[Solved] ADFBC validation when your data isn't normalized

Question

Hello -
I'm working on a ADFBC/JSF app (using JDev 10.1.3.3) where I am developing a JSF page to edit data for a table whose data is denormalized. I'll explain using the EMPLOYEES table in the HR sample schema.
Change EMPLOYEES to...
a. Add a column (EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_NAME) that holds the data in DEPARTMENTS.DEPARTMENT_NAME
b. Remove the foreign key EMP_DEPT_FK which links EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_ID to DEPARTMENTS.DEPARTMENT_ID
The UI presents a field for EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_ID. It also shows EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_NAME as a read-only field.
When the user gives a value for EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_ID, the app needs to
1. Validate the DEPARTMENT_ID using a function in a PL/SQL package
2. Populate the EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_NAME field. Department name is retrieved using a function in a PL/SQL package that takes the department_id as a parameter.
3. Assign a NULL value to EMPLOYEES.DEPARTMENT_NAME if the provided DEPARTMENT_ID is NULL.
I don't have the option of changing the table structure.
I have an entity object for the EMPLOYEES records. To accomplish #1 I added a method validator on the DEPARTMENT_ID attribute to call the appropriate PL/SQL function using JDBC. My question is - where should #2 and #3 happen?
- In the same method validator on the attribute for DEPARTMENT_ID?
- In the setter for the DEPARTMENT_ID after the call to setAttributeInternal?
- Somewhere else?
Thanks for reading my question
-- Scott
Message was edited by:
scott.turnquist

Answer 1

Thanks Frank.
Here is what I came up with (in case anyone else has a similar question) - it works well so far.
In EmployeeEntityImpl:
    public boolean validateDepartmentId(Number data) {
        boolean valid = true;
        if (data != null ) {
            try {
                MyAppModuleImpl mod =
                    (MyAppModuleImpl )getDBTransaction().getRootApplicationModule();
                valid = mod.validateDepartmentId(data);  //method uses JDBC to call PL/SQL package function, could throw SQLException
            } catch (SQLException se) {
                log.error("Error while checking Department Id: " + data, se);
                valid = false;
        return valid;
    public void setDepartmentId(Number value) {
        setAttributeInternal(DEPARTMENTID, value);
        //Propogate changes to redundant DepartmentName field.
        //If we get this far, we will have passed the validation
        //called by setAttributeInternal()
        if (value == null) {
            if (getDepartmentName() != null) {
                setDepartmentName(null);
        } else {
            MyAppModuleImpl mod =
                (MyAppModuleImpl) getDBTransaction().getRootApplicationModule();
            try {
                String deptName = mod.lookupDepartmentNameFromDepartmentId(value);   //method uses JDBC to call PL/SQL package function, could throw SQLExeption
                if (deptName == null) {
                    log.error("Could not find department name for department id: " +
                              value);
                    throw new JboException("Invalid department id: " +
                                           value);
                } else {
                    setDepartmentName(deptName);
            } catch (SQLException se) {
                log.error("Could not validate department id: " + value, se);
                throw new JboException("Invalid department id: " + value);
    }