Captch not validating when other fields validated in code-behind

[bdk0172]

I've got the 3 required controls, radCaptcha, ValidationSummary and button along with other textboxes for information input.  The 3 controls all have ValidationGroup set to "group".  The rest of the controls on the page are being validated in the C# code-behind.  When I fill in all the fields that are required, but leave the captcha textbox blank, the captcha control does not get validated.  Is it possible to do this or do all of the textboxes on the page need to use a RequiredFieldValidator?

[Pero]

Hello Brian,

Based on the description of your problem, there should not be any issues. The RadCaptcha should validate the user input, whether or not other validators are present on the page. My suggestion is again to check that everything is set properly (ValidationGroup is the same as in the ValidationSummary and in the Button; you have set the ErrorMessage property to a value - if not set, nothing is displayed even if validation fails), and if the problem persists please open a new support ticket to send us a running sample project where we can reproduce the error.  


All the best,
Pero
the Telerik team

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[David]

I am having this same problem. I have a half-dozen controls that i have been validating in code-behind before trying to add the captcha. In my case, the page does not post back so the captcha can "work", instead if my other controls pass the code-behind validation, then i send an email out and forward the user to a new page. If one of my manual validations fails, then the page does return and i can then see the captcha error on the screen

It would be MUCH easier if i could just manually test the captcha control with server code - but that does not appear to work as the RadCaptcha1.IsValid method ALWAYS returns true regardless of there being any code entered or not. I tried calling RadCaptcha1.Validate() before the IsValid, but it still only returns True. Is it possible to do this type of simple manual check instead of having to rely on internal code "magic" and a post-back?
Todd

[Pero]

Hi Todd,

I do not know what might be causing the RadCaptcha not to validate on your side. Everything seems to be working properly in the project that I have attached to this thread. There are three RequiredFieldValidators on the page, plus the RadCaptcha, and all of them are validated in the code behind. If validation does not fail I am redirecting the user to another page. Please take a look at the project, and see if you are still getting the problem.
As a last resort, I would like to ask you to open a new support ticket and send us a running project where the error can be easily reproduced. Once we have a better view over the issue, we will do our best to find a working solution


Sincerely yours,
Pero
the Telerik team

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[David]

I have gotten the code-behind and programmatic validation of the Captcha control to work - BUT it ONLY works properly if the default IsValid property is set to FALSE on the control. Then on the post-back it will validate() properly and the IsValid property is set to a correct value based on the the code the user entered. If i have the default value of IsValid set to TRUE (as it is when you add the control to the page) then after the Validate() the IsValid ALWAYS returs TRUE regardless of what code is entered by the user. That is how it works in my environment where i am using a master page, but the captcha is in the <asp:Content> area along with the <asp:scriptmanager> and <form>.

[David]

BTW, i am doing the validation DURING the Page_Load and NOT in the button's OnClick routine. Even when i look at the IsValid during the OnClick server-side event, the IsValid always says TRUE when the default value of the captcha is set to true - it works properly when i set the default value to FALSE - but then i need to remove the error message from the captcha otherwise it shows up when the page is first loaded.

[Pero]

Hi Todd,

The code behind validation should not be done during the Page_Load, because ASP.NET Validation occurs after the Page_Load event in the page life cycle.

I modified the project that I sent you last time to use a master page and the RadCaptcha is in the content page. Again I could not reproduce your behavior. All of the Validators (including the RadCaptcha) are working as expected. The project is attached to the thread.

Can you please modify my project so that the RadCaptcha is not validating correctly (i.e. the same behavior is reproduced as in your case) and send it back? Once I receive it and I am able to reproduce the problem it would be easier to find a working solution for this unusual behavior of our control.

I am looking forward to your reply.


All the best,
Pero
the Telerik team

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[stevied]

I am having the same problem, all my other form controls are being validated but not the captch...i have the correct validaiton group and all trigger apart from the Captch. 

I have atatched the code please ignore that i have set the captch to Visible = false, this has been done so i can go live with the page for now.

