Release 4B

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v4.3.0: R4B - STU). The current version which supercedes this version is 5.0.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions . Page versions: R5 R4B R4 R3 R2

Operation-resource-validate.xml

FHIR Infrastructure Work GroupMaturity Level: N/AStandards Status: Informative

Raw XML (canonical form + also see XML Format Specification)

Operation Definition

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<OperationDefinition xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <id value="Resource-validate"/> 
  <text> 
    <status value="extensions"/> 
    <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
      <h2> Validate</h2> 
      <p> OPERATION: Validate</p> 
      <p> The official URL for this operation definition is: </p> 
      <pre> http://hl7.org/fhir/OperationDefinition/Resource-validate</pre> 
      <div> 
        <p> The validate operation checks whether the attached content would be acceptable either
           generally, as a create, an update or as a delete to an existing resource.  The action
           the server takes depends on the mode parameter:</p> 

        <ul> 

          <li> [mode not provided]: The server checks the content of the resource against any schema,
             constraint rules, and other general terminology rules</li> 

          <li> create: The server checks the content, and then checks that the content would be acceptable
             as a create (e.g. that the content would not violate any uniqueness constraints)</li> 

          <li> update: The server checks the content, and then checks that it would accept it as an update
             against the nominated specific resource (e.g. that there are no changes to immutable fields
             the server does not allow to change, and checking version integrity if appropriate)</li> 

          <li> delete: The server ignores the content, and checks that the nominated resource is allowed
             to be deleted (e.g. checking referential integrity rules)</li> 

        </ul> 

        <p> Modes update and delete can only be used when the operation is invoked at the resource
           instance level.   The return from this operation is an 
          <a href="operationoutcome.html">OperationOutcome</a> 
        </p> 

        <p> Note that this operation is not the only way to validate resources - see 
          <a href="validation.html">Validating Resources</a>  for further information.
        </p> 

      </div> 
      <p> URL: [base]/Resource/$validate</p> 
      <p> URL: [base]/Resource/[id]/$validate</p> 
      <p> Parameters</p> 
      <table class="grid">
        <tr> 
          <td> 
            <b> Use</b> 
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <b> Name</b> 
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <b> Cardinality</b> 
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <b> Type</b> 
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <b> Binding</b> 
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <b> Documentation</b> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 
        <tr> 
          <td> IN</td> 
          <td> resource</td> 
          <td> 0..1</td> 
          <td> 
            <a href="resource.html">Resource</a> 
          </td> 
          <td/>  
          <td> 
            <div> 
              <p> Must be present unless the mode is &quot;delete&quot;</p> 

            </div> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 
        <tr> 
          <td> IN</td> 
          <td> mode</td> 
          <td> 0..1</td> 
          <td> 
            <a href="datatypes.html#code">code</a> 
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <a href="valueset-resource-validation-mode.html">http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/resource-validation-mode|4.3.0</a>  (Required)
          </td> 
          <td> 
            <div> 
              <p> Default is 'no action'; (e.g. general validation)</p> 

            </div> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 
        <tr> 
          <td> IN</td> 
          <td> profile</td> 
          <td> 0..1</td> 
          <td> 
            <a href="datatypes.html#canonical">canonical</a> 
          </td> 
          <td/>  
          <td> 
            <div> 
              <p> If this is nominated, then the resource is validated against this specific profile. If
                 a profile is nominated, and the server cannot validate against the nominated profile,
                 it SHALL return an error</p> 

            </div> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 
        <tr> 
          <td> OUT</td> 
          <td> return</td> 
          <td> 1..1</td> 
          <td> 
            <a href="operationoutcome.html">OperationOutcome</a> 
          </td> 
          <td/>  
          <td> 
            <div> 
              <p> If the operation outcome does not list any errors, and a mode was specified, then this
                 is an indication that the operation would be expected to succeed (excepting for transactional
                 integrity issues, see below)</p> 

            </div> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 
      </table> 
      <div> 
        <p> This operation may be used during design and development to validate application design.
           It can also be used at run-time. One possible use might be that a client asks the server
           whether a proposed update is valid as the user is editing a dialog and displays an updated
           error to the user. The operation can be used as part of a light-weight two phase commit
           protocol but there is no expectation that the server will hold the content of the resource
           after this operation is used, or that the server guarantees to successfully perform an
           actual create, update or delete after the validation operation completes.</p> 

        <p> This operation returns a 200 OK whether or not the resource is valid. A 4xx or 5xx error
           means that the validation itself could not be performed, and it is unknown whether the
           resource is valid or not.</p> 

        <p> Note: the correct behaviour of validation with regard to language (especially for Coding.display)
           is currently undefined, and further development and testing may lead to specific requirements
           or recommendations in subsequent releases</p> 

