Validation Framework

A framework for calling validators that are build based.

Also see Frequently Asked Questions

There are two main types of validation, build based and as you type. This framework supports build based validation. If auto build is turned on then the validators are called when the user saves their file. If auto build is not turned on then the validators are called when the user starts a build.

This framework was added to WTP in version 3.0.

### Dependency Support

Sometimes resources depend on other resources, to determine whether they are valid or not. An example would be that an XML resource could depend on a DTD. If at some point in the future the DTD changes, then the dependent XML resource should be revalidated to ensure that it still meets the requirements of the changed DTD file. In order to do this efficiently, there needs to be an association between the DTD and all the resources that depend on it.

To be as efficient as possible, the validation framework allows this dependency information to be returned as part of a validate operation. Since the validator needed to figure this out anyways, why not pass this information back to the framework, so that it can be saved. This saves the cost of having to parse the file at some later point in time (when the file is probably sitting cold on disk). The fewer times that we need to open, read and/or parse the same file, will improve the performance of the product.

In particular when the validate method returns, a ValidationResult must be returned, inside of this result, all your dependencies need to be specified with the setDependsOn method.

In addition to keeping the dependency information up-to-date through the normal course of validation, direct access is also provided to the dependency support through the getDependencyIndex method. The IDependencyIndex allows you to directly manipulate the dependency information for a validator.

### Entry Points into the Validation Framework

Here are some of the points where the platform calls into the framework:

- Builder - ValidationBuilder
- IFacetedProjectListener - ValManager
- IJobChangeListener - ValidationOperation, ValidationOperation.ValidationLauncherJob
- IProjectChangeListener - ValManager
- IPropertyChangeListener - ValidationConfiguration, DisabledResourceManager
- IResourceChangeListener - EventManger
- IValChangedListener - ValManager, DisabledValidatorManager