What is Validat?

Data validation is common to almost any web application, but many developers tend to re-invent the wheel with each new application because there is some little difference in the requirements for validation. This is where Validat fits into the picture. Validat is a data validation engine, developed in ColdFusion, whose purpose is to be dropped into any application and with a minimal amount of customization, perform any data validation needs for that application.

How does it work?

The Validat data validation engine is built upon a set of pluggable data transformers and validation rules, which combined with a data definition can validat any type of data.

Data Definition

The Validat engine accepts as configuration, an XML document that defines the mapping between data elements (form fields for example) and assertions (validation rules). This mapping allows Validat to know which pluggable validation rules must be processed for each data element and in the result of a validation failure, what action to take.

The Validat engine also has an API to allow for the configuration to be altered during run-time for loading via a database or other methods without the need for a static XML document.

Data Transformers

With modularity and flexibility being core goals in the development of Validat, the Valdiat engine uses a collection of data transformers when validating data. These pluggable objects allow Validat to validate data in any form, be it a structure of data from a form, a bean or transfer object, or any other collection of data. If you can build the data collection, a data transfomer can be easily written to allow Validat to validate the data in that collection.

Validation Rules

Every application has a different set of rules that data must validate against. Therefore, the Validat engine utilizes a series of pluggable objects called validation rules to validate various data elements. Validation rules could be as simple as verifying that a value was entered for a required data element or could be as complex as validating that a user account does not already exist in the system with a matching first name, last name, and email address. Because of the pluggable nature of validation rules, new rules can easily be added without any changes necessary to the Validat engine.