Regex Validation on multiple textboxes? c# asp.net

Question

Edit 02/05/2011

Ok, so i need to make my validation clientside, so I need what asked for below in c# to actually be in jquery. I will also be validating server side so I would appreciate more input there.

Original Question

Well, im on a real noob question trip today!!!

My previous question was for a specific regex. Now I have it and it works..how can I roll it out over multiple text boxes? I don't want to use multiple Regular Expression Validation tools as they would clutter up my design space and I don't think it's a very elegant solution (It's for a degree project)

Is there a method I could write? Along the lines of

public validator(string)
{
   doessomething.tostring
   return true/false
}

and access by

if (validator(txtsomething.text.tostring()) = true)
{
  Dothis
}

else
{
  dothis
}

Please be patient if my question is garbage :) Thanks``

If you were to do something like this, you realize it would require a call to the server. The benefit of the RegularExpressionValidator control is that it is a client side validation method, meaning that to validate, it does not make a call to the server, so putting multiple REV's is what I suggest. At the same time, I also suggest having server side validation as well, because there are ways of getting around client side validation. — seekerOfKnowledge
– seekerOfKnowledge, Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 18:06
+1 If you aren't using a RegularExpressionValidator, then the code examples below would all need to be done in JavaScript for the client side or run at the server. — user153923
– user153923, Commented Apr 27, 2011 at 18:11
I've updated my answer to include jquery in addition to server side validation. — annelie
– annelie, Commented May 4, 2011 at 18:47

annelie · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-04 18:47:02Z

How about creating a custom control? I've edited my answer to include jQuery as well as server side validation. I don't know what regex you're using so I've just used a simple one testing for letters only.

javascript (also include the jQuery file):

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
    function validateText(source, args) {

        var allTextFieldsValid = true;

        $(".noNumbers").each(function () {
            if (!/^[a-zA-Z]*$/.test(this.value)) {
                allTextFieldsValid = false;
            }
        });

        args.IsValid = allTextFieldsValid;
    }

</script>

.aspx page:

// set a specific css class on the textboxes you want to check so that jQuery can
//  find them easily
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server" CssClass="noNumbers"></asp:TextBox>
<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox2" runat="server" CssClass="noNumbers"></asp:TextBox>
<asp:Button ID="SubmitButton" runat="server" Text="submit" OnClick="Submit_Click" />

<asp:CustomValidator ID="MyValidator" runat="server" 
        OnServerValidate="Text_Validate" Text="Oops, sorry, no numbers!" 
        ClientValidationFunction="validateText"></asp:CustomValidator>

code behind:

protected void Submit_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if (Page.IsValid)
        {
            // do stuff
        }
        else
        {
            // do other stuff
        }
    }

    protected void Text_Validate(object source, ServerValidateEventArgs args)
    {
        args.IsValid = true;

    // I've done each textbox by id, but depending on how many you might want to loop through the controls instead

        if (!IsTextValid(TextBox1.Text))
        {
            args.IsValid = false;
        }

        if (!IsTextValid(TextBox2.Text))
        {
            args.IsValid = false;
        }
    }

    private bool IsTextValid(string myTextValue)
    {
        string myRegexString = @"^[a-zA-Z]*$";

        return Regex.IsMatch(myTextValue, myRegexString);
    }

Hope this helps!

Thanks, ill try that tommorrow and let you know how I get on :)

AllenG · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-27 18:06:04Z

I'm not sure about your exact intent, but you seem to have it basically right:

Each presuming you're handling the "TextBoxChanged" event, you'd just do something like:

if(!string.IsNullOrEmpty(MyTextBox.Text))
{
  if(ValidateInput(MyTextBox.Text)
  { 
    [do stuff here]
  }
  else
  {
    [do other stuff here]
  }
}

and then your ValidateInput(string stringToCheck) method would look something like:

private bool ValidateInput(string stringToCheck)
{
    string patern = [your regex patern]
  //Check to make sure that I've got this method call right- you want to make sure
  //that there are matches, basically
    if(Regex.Matches(patern, stringToCheck).Count >= 1) return true;
    return false;
}

That would then say "If there are any matches for my regex- do one thing, if there aren't, do something else"

marcoaoteixeira · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-27 18:06:31Z

0

Well, you could find all the textbox controls in your form/page and apply the validator.

Suppose that your are using a winforms app, try this:

// .Net Framework 3.5

foreach (TextBox textBox in MyForm.Controls.OfType<TextBox>())
{
    if (validator(textBox.Text) == true)
    {
        // Do this
    }
    else
    {
        // Do that
    }
}

Let me know if it helps.

PS.: You may need to do some recursive work for control containers =/

answered Apr 27, 2011 at 18:06

marcoaoteixeira

5052 silver badges14 bronze badges

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user153923 · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-27 18:08:07Z

0

Write event handlers for all of your TextBox Controls:

OnLoad event handler:

  foreach (Control ctrl in Controls) {
    TextBox tbox = ctrl as TextBox;
    if (tbox != null) {
      tbox.TextChanged += new EventHandler(TextBox_TextChanged);
    }
  }

void TextBox_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e) {
  TextBox tbox = sender as TextBox;
  if (tbox != null) {
    if (validator(tbox.Text)) {
      // DoThis
    } else {
      // DoThat
    }
  }
}

answered Apr 27, 2011 at 18:08

user153923

Comments

Waqas Raja · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-27 18:09:12Z

0

Think for extending Regular Expression Validator.

Developing a Validator Control

answered Apr 27, 2011 at 18:09

Waqas Raja

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