private Sample feedSampleData(Sample sample) throws Exception { sample.setProjectId(projectId); sample.setProjectName(projectName); // set project level by adding 1 to selected parent project's level if (sample.getParentSampleName() == null || sample.getParentSampleName().equals("0")) sample.setParentSampleName(null); String parentSampleName = sample.getParentSampleName(); if (parentSampleName != null && !parentSampleName.isEmpty() && !parentSampleName.equals("0")) { Sample selectedParentSample = readPersister.getSample(projectId, parentSampleName); sample.setSampleLevel(selectedParentSample.getSampleLevel() + 1); } else { sample.setParentSampleId(null); sample.setSampleLevel(1); } return sample; }