Regards,

S

<div class="cssform">
          <p>
           <label for="firstname"><span class="highlight">* </span>First name:</label>
           <asp:TextBox Columns="40" ID="txtFirstName" MaxLength="50" runat="server" TextMode="SingleLine" class="formTF" TabIndex="1" />
              <br /><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="rfvFirstName" runat="server" Display="Dynamic" Text="Please enter your first name" ControlToValidate="txtFirstName"  ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900" />
          </p>
          <p>
          <label for="surname"><span class="highlight">* </span>Surname:</label>
                <asp:TextBox Columns="40" ID="txtSurName" MaxLength="50" runat="server" TextMode="SingleLine" class="formTF" TabIndex="2" />
              <br /><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="rfvSurname" runat="server" Display="Dynamic" Text="Please enter your surname" ControlToValidate="txtSurname"  ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900" />
                </p>
            <p>
            <label for="email"><span class="highlight">* </span>Email Address:</label>
            <asp:TextBox Columns="50" ID="txtEmail" MaxLength="255" runat="server" TextMode="SingleLine" class="formTF" TabIndex="3" /><br /><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="rfvEmailAddress" runat="server" Display="Dynamic" Text="Please enter your email address" ControlToValidate="txtEmail"  ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900" />
          </p>
          <p>
          <label for="surname"><span class="highlight">* </span>Telephone:</label>
                <asp:TextBox Columns="20" ID="txtTel" MaxLength="20" runat="server" TextMode="SingleLine" class="formTF" TabIndex="4" />
              <br /><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="RequiredFieldValidator1" runat="server" Display="Dynamic" Text="Please enter your telephone" ControlToValidate="txtTel"  ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900" />
                </p>
          <p>
          <label for="session"><span class="highlight">* </span>Session?</label>
        <asp:DropDownList ID="cboSession" runat="server" class="formTA" TabIndex="5"></asp:DropDownList>
              <br />
              <asp:RequiredFieldValidator ControlToValidate="cboSession" ID="rfvSiteRating" Display="Dynamic" ErrorMessage="Please tell us which session your interested in" runat="server"  ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900" />
          </p>
          <p>
          <label for="startDate"><span class="highlight">*</span>Start Date?</label>
          <asp:TextBox ID="txtStartDate" runat="server" TabIndex="6" MaxLength="10" Columns="10" onKeyPress = "javascript: return false;" onPaste = "javascript: return false;"></asp:TextBox>
              <br /><asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="RequiredFieldValidator2" runat="server" ErrorMessage="Please select a start date using the calendar popup" Display="Dynamic" ControlToValidate="txtStartDate" ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900" />

              <cc1:CalendarExtender ID="ceStartDate" PopupPosition="Right" TargetControlID="txtStartDate" runat="server" Animated="true" Format="dd/MM/yyyy"  >
              </cc1:CalendarExtender>
          </p>
           <p>
            <label for="Comments" >Comments:</label>
            <asp:TextBox Columns="30" ID="txtComment" MaxLength="5000" Rows="7"
                    runat="server" TabIndex="6" TextMode="MultiLine"  />
                     <br />
          </p>
          <p>
          <label for="hearabout"><span class="highlight">*</span>How did you hear about EFN?</label>
          <asp:DropDownList ID="cboHearAbout" runat="server" CssClass="formTA" TabIndex="8" /> <br />
          <asp:RequiredFieldValidator ControlToValidate="cboHearAbout" ID="rfvHearAbout" Display="Dynamic" ErrorMessage="Please tell us how you heard about EFN?" runat="server"  ValidationGroup="infoform" ForeColor="#FF9900"/>

          </p>
           <p>

    <label for="Newsletter" >Newsletter Signup?</label>
    <asp:CheckBox ID="chkNewsletter" runat="server" />
   <span class="formsmall">We DO NOT share your details with any 3rd parties and will only contact you with regards to the nursery.</span>
    <asp:Literal ID="litSubscribed" runat="server" Visible="false" />
    </p>

    <telerik:RadCaptcha ID="RadCaptcha1" runat="server" ProtectionMode="Captcha" ValidationGroup="infoform" ErrorMessage="You have entered an incorrect code" CssClass="captcha" Display="Static" ImageCssClass="capImage" ForeColor="#FF9900" />

    <br class="clearfloat" />

      <div style="margin-left:180px;">
              <asp:ImageButton ID="btnSubmit" runat="server"
                      Text="Submit" ToolTip="Submit this form"
                      ImageUrl="~/styles/send.png" CssClass="hspace" ValidationGroup="infoform" OnClick="DoSiteFeedback"  />
</div>
                  </div>

[Pero]

Hello Stephen,

I tested the code that you sent me but it is working perfectly well. The RadCaptcha validates correctly in the code behind. Please test the project that I created based on your sample (the only thing modified is I set the ImageButton's CausesValidation property to true), and let me know how it goes. In case the project is working correctly, can you please modify it accordingly so that the problem is reproduced, and sent it back? Also more information about your project setup and logic would be helpful.


