I am letting the user type in an email on the the screen to add to the Mailing List.

       /**
         * The email address
         */
        @In @Out
        String email;

I am processing the simple string that comes back... and if its ok then adding to the list.

       @TransactionAttribute(TransactionAttributeType.REQUIRED)
        public String addToList() {
            log.info("Email to be added " + email);
            
            InvalidValue[] invalidValues = Validators.instance().getValidator(MailingListEntry.class).getPotentialInvalidValues(email, email);
            if (invalidValues.length != 0) {
                facesMessages.addToControlFromResourceBundle(invalidValues[0].getPropertyName(), FacesMessage.SEVERITY_ERROR, invalidValues[0].getMessage());
            } else {                
                    Query query = em.createQuery("from MailingListEntry m where m.email = :email").setParameter("email", email);
                    if (query.getResultList().isEmpty()) {
                                log.info("Email not found in DBase.");
                                MailingListEntry mailingListEntry = new MailingListEntry();
                                mailingListEntry.setEmail(email);
                                try {
                                        em.persist(mailingListEntry);
                                } catch (InvalidStateException ise) {
                                        facesMessages.addToControlFromResourceBundle("mailingListEmailAddress", FacesMessage.SEVERITY_ERROR, "mailing_list_email_invalid");
                                }
                                facesMessages.addToControlFromResourceBundle("mailingListEmailAddress", FacesMessage.SEVERITY_INFO, "mailing_list_email_added");
                        } else {
                                log.info("Email already exists.");
                                facesMessages.addToControlFromResourceBundle("mailingListEmailAddress", FacesMessage.SEVERITY_ERROR, "mailing_list_already_created");
                        }
            }
            return null;
    }

As you can see I have tried to use the Validator routine, to help validate it to no avail... (validation using Hib's Email one)

    @NotNull(message="required")
    @Email
    public String getEmail() {
        return email;
    }

    public void setEmail(String email) {
        this.email = email;
    }

SO as you ALSO see I though well just catch the exception when it fails to be added to DBase..

but I get this:

01:17:36,728 ERROR [AssertionFailure] an assertion failure occured (this may indicate a bug in Hibernate, but is more likely due to unsafe use of the session)
org.hibernate.AssertionFailure: null id in nz.co.selwynequestriancentre.model.entity.MailingListEntry entry (don't flush the Session after an exception occurs)
        at org.hibernate.event.def.DefaultFlushEntityEventListener.checkId(DefaultFlushEntityEventListener.java:55)

Humm... any ideas?