Data source template validation error was actually meant as Data Input Method validation error.

[bikeshoe]

Describe the bug

I am using cacti 1.2.30
When creating a new data source template using a custom data input method, the data source template gives an error on saving: Save Failed due to field input errors (Check red fields), but nothing is actually highlighted in red. I checked the browser console for javascript or other errors and found nothing.

The real problem was that the "Special Input Type" was missing from the Data Input Method form.

To Reproduce

See screenshots

Expected behavior

If the "Special Input Type" is required, the form validation error should be displayed when defining the Data Input Method.

If there is no field highlighted in red, the error message should refer to the source problem if it can. If the "Special Input Type is required, then show that if possible.

Screenshots

The initial error

I can enter a name for the data source, and the inputs options are correctly added to the Output field menu, but on saving it gives the error and reverts to "ds" and no input (see above screenshot)

Here is the input method:

I found the missing data in the Data Input Method and I can now save the data source template, but the error is still a bit misleading.

The only input is host, which I selected from the drop down menu, but I did not also type in "hostname" in the Special Type Code field.

With "hostname" entered in the input template, the data source template will now save.

Cacti seemed to know there was an item missing, and it might have even known what it was, but the error message provided did not include that information so it was hard to know how to resolve this.

Desktop (please complete the following information)

• OS: Linux/Ubuntu
• Browser: Firefox
• Version 149.0.2

Additional context

Referred here from the cacti forum.

[TheWitness]

Oh, that's very interesting.

[TheWitness]

Yea, I think that if the data input column is there on the input string <hostname>, it should be expected that:

1. The user be prompted for that value at Data Source/Graph creation time.
2. It be a Special Type code.

I have not run a QA of that failure mode in quite a long time. I guess Cacti could attempt to 'guess' if it's a special type code. We will look into it though and see if we could make it less error prone.

[bikeshoe]

Thanks so much for looking into it.
Let me know if there's any more information I can provide.