How to achive server validation of a dynamic form

[naro pad]

Ok I will try to explain hopefully:

I have a form where I have some text fields where the user has to fill. If not when the form is submitted I have create a bean where using

<jsp:setProperty name="formHandler" property="*"/>

I set the values written from the form and then using a validate function

...
 private Hashtable errors;
  
  public boolean validate() {
    boolean allOk=true;
    if (getSubject_code().equals("")) {
      errors.put("subject_code","Please enter Subject Code");
            setSubject_code("");
      allOk=false;
    }
...

I display the appropriate error, if not the form is submitted. Now I have put into my form the ability to the user to add dynamically text box. (addind as many books he want) using DOM. Now I have manage to save how many books he has add using a variable increment each time he press the button to add a new book and pass it as hidden value. The new textbox created I name them appropriate book'1',book'2' and so on...

How can I continue my(server) validation for this... any ideas or links. I have think about of crating an array of objects book but then how can I validate them...

Thanks

[Bear Bibeault]

What's so different about validating values in an array over validating a single value? Just loop over the array values, validating each one.

[naro pad]

Ok I agree with you but I have this:

<%@ page import="java.util.*" %>
<%@ page import="java.util.ResourceBundle"%>
 
<%! 
    ResourceBundle bundle =null;
    public void jspInit() {
       bundle = ResourceBundle.getBundle("forms");
      }
%>
<jsp:useBean id="formHandler" class="beans.FormBean" scope="request">
<jsp:setProperty name="formHandler" property="*"/>
</jsp:useBean>    
 

<% 
   if (formHandler.validate()) {
%>
    <jsp:forward page="<%=bundle.getString(\"process.success\")%>"/>
<%
   }  else {
%>
    <jsp:forward page="<%=bundle.getString(\"process.retry\")%>"/>
<%
   }
%>

Suppose that I have implement the array with all the books added how I will pass it to formHandler? With static textbox is ok because I have created variables in my FormBean and I assign them the values enter from the form them and validate them using function...

[Bear Bibeault]

Well, to start off with I'd never be using a JSP for this.

Modern best practices dictate that data processing should take place in a servlet or classes delegated from a servlet.

That would simplify things considerably since you are just writing Java at that point rather than dealing with JSP stuff as well.

I'd advise this refactoring.