Grails validate fields with default values - validation

Question

We have a class like this in a Grails 2.4.3 application (migrated from 2.3.8):
#Validateable
class Foo {
Integer noDefault;
Integer withDefault = 1;
static constraints = {
noDefault(nullable:false)
withDefault(nullable:false)
}
}
This class is being instantiated in a complex configuration mechanism using a Map like this:
[
noDefault: 0,
withDefault: 2
]
(In fact the Map is part of a huge one, but the class constructor sees this small one.) Formerly the class worked if we omitted the withDefault entry from the config map, using the default value which is not null. In Grails 2.4.3, however, it tells me that this field cannot be null. I can fix it by letting it be null in the constraint, but it lets setting the explicite value null (and overwrite the default value), which causes problem during operation.
Do you know some workaround, which preserves the semantics and correct operation?
Thanx in advance, best regards: Balázs

Answer 1

What you are describing is not consistent with what I would expect and not consistent with the behavior I am seeing. The project at https://github.com/jeffbrown/validatedefaults contains the following code.
At https://github.com/jeffbrown/validatedefaults/blob/master/src/groovy/demo/Foo.groovy
// src/groovy/demo/Foo.groovy
package demo
import grails.validation.Validateable
#Validateable
class Foo {
Integer noDefault;
Integer withDefault = 1;
static constraints = {
noDefault(nullable:false)
withDefault(nullable:false)
}
}
The test at https://github.com/jeffbrown/validatedefaults/blob/master/test/unit/demo/FooSpec.groovy passes:
// test/unit/demo/FooSpec.groovy
package demo
import spock.lang.Specification
import grails.test.mixin.TestMixin
import grails.test.mixin.support.GrailsUnitTestMixin
#TestMixin(GrailsUnitTestMixin)
class FooSpec extends Specification {
void 'test validating default values'() {
given:
def map = [noDefault: 0]
def foo = new Foo(map)
expect:
foo.validate()
}
}
When I run the app I get the same behavior.
// grails-app/conf/BootStrap.groovy
import demo.Foo
class BootStrap {
def init = { servletContext ->
def map = [noDefault: 0]
def foo = new Foo(map)
// this prints true...
println "Foo is valid? : ${foo.validate()}"
}
def destroy = {
}
}
I hope that helps.