[[validator-annotation-processor]]
== Annotation Processor

Have you ever caught yourself by unintentionally doing things like

* specifying constraint annotations at unsupported data types (e.g. by annotating a String with `@Past`)
* annotating the setter of a JavaBeans property (instead of the getter method)
* annotating static fields/methods with constraint annotations (which is not supported)?

Then the Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor is the right thing for you. It helps preventing
such mistakes by plugging into the build process and raising compilation errors whenever constraint
annotations are incorrectly used.

[TIP]
====
You can find the Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor as part of the distribution bundle on
http://sourceforge.net/projects/hibernate/files/hibernate-validator[Sourceforge] or in the
usual Maven repositories such as Maven Central under the GAV `org.hibernate:hibernate-validator-
annotation-processor:{hvVersion}`.
====

[[validator-annotationprocessor-prerequisites]]
=== Prerequisites

The Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor is based on the "Pluggable Annotation Processing API"
as defined by http://jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=269[JSR 269] which is part of the Java
Platform since Java 6.

[[validator-annotationprocessor-features]]
=== Features

As of Hibernate Validator {hvVersion} the Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor checks that:

* constraint annotations are allowed for the type of the annotated element
* only non-static fields or methods are annotated with constraint annotations
* only non-primitive fields or methods are annotated with `@Valid`
* only such methods are annotated with constraint annotations which are valid JavaBeans
getter methods (optionally, see below)
* only such annotation types are annotated with constraint annotations which are constraint
annotations themselves
* definition of dynamic default group sequence with @GroupSequenceProvider is valid

[[validator-annotationprocessor-options]]
=== Options

The behavior of the Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor can be controlled using the
http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/tools/windows/javac.html#options[processor options]
listed in table <<table_processor_options>>:

[[table_processor_options]]
.Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor options
[options="header"]
|===============
|Option|Explanation
|`diagnosticKind`|Controls how constraint problems are reported. Must be the
            string representation of one of the values from the enum `javax.tools.Diagnostic.Kind`,
            e.g. `WARNING`. A value of `ERROR` will cause compilation to halt whenever the AP detects
            a constraint problem. Defaults to `ERROR`.
|`methodConstraintsSupported`|Controls whether constraints are allowed at methods of any
            kind. Must be set to `true` when working with method level constraints as supported by
            Hibernate Validator. Can be set to `false` to allow constraints only at
            JavaBeans getter methods as defined by the Bean Validation API. Defaults to `true`.
|`verbose`|Controls whether detailed processing information shall be
            displayed or not, useful for debugging purposes. Must be either
            `true` or `false`. Defaults to `false`.

|===============


[[validator-annotationprocessor-usage]]
=== Using the Annotation Processor

This section shows in detail how to integrate the Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor into
command line builds (javac, Ant, Maven) as well as IDE-based builds (Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA,
NetBeans).

[[validator-annotationprocessor-commandline]]


==== Command line builds

[[validator-annotationprocessor-javac]]
===== javac

When compiling on the command line using
http://java.sun.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/javac/index.html[javac], specify the JAR
_hibernate-validator-annotation-processor-{hvVersion}.jar_ using the "processorpath" option as shown in
the following listing. The processor will be detected automatically by the compiler and invoked
during compilation.

.Using the annotation processor with javac
====
[subs="verbatim,attributes"]
----
javac src/main/java/org/hibernate/validator/ap/demo/Car.java \
   -cp /path/to/validation-api-{bvVersion}.jar \
   -processorpath /path/to/hibernate-validator-annotation-processor-{hvVersion}.jar
----
====

[[validator-annotationprocessor-ant]]
===== Apache Ant

Similar to directly working with javac, the annotation processor can be added as as compiler
argument when invoking the http://ant.apache.org/manual/CoreTasks/javac.html[javac task]
for http://ant.apache.org/[Apache Ant]:

.Using the annotation processor with An
====
[source, XML]
[subs="verbatim,attributes"]
----
<javac srcdir="src/main"
       destdir="build/classes"
       classpath="/path/to/validation-api-{bvVersion}.jar">
       <compilerarg value="-processorpath" />
       <compilerarg value="/path/to/hibernate-validator-annotation-processor-{hvVersion}.jar"/>
</javac>
----
====

===== Maven

There are several options for integrating the annotation processor with
http://maven.apache.org/[Apache Maven]. Generally it is sufficient to add the Hibernate
Validator Annotation Processor as dependency to your project:

.Adding the HV Annotation Processor as dependency
====
[source, XML]
[subs="verbatim,attributes"]
----
...
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.hibernate</groupId>
    <artifactId>hibernate-validator-annotation-processor</artifactId>
    <version>{hvVersion}</version>
</dependency>
...
----
====

The processor will then be executed automatically by the compiler. This basically works, but comes
with the disadavantage that in some cases messages from the annotation processor are not displayed
(see http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/MCOMPILER-66[MCOMPILER-66]).

