The date range field validator checks if a Date field falls within a specific range. By default, the input format for the date in a text field is of DateFormat.SHORT and depends on user’s current locale, for example:

• • U.S. locale: M/d/yy
  • French locale: d/M/yy

Using this validator in XML or annotation as follows:

• • XML: specifying type=”date” attribute in <validator> or <field-validator> elements.
  • Annotation: specifying @DateRangeFieldValidator annotation type for setter method of the field or action method (in case of plain-validator).

NOTES: This validator does not perform date range check if the field is empty, so it’s recommended to use this validator in conjunction with the required string validator.

 

1. Struts Date Validator XML Syntax

Usage:

• Field-validator syntax:
  

  <field name="fieldName">
  	<field-validator type="date">
  		<param name="param name">param value</param>
  		<message>validation error message</message>
  	</field-validator>
  </field>

   

• Plain-validator syntax:
  

  <validator type="date">
  		<param name="param name">param value</param>
  		<message>validation error message</message>
  </validator> 

 

Parameters:

Parameter name	Required	Description
fieldName		Name of the field (required if using plain validator syntax).
min	No	The minimum date range to check. It won’t be checked if omitted.
max	No	The maximum date range to check. It won’t be checked if omitted.
minExpression	No	OGNL expression used to obtain the minimum date value.
maxExpression	No	OGNL expression used to obtain the maximum date value.
parse	No	Boolean value. If set to true, the minExpressionand maxExpression will be evaluated to obtain the minimum/maximum date. Default is true.

 

Struts Date Range Field Validator XML Examples:

• Field-validator example:

  <field name="birthday">
  	<field-validator type="date">
  		<param name="min">1/1/1960</param>
  		<param name="max">12/31/1995</param>
  		<message>Please enter your birthday between ${min} and ${max}</message>
  	</field-validator>
  </field>

• Checking only the minimum date:

  <field name="birthday">
  	<field-validator type="date">
  		<param name="min">1/1/1990</param>
  		<message>Your birth date must be after ${min}</message>
  	</field-validator>
  </field>

• Using OGNL expressions for minimum and maximum dates:
  

  <field name="birthday">
  	<field-validator type="date">
  		<param name="minExpression">${minDate}</param>
  		<param name="maxExpression">${maxDate}</param>
  		<message>Please enter your birthday between ${min} and ${max}</message>
  	</field-validator>
  </field> 

  In this case, we it requires implementing the following methods in the action or JavaBean class as follows:

  public Date getMinDate() throws ParseException {
  	DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("M/d/yy");
  	return dateFormat.parse("1/18/70");
  }
  
  public Date getMaxDate() throws ParseException {
  	DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("M/d/yy");
  	return dateFormat.parse("11/22/90");
  }

   

• Plain-validator example:
  

  <validator type="date">
  	<param name="fieldName">birthday</param>
  	<param name="min">1/1/1960</param>
  	<param name="max">12/31/1995</param>
  	<message>Please enter your birthday between ${min} and ${max}</message>
  </validator> 

 

2. Struts @DateRangeFieldValidator Annotation

Usage: Annotate the field’s setter method or action method by the @DateRangeFieldValidatoras follows:

@DateRangeFieldValidator(param1 = "param 1 value", param2 = "param 2 value", ...)

Parameters:

Parameter name	Required	Default value	Description
message	Yes		validation error message.
key	No		i18n key for validation error message.
messageParams	No		Additional parameters to customize the message.
fieldName	No		Specifies field name in case this validator type is plain-validator.
shortCircuit	No	false	Whether this validator is short circuit.
type	No	ValidatorType.FIELD	type of the validator: field-validator (FIELD) or plain-validator (SIMPLE).
min	No		The minimum date to check the field value.
minExpression	No		OGNL expression used to obtain the minimum date value.
max	No		The maximum date to check the field value.
maxExpression	No		OGNL expression used to obtain the maximum date value.
dateFormat	No		Specify the format used to parse the dates specified by the min/max parameters.

 

Struts Date Range Field Validator Annotation Examples:

• Basic field-validator:
  

  @DateRangeFieldValidator(
  		min = "1/1/60",
  		max = "12/31/95",
  		message = "Please enter your birthday between ${min} and ${max}"
  		)
  public void setBirthday(Date birthday) {
  	this.birthday = birthday;
  }

   

• Specifying i18n key for the validation error message:
  

  @DateRangeFieldValidator(
  		min = "1/1/60",
  		max = "12/31/95",
  		message = "Default message",
  		key = "form.validation.birthday"
  		)
  public void setBirthday(Date birthday) {
  	this.birthday = birthday;
  }

   

• Using a custom dateFormatto parse the min/max:
  

  @DateRangeFieldValidator(
  		min = "01/01/1980",
  		max = "31/12/1997",
  		dateFormat = "dd/MM/yyyy",
  		message = "Please enter your birthday between ${min} and ${max}"
  		)
  public void setBirthday(Date birthday) {
  	this.birthday = birthday;
  }

   

• Plain-validator (annotating the action method):
  

  @DateRangeFieldValidator(
  		type = ValidatorType.SIMPLE,
  		fieldName = "birthday",
  		min = "1/1/60",
  		max = "12/31/95",
  		message = "Please enter your birthday between ${min} and ${max} LOL"
  		)
  public String execute() {
  	return SUCCESS;
  } 

 

Related Struts Form Validation Tutorials:

• Struts Form Handling Tutorial
• Struts Form Validation Tutorial
• Struts Double Range Field Validator Example
• Struts Integer Range Field Validator Example
• Struts Short Range Field Validator Example
• Struts String Length Field Validator Example

 

Other Struts Tutorials:

• Introduction to Struts 2 framework
• Struts beginner tutorial (Eclipse + Tomcat + XML)
• Struts Beginner Tutorial with Annotations
• Struts beginner tutorial with Convention Plugin (zero-configuration)
• How to handle exceptions in Struts
• Send e-mail with attachments in Struts
• Struts File Upload Tutorial
• Struts - Spring - Hibernate Integration Tutorial