Greetings,
Pero
the Telerik team

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[Lynn]

I am having the same problem with the Captcha not validating at all times.  Below is a very simple .aspx page (without the empty code behind page). I do have a working example that will prove the failure of the control... Here is what is contained on this page... (1) A validation summary set up to use validation group SubmitInfo; (2) A RAD Captcha control set up to use validation group SubmitInfo; (3) An :asp textbox set up for required validation in group SubmitInfo; and, (4) An :asp submit button set up for validation group SubmitInfo. Very simple reproduction steps: (1) Run this page with the code as is and click the submit button without entering any data in either field. (2) You will receive an error message for the TextBox control ONLY -- there will be no error message for the Captcha control. (3) Now modify the code so that the validation group for the TextBox control reads SubmitInfo2 (4) Run the page again and click the submit button without entering any data in either field. (5) Now you will receive an error message for the Captcha control. Basically...if there is another control in the validation group, the Captcha control validation process will NOT occur. It doesn't matter how many other controls are included in the validation group..1 or 100, the Captcha validation process will not occur.  I have reproduced this exact scenario about a dozen times exactly as described before sending in this REPLY.  There is a problem with the Captcha. <%@ Page Language="VB" AutoEventWireup="false" CodeFile="TestValidation.aspx.vb" Inherits="TestValidation" %>

<%@ Register TagPrefix="telerik" Namespace="Telerik.Web.UI" Assembly="Telerik.Web.UI" %>

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<head runat="server">

<title></title>

</head>

<body>

<form id="form1" runat="server">

<telerik:RadScriptManager ID="RadScriptManager1" runat="server">

<Scripts>

<asp:ScriptReference Assembly="Telerik.Web.UI" Name="Telerik.Web.UI.Common.Core.js" />

<asp:ScriptReference Assembly="Telerik.Web.UI" Name="Telerik.Web.UI.Common.jQuery.js" />

</Scripts>

</telerik:RadScriptManager>

<telerik:RadAjaxManager ID="RadAjaxManager1" runat="server">

</telerik:RadAjaxManager>

<div>

<br />

<asp:ValidationSummary ID="ValidationSummary1" runat="server" ValidationGroup="SubmitInfo" ShowSummary="true" EnableClientScript="True" />

<br />

<telerik:RadCaptcha Display="Dynamic" ID="CaptchaInput" TabIndex="19" runat="server" ValidationGroup="SubmitInfo" ErrorMessage="The code you entered is not valid."></telerik:RadCaptcha>

<br />

<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>

<asp:RequiredFieldValidator ID="RequiredFieldValidator1" ValidationGroup="SubmitInfo" runat="server" Display="Dynamic" ControlToValidate="TextBox1" ErrorMessage="You must enter text!" />

<br />

<asp:Button ID="Button1" CausesValidation="true" ValidationGroup="SubmitInfo" runat="server" Text="Button" />

</div>

</form>

</body>

</html>

[Pero]

Hello Lynn,

The RadCaptcha validates on postback (i.e. it performs only server-side validation). The RequiredFieldValidator, besides server-side, it also performs a client-side validation. This client-side validation is controlled by the EnableClientScript property, which by default is set to true (i.e. if you do not set this property there will be a client side validation). So, if you set this property to false (on the respective Validator), leave the textbox empty and click the button to validate, a postback will be performed and you will notice that both of the messages will be displayed in the validation summary.

Let us know if you have other questions.

Greetings,
Pero
the Telerik team

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[Lynn]

I don't mean to be rude or mean-spirited, so I will simply describe the attached files and my actions after receiving your response earlier today.

I. The file validate_codebehind.jpg contains the screen capture of my code behind file for all tests -- it contains nothing.

