[jexl] throwing errors on null/property empty values

[Greg Ludington]

Is it possible to throw a JexlException from an JxltTemplate evaluation
when a property exists, but is null?

For example, if our context contains this class (using pseudo-code,with
accessors omitted for brevity):

public class User {
   private String firstName;
   private String lastName;
}
context.put("user1", new User("firstname", "lastname"));
context.put("user3", new User(null, "lastname"));

and evaulate a JxltTemplate such as:
hello ${user1.firstName}, ${user2.firstName} ${user3.firstName}

${user1.firstName} will return "firstname"
${user2.firstName} will throw a Variable exception, as there is no user2 in
the context
${user3.firstName} will output an empty string, as introspection will find
getLastName() on the class, though invoking it provides a null value.

I have been unable to hit on the proper combination of
strict/silent/strategy to throw any type of JexlException in the third
case, as well, as any strategy comes up with an executor that finds the
property accessor, but the value is not handled until later,
inInterpreter#visit(ASTReference, Object).  A custom resolver that gets the
value and throws an exception does work, but doubles the potential gets and
seems like a brittle approach.

I understand that built-in template functions (empty) or custom functors
could also work, but those writing templates would prefer nothing more
complicated than dot syntax.  Is there a way to accomplish getting an error
in this case, or perhaps another tactic I have missed?

Thanks,
Greg

[henrib]

I don't see any current way to throw an exception on null evaluation through
configuration.
A case can be made to add this as a feature (a hook checking eval result
before doPrint in TemplateInterpreter).
And about making this use case, you can't workaround using a conditional
(${user3.firstName?:error()}) and you definitely must throw an error in the
case of null evaluation?
Cheers
Henrib



--
Sent from: http://apache-commons.680414.n4.nabble.com/Commons-User-f735979.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [hidden email]
For additional commands, e-mail: [hidden email]

[Greg Ludington]

Thank you for the response.  A conditional definitely works, as does a
specific namespaced function, e.g. ${val:orError(my.field)} -- if I cannot
persuade our template authors of either of these approaches, I will look at
working towards building a case and a PR around TemplateInterpreter.

On Fri, Aug 30, 2019 at 11:25 AM henrib <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I don't see any current way to throw an exception on null evaluation
> through
> configuration.
> A case can be made to add this as a feature (a hook checking eval result
> before doPrint in TemplateInterpreter).
> And about making this use case, you can't workaround using a conditional
> (${user3.firstName?:error()}) and you definitely must throw an error in the
> case of null evaluation?
> Cheers
> Henrib
>
>
>
> --
> Sent from:
> http://apache-commons.680414.n4.nabble.com/Commons-User-f735979.html
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [hidden email]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [hidden email]
>
>