added validation hints support to ValidationUtils as well (SPR-7847)

org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/DataBinder.java

@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@ public class DataBinder implements PropertyEditorRegistry, TypeConverter {
 	 */
 	public void validate(Object... validationHints) {
 		Validator validator = getValidator();
-		if (validator instanceof SmartValidator) {
+		if (!ObjectUtils.isEmpty(validationHints) && validator instanceof SmartValidator) {
 			((SmartValidator) validator).validate(getTarget(), getBindingResult(), validationHints);
 		}
 		else if (validator != null) {

org.springframework.context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/ValidationUtils.java

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2007 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2011 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
 import org.springframework.util.Assert;
+import org.springframework.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
 /**
@@ -46,11 +47,26 @@ public abstract class ValidationUtils {
 	 * @param validator the <code>Validator</code> to be invoked (must not be <code>null</code>)
 	 * @param obj the object to bind the parameters to
 	 * @param errors the {@link Errors} instance that should store the errors (must not be <code>null</code>)
-	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if either of the <code>Validator</code> or <code>Errors</code> arguments is <code>null</code>;
-	 * or if the supplied <code>Validator</code> does not {@link Validator#supports(Class) support}
+	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if either of the <code>Validator</code> or <code>Errors</code> arguments is
+	 * <code>null</code>, or if the supplied <code>Validator</code> does not {@link Validator#supports(Class) support}
 	 * the validation of the supplied object's type
 	 */
 	public static void invokeValidator(Validator validator, Object obj, Errors errors) {
+		invokeValidator(validator, obj, errors, (Class[]) null);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Invoke the given {@link Validator}/{@link SmartValidator} for the supplied object and
+	 * {@link Errors} instance.
+	 * @param validator the <code>Validator</code> to be invoked (must not be <code>null</code>)
+	 * @param obj the object to bind the parameters to
+	 * @param errors the {@link Errors} instance that should store the errors (must not be <code>null</code>)
+	 * @param validationHints one or more hint objects to be passed to the validation engine
+	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException if either of the <code>Validator</code> or <code>Errors</code> arguments is
+	 * <code>null</code>, or if the supplied <code>Validator</code> does not {@link Validator#supports(Class) support}
+	 * the validation of the supplied object's type
+	 */
+	public static void invokeValidator(Validator validator, Object obj, Errors errors, Object... validationHints) {
 		Assert.notNull(validator, "Validator must not be null");
 		Assert.notNull(errors, "Errors object must not be null");
 		if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
@@ -60,7 +76,12 @@ public abstract class ValidationUtils {
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException(
 					"Validator [" + validator.getClass() + "] does not support [" + obj.getClass() + "]");
 		}
+		if (!ObjectUtils.isEmpty(validationHints) && validator instanceof SmartValidator) {
+			((SmartValidator) validator).validate(obj, errors, validationHints);
+		}
+		else {
 			validator.validate(obj, errors);
+		}
 		if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
 			if (errors.hasErrors()) {
 				logger.debug("Validator found " + errors.getErrorCount() + " errors");