jQuery Validation Styles

• Download JQueryValidationStyles.zip - 515.2 KB

Introduction 

This application makes simple client side form validation with the help of jQuery plugins. Here I would like to show different validation style of jQuery with basic sample of HTML and jQuery.

I have published article at http://saffroze.com/jquery-validation-styles/

Background  

ASP.NET MVC 3 uses jQuery validation for form validations and jQuery validation library has a remote validation feature, using this feature by ASP.NET MVC libraries is really easy you can find more about it http://docs.jquery.com/Plugins/validation.

• Every validation attribute has a ToJson method which serializes attributes into a dictionary
  
  C#

  $("#form").validate({
   
  rules: {
   
  firstname: { required: true, minlength: 5, maxlength: 10 },
   
  lastname: { required: true, minlength: 5, maxlength: 10 },
   
  email: { required: true, email: true },
   
  mobile: { required: true, digits: true, minlength: 10, maxlength: 10 }
   
  }
   
  });

• All error labels are displayed inside an unordered list with the ID “validationSummary” Additonal container for error messages. The elements given as the “errorContainer” are all shown and hidden when errors occur.
  
  C#

  errorContainer: "#validationSummary"

• The error labels themselve are added to the element(s) given as errorLabelContainer, here an unordered list.
  
  C#

  errorLabelContainer: "#validationSummary ul"

• Therefore the error labels are also wrapped into li elements (wrapper option).
  wrapper: “li”
• A custom message display handler. Gets the map of errors as the first argument and and array of errors as the second, called in the context of the validator object.
  
  C#

  showErrors: function (errorMap, errorList) {
  .
  .
  .
  } 

Implementation 

This code demonstrates a basic jQuery validation sample, jQuery Validate plugins validates the form before it submitted, if form is valid it submits the form, otherwise form doesn’t get submitted.

1. Include jQuery Plugin and Validations scripts into your page.
   

   <script type="text/javascript" src="../../Scripts/jquery.validate.js">&lt;/script>
   
       &lt;script type="text/javascript" src="../../Scripts/jquery-ui-1.8.11.js">&lt;/script> 

2. Add following script in your page. It is very descriptive so no need to explain each and every lines.
   
   JavaScript

       $(document).ready(function () {
           //Set border color when text class getting focus or remove border color when lost focus from textbox.
           $('.text')
           .focus(function () { $('.text').removeClass('focused'); $(this).addClass('focused'); })
           .blur(function () { $(this).removeClass('focused'); });
    
           //Fire validation events
           $("#form").validate({
    
               //Setting validation type like, Required, Minimum or Maximum Length, Data Type etc.
               rules: {
                   firstname: { required: true, minlength: 5, maxlength: 10 },
                   lastname: { required: true, minlength: 5, maxlength: 10 },
                   email: { required: true, email: true },
                   mobile: { required: true, digits: true, minlength: 10, maxlength: 10 }
               },
    
               //All error labels are displayed inside an unordered list with the ID "validationSummary"
               //Additonal container for error messages. The elements given as the "errorContainer" are all shown and hidden when errors occur.
               errorContainer: "#validationSummary",
    
               //But the error labels themselve are added to the element(s) given as errorLabelContainer, here an unordered list.
               errorLabelContainer: "#validationSummary ul",
    
               //Therefore the error labels are also wrapped into li elements (wrapper option).
               wrapper: "li",
    
               //A custom message display handler. Gets the map of errors as the first argument and and array of errors as the second, 
               //called in the context of the validator object.
               showErrors: function (errorMap, errorList) {
                   $('.errorList').hide();
                   $('.inlineMessage').hide();
                   $('#validationSummary').hide();
                   var messages = "";
                   $.each(errorList, function (index, value) {
                       var id = $(value.element).attr('id');
                       messages += "<span>" + (index + 1) + ". <a title='click to view field' href='javascript:setFocus(" + id + ");'>[" + $(value.element).attr('name') + "]</a> " + value.message + "</span>
   ";
                   });
                   messages = "
    
    
   <div class='errorWrapper'>
    
    
   <h1>Please correct following errors:</h1>
    
   " + messages + "</div>
    
   ";
                   switch ($('input[name=DisplayType]:checked', '#form').val()) {
                       case "Popup":
    
                           //Showing validation summary in Popup window
                           $('#dialog-validation').html(messages);
                           $('#dialog-validation').dialog('open');
                           break;
                       case "Summary List":
    
                           //Showing validation summary in list of the same page
                           $('#summary-validation').html(messages);
                           $('#summary-validation').show("fast");
                           break;
                       case "Inline":
    
                           //Showing validation in inline format
                           $.each(errorList, function (index, item) {
                               $(item.element).next('div').html("<span style='font-weight:bold'>[" + $(item.element).attr('name') + "]</span> " + item.message);
                               $(item.element).next('div').show("fast");
                           });
                           break;
                   }
               },
    
               //If all validations are successfully validate then execute submitHandler function
               submitHandler: function () {
                   $('#summary-validation').empty();
                   $('#dialog-validation').empty();
                   alert("All fields are valid!")
               }
           })
    
           //jQuery Modal Dialog boxes can also use to display list of validation erorrs.
           $("#dialog-validation").dialog({
               resizable: false,
               height: 190,
               width: 350,
               modal: true,
               autoOpen: false,
               title: "Validation Errors",
               buttons: {
                   "Ok": function () {
                       $(this).dialog("close");
                       $('.focused').focus();
                   }
               }
           });
       });
    
       //If validation errors are occured in any field, it will display field name with link, clicking on link it will set focus of perticular field.
       function setFocus(ele) {
           $(ele).focus();
       }

3. HTML page:
1.  If you need show validation near to field then it should be compulsory to add “” with class name is “inlineMessage”.
   
   XML

   <div class="formWrapper" id="formStyle"><form id="form" action="" method="post" name="form"><label>First Name</label> <input id="firstname" class="text" type="text" name="firstname" />
   <div class="inlineMessage"></div> </form>
   </div>

2. Hidden container for Error Messages
   
   XML

   <div id="validationSummary">
          	<ul class="errorMessageList">
   	       </ul>
       	</div>

3. Display Validation Summary in same page
   
   XML

   <div style="display: none;" id="summary-validation" class="errorList">
   	    </div>

4. Display Validation Summary in Modal Dialog box.
   
   XML

   <div style="display: none;" id="dialog-validation" class="errorList">
     </div>

5. Add Style for Form, Inputbox, Button, Dialog and Validation Messages.Please visit Views/Shared/_Layout.cshtml
   

Your Thoughts

If you find some issues or bugs with it, just leave a comment or drop me an email. If you make any notes on this, let me know that too so I don’t have to redo any of your hard work. Please provide a “Vote” if this would be helpful.