This article explains when an export template is validated, what is done during validation, and how you can add own validation steps.

Export template validation

Why is export template validation needed?

Everytime an export profile is to be exported the underlying export template has to be validated to prevent unexpected exceptions during export. The export process will be cancelled if the validation returns with an error result.

Who triggers an export template validation?

A validation is started every time an export template is loaded, saved, or if the validation is started by the user via GUI.

Furthermore, each export process is preceded by a validation of the export template.

How are the validation results presented?

All validation results - especially warnings and errors - are written to the export template's problem log. In the GUI, the problem log's content is displayed in the "Log" view of the "Export format templates" perspective.

If an export process is canceled due to validation errors, the export protocol will show those problems.

What validation steps are executed?

Check the variables

Information about not used variables
Error if a mandatory variable is not editable and has no value assigned
Error if the value of a variable doesn't match the data type of the variable

Check the data fields

Permission check
Error if data field validation rules are not completely configured
Information if a data field is not used in the template
Error if a data field is not completely configured

Check the data providers

Error if not all data providers could be initialized
Error if not all mandatory non-editable parameters got a value

Check the export post steps

Error if not all export post step parameters could be initialized
Error if not all mandatory non-editable parameters got a value
Error if a file specified as parameter value is not available

Check the file configuration

Warning if a file with a file name pattern is assigned to multiple export template modules because of possible overlapping file names
Error in case of invalid file name patterns

Check the export template modules

Error if the data provider of a module is unknown
Error if a module got no file assigned
Warning if a module is empty
Warning if a module contains an invalid character, that character is deleted
Error in case of unknown variables, functions, data fields, sub-modules

Check the template

Error if the spefified format mapping table is unknown

Check the mime configuration

Warning if the configuration of file attachement export is inconsistent
The file attachement export is well-configured if the "ExportMime" function is used in an export template module and the "Query file name with multimedia server" option is activated and the "File attachment export" export post step is assigned to the template.

Determine the initialization entity

The data provider parameter values are analyzed. If there's exactly one mandatory editable parameter that can get a list of entity proxies the initialization entity is set to the template.
The initialization entity is used to get all export templates for a preview or direct export that match a selection of objects, e.g. items or products

Do extended validations

All additional validations steps are executed, see below

How to add own export template validation steps

Implement a Template validation

This feature applies to the Heiler Product Manager in versions 7.0 and above

During some cases like adding a new post-processing step you want to add a further validation. For this you have to implement the ValidateExportTemplate interface and contribute it to the ValidateExportTemplate extension.

validateTemplate

The validateTemplate function returns the error code of the current validation.

 @Override
  public int validateTemplate( ExportTemplate template, ProblemLog problemLog, IProgressMonitor monitor )
                  throws CoreException
  {
    try
    {
      monitor.beginTask( "", 1000 ); //$NON-NLS-1$
      int result = IStatus.OK;
      if ( !monitor.isCanceled() )
      {
        monitor.subTask( Messages.getString( "ValidateMyExportTemplate.taskname.checkMyTemplate" ) ); //$NON-NLS-1$
        result = validateMyTemplateConfiguration( template, problemLog );
        monitor.worked( 1000 );
      }
      return result;
    }
    finally
    {
      monitor.done();
    }
  }

An implementation of line 12 could look like following

Implementation of line 12

private int validateMyTemplateConfiguration( ExportTemplate template, ProblemLog problemLog )
  {
    int result = IStatus.OK;
    // check if my export post step is registered in this template
    ExportPostStep exportPostStep = template.getExportPostStepManager()
                                            .getExportPostStepByIdentifier( POSTSTEP_UNIQUE_IDENTIFIER );
    if ( exportPostStep != null && exportPostStep.getName().contains( "abc" ) ) //$NON-NLS-1$
    {
      result = IStatus.ERROR;
      String message = Messages.getString( "ValidateMyExportTemplate.error.wrongPostStepName" ); //$NON-NLS-1$
      ValidateUtils.writeLogEntry( problemLog, Categories.CONSISTENCY, IStatus.ERROR,
                                   ExportErrorCodes.ERR_MY_TEMPLATE__WRONG_POST_STEP_NAME, message, null,
                                   ExportConst.ENTITY__MY_EXPORT_TEMPLATE, null, template.getName() );
    }
    return result;
  }

Note: It's not recommended using database calls during this method.

Contribution

Make the validation available for the system: contribute it to the ValidateExportTemplate extension point.

Contribution

<plug-in>  
   <extension
         point="com.heiler.ppm.export.core.ValidateExportTemplate">
      <ValidateExportTemplate
            class="com.heiler.ppm.export.core.example.validate.ValidateMyExportTemplate"
            name="ValidateHsxExportTemplate">
      </ValidateExportTemplate>
   </extension>
</plug-in>