2. I changed the "EnableClientScript" property to false as you recommended.
3. The file validate1_sourcecode.jpq contains a screen capture of this code.
4. The file validate1_results.jpg contains a screen capture of the results of this action as you suggested (no field entry, just submit   the page and both error messages will be displayed).
5. As you can see, there is only one error message displayed, it is for the text box not the captcha, and nothing is displayed in the Validation Summary because the "EnableClientScript" property is set to false as you recommended

6. I changed the "EnableClientScript" property back to true.
7. The file validate2_sourcecode.jpg contains a screen capture of this code.
8. The file validate2_results.jpg contains a screen capture of the results of this action (no field entry, just submit the page).
9. As you can see, this time there is one message displayed again for the textbox only, but this time there is also a message in the validation summary because the EnableClientScript property is set to true (the only way the Validation Summary will display messages).

I really have to request that you investigate this further.  If you question my methods/processes/etc., please have one of your managers contact me in the U.S. at 602-684-2466.  I have my own business issues to address.  I don't have time to spend doing this sort of thing, and I most certainly would not lie about my actions/results/etc.  If you have other suggestions of things for me to try, please let me know and I will cooperate.  Either our Visual Studio's are performing differently or...............I am running Visual Studio 2008 with SP1 on a Vista Business machine.

Oh, also, your text box control appears to have a problem because it changed the text I entered to red and I can't get it to change back.

[Lynn]

This item is closed in my opinion and it is my fault that it was not closed earlier.  The "secret" to making this work as advertised is that EVERY CONTROL IN THE VALIDATION GROUP EXCEPT FOR THE SUBMIT BUTTON MUST CONTAIN THE PROPERTY "EnableClientScript="false"".  I honestly thought I had coded my test sample using the same code as the online/demo sample -- but I had missed this property on the detailed controls.

For whatever reason, I did not understand this requirement.  It may have been because of my own stubbornness or just communications issues, but once this code is completed the validation process and the validation summary work just fine.

My profound apologies to the Telerik team for being kind of loud in my last reply.  That was my fault.

Thanks for your continued support!

Lynn

[Ian Russell]

I've been having similar issues to these but it is related to using a separate text box for the validation.  I took the second zip file and verified it is working as is.  I then tried to change the captcha to use a separate text box.  Once I do that, you can type in the correct captcha value but the validation still fails.  Can you please try changing these lines of code in Default.aspx in that project and see if it works for you?  Thanks.  Tim

<telerik:RadCaptcha ID="RadCaptcha1" runat="server" ForeColor="Red" ErrorMessage="Invalid Input"
            ValidationGroup="Group" CaptchaImage-RenderImageOnly="true" ValidatedTextBoxID="txtCaptcha">
        </telerik:RadCaptcha>
        <asp:TextBox ID="txtCaptcha" runat="server" ValidationGroup="Group"></asp:TextBox>

[Pero]

Hello Tim,

I believe the problem is caused by the fact that the RadCaptcha cannot find the custom TextBox, because it is not in the naming container of the Page. The problem can be avoided by specifying the UniqueID of the TextBox to the ValidatedTextBoxID property of the RadCaptcha.

In one of the attached projects (radcaptchanotvalidating.zip) the captcha control is placed in content page of a MasterPage. In this case the UniqueID has to be supplied to the ValidatedTextBoxID.

I used the following definition for the RadCaptcha:

<telerik:RadCaptcha ID="RadCaptcha1" runat="server" ForeColor="Red" ErrorMessage="Invalid Input"
    ValidationGroup="Group" CaptchaImage-RenderImageOnly="true" ValidatedTextBoxID="ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$txtCaptcha">
</telerik:RadCaptcha>
<asp:TextBox ID="txtCaptcha" runat="server" ValidationGroup="Group"></asp:TextBox>
<asp:Button ID="btnValidate" runat="server" Text="Validate Captcha" CausesValidation="true"
    ValidationGroup="Group" OnClick="btnValidate_Click" />

Greetings,
Pero
the Telerik team

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[R]

OK, this control is officially a kludge.  Seriously.  The fact that I have to go to the web browser, view the source and paste this:

ctl00$ctl00$cphMasterBodyContentArea$cphBodyContentArea$txtVerificationCode

...into your control is just ridiculous.  Your control is running in the context of the page can easily get the "ClientID" property for itself.  Why doesn't it?  Yikes Telerik.  Your stuff isn't as tight as it used to be.  Next--where is the instruction on how to use this control?  In what documentation does it state that it MUST be in a validation group?  Because it's not on the help files on my machine!  Nor in your online demos!  What would be really nice is if you could provide specific instructions like this when they are needed in the quick start instruction provided with the help, rather than relying on cutting and pasting your demos!

