Pega Edit validate and Edit Input

Two rule types with almost the same name cause a lot of confusion: Edit Input and Edit Validate. Both belong to the Property category and both are small Java routines, but they do different jobs.

Edit Input (Rule-Edit-Input)

An Edit Input rule converts what the user typed into the form Pega stores. It is a conversion facility. It does not say whether the value is right or wrong, it just reshapes it.

Examples: turn " ramesh " into RAMESH, strip the dashes from a phone number, or change 25/12/2026 into the stored date format.

Edit Validate (Rule-Edit-Validate)

An Edit Validate rule tests whether a value is acceptable. It is a Java routine that returns true or false, and when it returns false Pega adds an error message to the property. Use it where a plain data type or a required flag is not enough.

Examples: a National ID checksum, a bank sort code format, or a rule that a number must be a multiple of 5.

Side by side

	Edit Input	Edit Validate
Purpose	Convert or clean the entered value	Check that the value is valid
Result	A changed value	Pass or fail with a message
Runs	When the value is entered	When the value is validated, for example through a Validate rule or the Property-Validate method
Example	Trim and upper-case a code	Reject an invalid sort code

A worked example

A bank captures a sort code such as 12-34-56 in a Pega form.

An Edit Input rule removes spaces and dashes, so 12 34-56 becomes 123456 before it is stored.
An Edit Validate rule then checks that the result has exactly six digits and that the first two are a known bank prefix. If not, the user sees "Enter a valid sort code".

Together they give clean data and clear errors. Attach both to the same property so every form using it behaves the same way.

Tips

Keep the Java short and side-effect free. These routines run often.
Prefer built-in property types, formats and "required" first. Write an Edit Validate only when they cannot express the rule.
Test with blank, too short, too long and unexpected-character inputs.

Related: Client and server side validation and the Validate label.