Introduction
Are you frustrated with the error-provider. All you want is just one method that allows you to validate your entire form at once before you submit. Here it is...
Background
I have a general method that is probably similar to everyone elses. I have a grid, and then you open up a form to add/edit an object. You need to validate that the information was entered and it was entered correctly.
The problem with me.validate() is that is only validates the last focused control. ValidateChildren seemed like a viable solution, but it didn't validate everything for me either.
So I was left with what .Net provided, and made a simple class to take advantage of how it wanted to work. If it wanted to validate after each control lost focus, then I would just loop through all the controls and give it focus, and call validate. This worked great until I started including tabcontrols on forms, and then I found out that it would only validate properly for the tab page that was currently selected. I had to go back and add a special condition for this case. I use devexpresses control set, so my special case is that tab control, but with another couple lines of code, you can make it handle any special case such as the windows tab control, possibly split containers, etc.
Using the code
Put an ErrorProvider on each form. I like to name mine ErrorProvider on every form so I don't have to change stuff in each code. Turn autovalidate to "enable allow focus change" for the best user experience.
Put an e.cancel = false in the FormClosing event so that the cancel button, and the x button at the top of the form works even when the form isn't validated.
Make sure your save button has causesvalidation = true along with any control you want to validate. This is the default I believe. Make sure other buttons, especially the cancel button has causesvalidation=false so that they won't validate.
Then once you're in the habit of doing that on each form, you can use the template below and some copy and pasting to put validators in for each control you want to validate, and then when you hit your save button... You just have to call "If Validation.FormIsValid Then..." and your entire form is validated in one statement.
It is just that easy... I like Asp.Nets method better, but with this class, you can live with it and maybe even love it.....
// Here is some code on the form that will help you out...
Private Sub frmCompany_FormClosing(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles Me.FormClosing
Try
e.Cancel = False
Catch ex As Exception
Errors.HandleError(ex)
End Try
End Sub
Private Sub txtName_Validating(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs) Handles txtName.Validating
Try
If Not txtName.Text.Length > 0 Then
ErrorProvider.SetError(txtName, "You must include a name.")
e.Cancel = True
Else
ErrorProvider.SetError(txtName, String.Empty)
End If
Catch ex As Exception
Errors.HandleError(ex)
End Try
End Sub
End Class
// Here is the code for the class
Imports DevExpress.XtraTab
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Windows.Forms.Form
Public Class Validation
#Region "Public Shared Methods"
Public Shared Function FormIsValid(ByRef objForm As Form) As Boolean
Dim Valid As Boolean = True
Validate(objForm, objForm.Controls, Valid)
objForm.Focus()
If Not objForm.Validate Then Valid = False
Return Valid
End Function
Public Shared Function FormIsValid(ByRef objform As Form, ByRef TopLevelControl As Control) As Boolean
Dim Valid As Boolean = True
Validate(objform, TopLevelControl.Controls, Valid)
objform.Focus()
If Not objform.Validate Then Valid = False
Return Valid
End Function
Private Shared Sub Validate(ByRef objForm As Form, ByRef objControls As System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlCollection, ByRef Valid As Boolean)
For Each objControl As Control In objControls
If Not TypeOf objControl Is RadioButton Then
objControl.Focus()
If Not objForm.Validate() Then Valid = False
If TypeOf objControl Is XtraTabControl Then
Dim TabControl As XtraTabControl = objControl
Dim Index As Integer = TabControl.SelectedTabPageIndex
For Each objTab As XtraTabPage In TabControl.TabPages
TabControl.SelectedTabPage = objTab
Validate(objForm, objTab.Controls, Valid)
Next
TabControl.SelectedTabPageIndex = Index
ElseIf objControl.HasChildren Then
Validate(objForm, objControl.Controls, Valid)
End If
End If
Next
End Sub
#End Region
End Class