[[validate-eip]]
== Validate EIP
*Available as of Camel 2.3* +

Validate uses an expression or predicates to validate the contents of a message.
It is useful for ensuring that messages are valid before attempting to process them.
You can use the validate DSL with all kind of Predicates and Expressions.
Validate evaluates the Predicate/Expression and if it is false a `PredicateValidationException` is thrown.
If it is true message processing continues.

=== Options

// eip options: START
The Validate EIP has no options.
// eip options: END

=== Samples

The route below will read the file contents and validate them against a regular expression.

[source,java]
----
from("file://inbox")
  .validate(body(String.class).regex("^\\w{10}\\,\\d{2}\\,\\w{24}$"))
  .to("bean:MyServiceBean.processLine");
----

Validate EIP is not limited to the message body. You can also validate the message header.

[source,java]
----
from("file://inbox")
  .validate(header("bar").isGreaterThan(100))
  .to("bean:MyServiceBean.processLine");
----

You can also use validate together with simple.

[source,java]
----
from("file://inbox")
  .validate(simple("${in.header.bar} == 100"))
  .to("bean:MyServiceBean.processLine");
----

To use validate in the Spring DSL, the easiest way is to use simple expressions.

[source,xml]
----
<route>
  <from uri="file://inbox"/>
  <validate>
    <simple>${body} regex ^\\w{10}\\,\\d{2}\\,\\w{24}$</simple>
  </validate>
  <beanRef ref="myServiceBean" method="processLine"/>
</route>

<bean id="myServiceBean" class="com.mycompany.MyServiceBean"/>
----

The XML DSL to validate the message header would looks like this:

[source,xml]
----
<route>
  <from uri="file://inbox"/>
  <validate>
    <simple>${in.header.bar} == 100</simple>
  </validate>
  <beanRef ref="myServiceBean" method="processLine"/>
</route>

<bean id="myServiceBean" class="com.mycompany.MyServiceBean"/>
----
