If the validation is needed to ensure referential integrity, etc, then it belongs in the database. Otherwise, it belongs in a business object.


>Just a question to get fuel for my upcoming debate. What is the best place to do data validation, a database procedure or in each disparate application that accesses the data or somewhere else? The validation I am referring goes like this...
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>We have an activity table with millions of records that determines on what day we automatically generate a fax or an email. We have another table that holds all of the email addresses and fax numbers, also millions of records. We have another table that holds the company and another table that holds the contact for that company. Each company may or may not have a contact and each company/contact may or may not have a fax number or email address.
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>The validation that needs to be put in place, for example, is that a "fax activity" should not be allowed to be inserted into the activity table by the user or by script if the company/contact doesn't have a fax number. Same with emails. Where should the validation occur for this?
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>TIA for everyone's insight.