Now I've wasted four hours of my time on varying configurations trying get the IsValid property to work after a submit button click event.  And guess what?  It still doesn't!  Even after pasting that nasty client side ID into the control it will do the validation using the validation group and validation summary.  Meaning the validation summary will show the error message-- but when I query the IsValid property, guess what?  It still returns TRUE!!!  That essentially makes the expected use of the IsValid property useless.  Now, if the intellisense, or [help] documentation could list all of the conditions that must be met for this control to be used, that would be a good start.  But if the control could do things like looking the client ID of its own referenced outside textbox, that would be even better.  And best yet: if the IsValid property would return the right value, based solely on user entry (and not whether it is included in validation groups) being valid or not, that would be great.

PS: I've dropped your control in favor of Recaptcha until the next release.  Please clean this thing up.

[Pero]

Hello,

We have improved the RadCaptcha control, so that it finds the validated textbox just by setting its ID to the RadCaptcha's ValidatedTextboxID property. Since in most of the cases the RadCaptcha control and the validated textbox, belong to the same INamingContainer, there is no need to search the Page's INamingContainer, and require the users to provide the UniqueID of the textbox, when the ID will do the job.

The documentation of the RadCaptcha control is not our strongest point, so we will do our best to improve it as soon as we can. Please note that you can also use the online documentation of our controls, which can be helpful. Here is a link to the RadCaptcha's section.

It depends at what stage of the ASP.NET page lifecycle you check the IsValid property of the RadCaptcha, because the validation might not be performed yet. This is not directly related to our control, since some of the standard ASP.NET Validators will always be valid if you check their IsValid property in the Page.Load for example. To be sure that validation has occurred before checking the Captcha's IsValid property, you should call RadCaptcha.Validate(), and then Page.Validate()  (or Page.Validate(ValidationGroup)) methods.
I will extensively test the RadCaptcha's IsValid property in many scenarios, and if there is a problem we will fix it for the upcoming release.

Whenever you have a problem that's taken more than hour, please open a support ticket and we will do our best to help you resolve the issue.

Greetings,
Pero
the Telerik team

[firat]

this article saved me

my solution :
1 / i dont use ValidationGroup="xxx" .  (RequiredFieldValidator and RegularExpressionValidator are working)
2 / i use asp textbox.

<

 

 

asp:TextBox ID="captcha" runat="server" MaxLength="5" Height="15" Width="100"></asp:TextBox>

 

3 / in code side : ( page_load )

RC1.CaptchaImage.RenderImageOnly =

 

true;

 

 

RC1.ValidatedTextBoxID =

 

"captcha";

 

4/ in button event

 

 

if (!Radcaptch1.IsValid)

 

 

{

 

captcha.Focus();

 

return;

 

 

}
else
{
......
}

this is simple and clean solution for me
thnx telerik team u are great

[Mark Meir]

Hi there,

We have your captcha control on a custom user control that we use in three different places in our application.  We use masterpages.  Therefore, the id of the control is different in all three pages.  Is there a way to dynamically set the ValidatedTextBoxID property?

I have tried setting it on load of the page (vb.net codebehind), but that doesn't seem to work.

Ideas?

Thanks,

Wes

NOTE:  I figured it out.  I found in another post where you state to set it in the init property of the codebehind instead of the load.  That works.  I used Me.Captcha.ValidatedTextBoxID = Me.CaptchaTextbox.ID

[Hugo Augusto]

I have to agree with R. I have said it once and I say it again. You are getting lazy. His post is from 2010, and today, 2012, the control still has the same crappy documentation. What is wrong with you guys? Are you tired of developing controls or you develop so many things now, that you just can't handle everything the way you used to. It seems like it. Where's the documentation on how to use the several options that this control provides like using a custom textbox, or what css classes does this control use? Don't bother to explain this now, because I already looked into the source to figure it out. I miss the days when Telerik was a small company...

[Slav]

Hello Hugo,

Please accept our apologies for the caused inconvenience! Indeed, at its current state the documentation of the RadCaptcha is incomplete and there are features of the control that are not covered by the provided articles. We are aware of this flaw and its priority will be escalated for future improvements of our help resources.

Feel free to contact us again if you run into more difficulties.

Kind regards,
Slav
the Telerik team