Let's take it one step further and make the Map a 1st-class object.
After all, shouldn't all knowledge of how to recognize a driver's
license be localized to a single class? Then the external interface can
be a simple as isValidLicense( state, licenseString );
Max Cooper wrote:
>I agree that reflection is not a good solution here, but does have useful
>application in general (but it isn't needed here, so don't use it). Use a
>singleton or a statically-initialized Map to look up the patterns based on
>the state. Save yourself some time by putting Patterns in the map,
>identified by the state represented as a String.
>
>patternMap.add("AK", Pattern.compile("^[0-9]{1,7}$"));
>
>Put the map in its own class (perhaps a singleton), so you would get
>patterns from it with a call like one of these:
>
>Pattern pattern = LicensePatterns.getInstance().getPattern(licenseState);
>
>-or-
>
>Pattern pattern = LicensePatterns.getPattern(licenseState);
>
>Putting the patterns is a Properties file seems like a good idea, too. How
>often do the patterns change? Perhaps you could add a refresh() method to
>the singleton class to reload the patterns from the properties file if you
>anticipate that they will change while the app is supposed to be running.
>This is usually the case, but it is often overlooked when setting such
>"constants".
>
>-Max
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jerry Jalenak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 7:49 AM
>Subject: [OT - Java] How can I do this in Java?
>
>
>
>
>>OK - off topic, but Sun's java forum sucks, and there are an incredible
>>number of Java guru's on this list, so I thought I'd throw this out here.
>>(That and I am using this in a custom validation routine :-)) Any help
>>would be GREATLY appreciated!
>>
>>Here's the scenario - I've got a series of static constants that represent
>>Java regular expressions. These RE's are used to validate driver license
>>formats for the 50 states + DC. The strings look like this:
>>
>>public static final String AK = "^[0-9]{1,7}$";
>>public static final String AL = "^[0-9]{7}$";
>>public static final String AR = "^[0-9]{8,9}$";
>>public static final String AZ =
>>"^[0-9ABDY][0-9]{8}$|^[A-Z][0-9]{3,6}$|^[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{3,5}$";
>>public static final String CA = "^[A-Z][0-9]{4,7}$";
>>public static final String CO =
>>"^[A-Z][0-9]{1,6}$|^[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{1,6}$|^[0-9]{9}$";
>>etc. etc. etc.
>>
>>On my form I have a drop-down box of states, and a field for the license
>>number. In my custom validator routine, I pick up the value of the state,
>>and build a string to represent the constant - i.e.
>>
>>private static boolean validateDriversLicenseNumber(String
>>licenseState, String licenseNumber)
>>{
>>String licenseConstant = "Constants." + licenseState;
>>
>>I then want to use "licenseConstant" in a Pattern / Match:
>>
>>Pattern p = Pattern.compile(licenseConstant,
>>Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
>>Match m = p.matcher(licenseNumber);
>>return (m.find());
>>}
>>
>>Obviously the line "String licenseConstant = "Constants." + licenseState;"
>>does not give me the value of Constant.<state name>; the question I have
>>
>>
>is,
>
>
>>is there a method (or something) that will allow me to build such a
>>
>>
>string,
>
>
>>and return the value (i.e. the regular expression)? Or is there a better
>>way of doing this?
>>
>>TIA!
>>
>>Jerry Jalenak
>>Web Publishing
>>LabOne, Inc.
>>10101 Renner Blvd.
>>Lenexa, KS 66219
>>(913) 577-1496
>>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>
>>This transmission (and any information attached to it) may be confidential
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