[CST-4039] Patch Add entire array with virtual values does not work

dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/ItemServiceImpl.java

@@ -1363,7 +1363,7 @@ prevent the generation of resource policy entry values with null dspace_object a
      * Supports moving metadata by adding the metadata value or updating the place of the relationship
      */
     @Override
-    public void moveSingleMetadataValue(Context context, Item dso, int place, MetadataValue rr) {
+    protected void moveSingleMetadataValue(Context context, Item dso, int place, MetadataValue rr) {
         if (rr instanceof RelationshipMetadataValue) {
             try {
                 //Retrieve the applicable relationship

dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/DSpaceObjectService.java

@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ public interface DSpaceObjectService<T extends DSpaceObject> {
                              String lang, String value) throws SQLException;
 
     /**
-     * Add a single metadata field at the given place position.
+     * Add a single metadata value at the given place position.
      *
      * @param context    DSpace context
      * @param dso        DSpaceObject

dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/service/ItemService.java

@@ -741,13 +741,4 @@ public interface ItemService
     public List<MetadataValue> getMetadata(Item item, String schema, String element, String qualifier,
                                            String lang, boolean enableVirtualMetadata);
 
-    /**
-     * 
-     * @param context DSpace context object
-     * @param item Item
-     * @param place new metadata position
-     * @param rr MetadataValue to move
-     */
-    public void moveSingleMetadataValue(Context context, Item item, int place, MetadataValue rr);
-
 }

dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/submit/factory/impl/ItemMetadataValueAddPatchOperation.java

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
+import org.dspace.app.rest.exception.UnprocessableEntityException;
 import org.dspace.app.rest.model.MetadataValueRest;
 import org.dspace.app.rest.model.patch.LateObjectEvaluator;
 import org.dspace.authorize.AuthorizeException;
@@ -76,6 +78,12 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  */
 public class ItemMetadataValueAddPatchOperation extends MetadataValueAddPatchOperation<Item> {
 
+    /**
+     * log4j category
+     */
+    private static final Logger log =
+            org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager.getLogger(ItemMetadataValueAddPatchOperation.class);
+
     @Autowired
     ItemService itemService;
 
@@ -154,20 +162,21 @@ public class ItemMetadataValueAddPatchOperation extends MetadataValueAddPatchOpe
 
         // if a virtual value is present in the list, it must be present in preExistentRelationships too.
         // (with this operator virtual value can only be moved or deleted).
-        // a not present virtual value will be discarded
         int idx = 0;
         for (MetadataValueRest ll : list) {
             if (StringUtils.startsWith(ll.getAuthority(), Constants.VIRTUAL_AUTHORITY_PREFIX)) {
 
-                Optional<MetadataValue> preExistentMvr = preExistentMetadata.stream().filter(mvr ->
+                Optional<MetadataValue> preExistentMv = preExistentMetadata.stream().filter(mvr ->
                     StringUtils.equals(ll.getAuthority(), mvr.getAuthority())).findFirst();
 
-                if (!preExistentMvr.isPresent()) {
+                if (!preExistentMv.isPresent()) {
-                    idx++;
+                    throw new UnprocessableEntityException(
-                    continue;
+                            "Relationship with authority=" + ll.getAuthority() + " not found");
                 }
 
-                this.itemService.moveSingleMetadataValue(context, source, idx, preExistentMvr.get());
+                final RelationshipMetadataValue rmv = (RelationshipMetadataValue) preExistentMv.get();
+                final Relationship rel = preExistentRelationships.get(rmv.getRelationshipId());
+                this.updateRelationshipPlace(context, source, idx, rel);
 
             } else {
                 getDSpaceObjectService()
@@ -201,6 +210,22 @@ public class ItemMetadataValueAddPatchOperation extends MetadataValueAddPatchOpe
         return relId;
     }
 
+    private void updateRelationshipPlace(Context context, Item dso, int place, Relationship rs) {
+
+        try {
+            if (rs.getLeftItem() == dso) {
+                rs.setLeftPlace(place);
+            } else {
+                rs.setRightPlace(place);
+            }
+            relationshipService.update(context, rs);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            //should not occur, otherwise metadata can't be updated either
+            log.error("An error occurred while moving " + rs.getID() + " for item " + dso.getID(), e);
+        }
+
+    }
+
     @Override
     protected ItemService getDSpaceObjectService() {
         return itemService;

dspace-server-webapp/src/test/java/org/dspace/app/rest/PatchMetadataIT.java

@@ -1191,6 +1191,36 @@ public class PatchMetadataIT extends AbstractEntityIntegrationTest {
 
     }
 
+    /**
+     * This test will overwrite all authors (dc.contributor.author) of a workspace publication's "traditionalpageone"
+     * section using a PATCH add with an array composed by only a not existent virtual metadata.
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void patchAddAllAuthorsOnTraditionalPageNotExistentRelationTest() throws  Exception {
+
+        initPersonPublicationWorkspace();
+
+        List<Operation> ops = new ArrayList<Operation>();
+        List<MetadataValueRest> value = new ArrayList<MetadataValueRest>();
+
+        MetadataValueRest mrv = new MetadataValueRest();
+        value.add(mrv);
+        mrv.setValue("Dumbar, John");
+        mrv.setAuthority("virtual::" + Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+
+        AddOperation add = new AddOperation("/sections/traditionalpageone/dc.contributor.author", value);
+        ops.add(add);
+        String patchBody = getPatchContent(ops);
+
+        String token = getAuthToken(admin.getEmail(), password);
+
+        getClient(token).perform(patch("/api/submission/workspaceitems/" + publicationItem.getID())
+                                         .content(patchBody)
+                                         .contentType(javax.ws.rs.core.MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_PATCH_JSON))
+                        .andExpect(status().isUnprocessableEntity());
+
+    }
+
     /**
      * This method moves an author (dc.contributor.author) within a workspace publication's "traditionalpageone"
      * section from position "from" to "path" using a PATCH request and verifies the order of the authors within the