Struts2 i18n messages

Question

I am using Struts 2 and I created a simple application following a tutorial I found.

I've created a <MyActionClass>-validation.xml file and I wonder how can I display the validation messages based on multiple languages?

<field name="password">
    <field-validator type="requiredstring">
        <param name="trim">true</param>
        <message>You have to enter a password.</message> 
    </field-validator>
</field>

Can I get the messages from a localized .properties file or do I have to use some other kind of validation?

Should there be validation XML files for every locale?

Answer 1

The messages are retrieved by key from you localized properties. You don't have to write duplicate code for validation. For example

<validators>
   <validator type="requiredstring">
     <param name="fieldname">field.name</param>
     <message key="field.key"/>
   </validator>
</validators>

or using annotations

private String name;

@RequiredStringValidator(key = "field.key")
public void setName(String name) {
  this.name = name;
}

field.name is a resource key for a field label while field.key is a key to an error message.

in the properties you write

field.name=MyName 
field.key=MyName required

that is localized.

Messages automatically retrieved depending on the locale settings of the user browser or via request_locale parameter that is setting locale by theI18N interceptor independent of the browser settings. So, make sure you have it on the stack.

Answer 2

Use getText method to get message from properties file.

<message>${getText("enter.password")}</message>

See: http://struts.apache.org/development/2.x/docs/validation.html#Validation-LocalizingandParameterizingMessages .

Answer 3

Yes you can get localized messages from a properties file and no there is no need of any validation.xml for any locale specific messages.

You need to specify the ResourceBundle which will be nothing but different locales files of extension .properties

Answer 4

Just use <message key="key_name"/> inside your ActionClass-validation.xml

Then you define key_name in

global.properties
global_vn.properties

Make sure you have request_locale in your stack.