        <p> Future versions of this specifcation may add additional validation parameters. A candidate
           list is maintained with the 
          <a href="https://confluence.hl7.org/display/FHIR/Using+the+FHIR+Validator">FHIR Validator Documentation</a> 
        </p> 

      </div> 
    </div> 
  </text> 
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fmm">
    <valueInteger value="5"/> 
  </extension> 
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status">
    <valueCode value="normative"/> 
  </extension> 
  <url value="http://hl7.org/fhir/OperationDefinition/Resource-validate"/> 
  <version value="4.3.0"/> 
  <name value="Validate"/> 
  <title value="Validate a resource"/> 
  <status value="active"/> 
  <kind value="operation"/> 
  <experimental value="false"/> 
  <date value="2022-05-28T12:47:40+10:00"/> 
  <publisher value="HL7 (FHIR Project)"/> 
  <contact> 
    <telecom> 
      <system value="url"/> 
      <value value="http://hl7.org/fhir"/> 
    </telecom> 
    <telecom> 
      <system value="email"/> 
      <value value="fhir@lists.hl7.org"/> 
    </telecom> 
  </contact> 
  <description value="The validate operation checks whether the attached content would be acceptable either
   generally, as a create, an update or as a delete to an existing resource.  The action
   the server takes depends on the mode parameter:  

* [mode not provided]: The server checks the content of the resource against any schema,
   constraint rules, and other general terminology rules 
* create: The server checks the content, and then checks that the content would be acceptable
   as a create (e.g. that the content would not violate any uniqueness constraints) 
* update: The server checks the content, and then checks that it would accept it as an
   update against the nominated specific resource (e.g. that there are no changes to immutable
   fields the server does not allow to change, and checking version integrity if appropriate)
   
* delete: The server ignores the content, and checks that the nominated resource is allowed
   to be deleted (e.g. checking referential integrity rules)  

Modes update and delete can only be used when the operation is invoked at the resource
   instance level.   The return from this operation is an [OperationOutcome](operationoutcome.html)

Note that this operation is not the only way to validate resources - see [Validating Resources](vali
  dation.html) for further information."/> 
  <affectsState value="false"/> 
  <code value="validate"/> 
  <comment value="This operation may be used during design and development to validate application design.
   It can also be used at run-time. One possible use might be that a client asks the server
   whether a proposed update is valid as the user is editing a dialog and displays an updated
   error to the user. The operation can be used as part of a light-weight two phase commit
   protocol but there is no expectation that the server will hold the content of the resource
   after this operation is used, or that the server guarantees to successfully perform an
   actual create, update or delete after the validation operation completes.

This operation returns a 200 OK whether or not the resource is valid. A 4xx or 5xx error
   means that the validation itself could not be performed, and it is unknown whether the
   resource is valid or not.

Note: the correct behaviour of validation with regard to language (especially for Coding.display)
   is currently undefined, and further development and testing may lead to specific requirements
   or recommendations in subsequent releases

Future versions of this specifcation may add additional validation parameters. A candidate
   list is maintained with the [FHIR Validator Documentation](https://confluence.hl7.org/display/FHIR/U
  sing+the+FHIR+Validator)"/> 
  <resource value="Resource"/> 
  <system value="false"/> 
  <type value="true"/> 
  <instance value="true"/> 
  <parameter> 
    <name value="resource"/> 
    <use value="in"/> 
    <min value="0"/> 
    <max value="1"/> 
    <documentation value="Must be present unless the mode is &quot;delete&quot;"/> 
    <type value="Resource"/> 
  </parameter> 
  <parameter> 
    <name value="mode"/> 
    <use value="in"/> 
    <min value="0"/> 
    <max value="1"/> 
    <documentation value="Default is 'no action'; (e.g. general validation)"/> 
    <type value="code"/> 
    <binding> 
      <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-bindingName">
        <valueString value="ResourceValidationMode"/> 
      </extension> 
      <strength value="required"/> 
      <valueSet value="http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/resource-validation-mode|4.3.0"/> 
    </binding> 
  </parameter> 
  <parameter> 
    <name value="profile"/> 
    <use value="in"/> 
    <min value="0"/> 
    <max value="1"/> 
    <documentation value="If this is nominated, then the resource is validated against this specific profile. If
     a profile is nominated, and the server cannot validate against the nominated profile,
     it SHALL return an error"/> 
    <type value="canonical"/> 
  </parameter> 
  <parameter> 
    <name value="return"/> 
    <use value="out"/> 
    <min value="1"/> 
    <max value="1"/> 
    <documentation value="If the operation outcome does not list any errors, and a mode was specified, then this
     is an indication that the operation would be expected to succeed (excepting for transactional
     integrity issues, see below)"/> 
    <type value="OperationOutcome"/> 
  </parameter> 
</OperationDefinition> 

Usage note: every effort has been made to ensure that the examples are correct and useful, but they are not a normative part of the specification.