Another option is using the http://code.google.com/p/maven-annotation-plugin[Maven Annotation Plugin].
To work with this plugin, disable the standard annotation processing performed
by the compiler plugin and configure the annotation plugin by specifying an execution and adding the
Hibernate Validator Annotation Processor as plugin dependency (that way the processor is not visible
on the project's actual classpath):

.Configuring the Maven Annotation Plugin
====
[source, XML]
[subs="verbatim,attributes"]
----
...
<plugin>
    <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
    <configuration>
        <source>1.6</source>
        <target>1.6</target>
        <compilerArgument>-proc:none</compilerArgument>
    </configuration>
</plugin>
<plugin>
    <groupId>org.bsc.maven</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-processor-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.1</version>
    <executions>
        <execution>
            <id>process</id>
            <goals>
                <goal>process</goal>
            </goals>
            <phase>process-sources</phase>
        </execution>
    </executions>
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.hibernate</groupId>
            <artifactId>hibernate-validator-annotation-processor</artifactId>
            <version>{hvVersion}</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</plugin>
...
----
====

[[validator-annotationprocessor-ide]]
==== IDE builds

===== Eclipse

Do the following to use the annotation processor within the http://www.eclipse.org/[Eclipse] IDE:

* Right-click your project, choose "Properties"
* Go to "Java Compiler" and make sure, that "Compiler compliance level" is set to "1.6".
Otherwise the processor won't be activated
* Go to "Java Compiler - Annotation Processing" and choose "Enable annotation processing"
* Go to "Java Compiler - Annotation Processing - Factory Path" and add the JAR
hibernate-validator-annotation-processor-{hvVersion}.jar
* Confirm the workspace rebuild

You now should see any annotation problems as regular error markers within the editor and in the
"Problem" view:

image::annotation_processor_eclipse.png[]

[[validator-annotationprocessor-idea]]
===== IntelliJ IDEA

The following steps must be followed to use the annotation processor within
http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/[IntelliJ IDEA] (version 9 and above):

* Go to "File", then "Settings",
* Expand the node "Compiler", then "Annotation Processors"
* Choose "Enable annotation processing" and enter the following as "Processor path":
/path/to/hibernate-validator-annotation-processor-{hvVersion}.jar
* Add the processor's fully qualified name org.hibernate.validator.ap.ConstraintValidationProcessor
to the "Annotation Processors" list
* If applicable add you module to the "Processed Modules" list

Rebuilding your project then should show any erronous constraint annotations:

image::annotation_processor_intellij.png[]

[[validator-annotationprocessor-netbeans]]
===== NetBeans

Starting with version 6.9, also the http://www.netbeans.org/[NetBeans] IDE supports using
annotation processors within the IDE build. To do so, do the following:

* Right-click your project, choose "Properties"
* Go to "Libraries", tab "Processor", and add the JAR hibernate-validator-annotation-processor-{hvVersion}.jar
* Go to "Build - Compiling", select "Enable Annotation Processing" and "Enable Annotation Processing
in Editor". Add the annotation processor by specifying its fully qualified name
org.hibernate.validator.ap.ConstraintValidationProcessor

Any constraint annotation problems will then be marked directly within the editor:

image::annotation_processor_netbeans.png[]

[[validator-annotationprocessor-known-issues]]
=== Known issues

The following known issues exist as of May 2010:

* https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HV-308[HV-308]: Additional validators
registered for a constraint
http://docs.jboss.org/hibernate/stable/validator/reference/en-US/html_single/#chapter-xml-configuration[using XML] are
not evaluated by the annotation processor.

* Sometimes custom constraints can't be
https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HV-293[properly evaluated] when
using the processor within Eclipse. Cleaning the project can help in these situations. This seems to
be an issue with the Eclipse JSR 269 API implementation, but further investigation is required here.

* When using the processor within Eclipse, the check of dynamic default group sequence definitions
doesn't work. After further investigation, it seems to be an issue with the Eclipse JSR 269 API
implementation.

