBinder");
		binder.setValidator(loginUserValidator);
	}

	@RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.POST, produces = "text/html")
	public String create(
		@Valid @ModelAttribute("loginUser") LoginUser loginUser,
		BindingResult bindingResult, Model uiModel,
		HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest
	) {
		this.log.info("create");
		return "redirect:/";
	}
}

Validator:

@Component
public class LoginUserValidator
	extends LocalValidatorFactoryBean
	implements Validator
{
	Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());

	@Override
	public boolean supports(final Class<?> clazz) {
		this.log.info("supports");
		return LoginUser.class.equals(clazz);
	}

	@Override
	public void validate(final Object target, final Errors errors) {
		this.log.info("is not called");
		super.validate(target, errors);
	}

	@Override
	public void validate(final Object target, final Errors errors, final Object... validationHints) {
		this.log.info("is called");
		super.validate(target, errors, validationHints);
	}
}

The logger output shows that the methods "supports" and "initBinder" are called. But the validator does not seem to be triggered via the @Valid annotation (therefore the "validate" method is not called).

I also do have the following line in the webmvc-config.xml file:

<mvc:annotation-driven conversion-service="applicationConversionService"/>

I am really confused, because in the other two threads mentioned above, this seems to be the proper solution to mix both validations. I do not want to call the "validate" method, but use the @Valid annotation instead!

Edit: I've just discovered http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...bean-in-spring describing the same problem. What is the prefered ("best"( way to achieve, what I want to achieve then with Spring 3.1?
Edit: I've updated the source code above. The "validate" method with three arguments is invoked and the default behaviour seems to have changed from version 3.0 to version 3.1. I will simply use the method with three arguments. But in my opinion this is black magic and does not seem to be documented.

[blandger]

How do you check validation error in your code??? I expected to see something like:

@RequestMapping(method = RequestMethod.POST, produces = "text/html")
public String create(
		@Valid @ModelAttribute("loginUser") LoginUser loginUser,
		BindingResult bindingResult, Model uiModel,
		HttpServletRequest httpServletRequest
	) {
        if (bindingResult.hasErrors()) {
            return "loginView"; // return to your login page
        }
        .......... // rest of logic
}

[teh_hahn]

Yes, I do have that code in my controller. I've shortened it as much as possible. I already found the solution: Using the "validate" method with three arguments over the one with two arguments. The question is: Why this behaviour?! It does not make sense at all imho.