ValFace

ValFace is a validation interface that checks input formatting and value constraints based on a text specification. Generated as the next logical step following the parsing of command line arguments (see: ArgFace), validation is an essential part of many applications. This project attempts to address this issue using a standard text specification.

Example:

private final String usageText = "guess <president> <year-elected>";

private final String[] valText = {
    "Values:",
        "<president> String = Lincoln | Washington | Jefferson ;",
        "<year-elected> Date = 1789 .. this.year;"
 };

ValFace valFace = ValPrototype.create(valText, this);
if (valFace == null) {
    return false;
}

Dates

Date specifications allow the use of common phrases to produce a particular date. Although in English, phrases such as "next week" or "last April" are imprecise, this implementation imposes a strict adherence to their meaning. These are relative terms associated with the current date and as such, their definition must be clear.

The basic date specification uses the ISO-8601 standard format.

<year>-<month>-<day>

The specified date. ex: 2014-09-18

<yyyy><mm><dd>

Without the dashes: 4 digit year, 2 digit month and day. ex: 20140918

Other basic date specifications include the following:

today

The current date. ex: 2014-09-18

tomorrow

The date after today. ex: 2014-09-19

yesterday

The date before today. ex: 2014-09-17

[this.]week

The Monday of the current week. ex: 2014-09-15

last.week

The Monday of the previous week. ex: 2014-09-08

next.week

The Monday of the following week. ex: 2014-09-22

end.[this.]week

[this.]week.end

The Sunday of the current week. ex: 2014-09-21

A week is defined as follows:

• There are 5 weekdays; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

• There are 2 weekend days; Saturday and Sunday.

• The beginning of the week is Monday.

• The end of the week is Sunday.

• Each week is bracketed from Monday through Sunday.

• The term "this.week" refers to the enclosing week.

• The term "last.week" refers to days enclosed in the previous week.

• The term "next.week" refers to days enclosed in the following week.

• today or now - Today's date.

  today => 2014-09-18

• next.year - January 1st of the next year.

• this.year - January 1st of the current year.

• last.year - January 1st of the previous year.

• next.month - The 1st of the next month.

  next.month => 2014-10-01

• next. - The 1st of the named month.

  next.September => 2015-09-01

• next.week - The Monday of the next week.

• next.

• last.year

• last.month

• last.

• last.week

• last.

• this.year

• this.month

• this.

• this.week

• this.

• .plus..year(s)

• .plus..month(s)

• .plus..week(s)

• .plus..day(s)

• .minus..year(s)

• .minus..month(s)

• .minus..week(s)

• .minus..day(s)