Suggestion: Built-in validators

[Richard]

It would be oh, so wonderful to have at least a RequiredFieldValidator built into the grid ColumnEditor controls so that I wouldn't have to use template columns just to get a validator! :)

[Shinu]

Hi Richard,

I have found the forum link which discuss about built-in validators with Grid column. Go through the link and see if it helps.
How to customize a GridColum with built-in (default) validators

Thanks
Shinu.

[Richard]

Thanks for the link.  I have expanded on the suggestions there to create an extended bound column class with an assortment of validators that can be turned on selectively.

I still think this kind of thing would be handy 'out of the box' instead of as a user extension :)

using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using Telerik.Web.UI;

/// <summary>
/// Extension to telerik:GridBoundColumn
/// adding a selection of Validators that can
/// be turned on and used as required
/// </summary>

namespace JVD.WebControls
{

    public class ValidatorBoundColumn : GridBoundColumn
    {

        #region Constructor

        public ValidatorBoundColumn()
        {
            RequiredFieldValidator = new RequiredFieldValidator();
            CompareValidator1 = new CompareValidator();
            CompareValidator2 = new CompareValidator();
            RegexValidator = new RegularExpressionValidator();
            RangeValidator = new RangeValidator();
            CustomValidator = new CustomValidator();
        }

        #endregion Constructor

        #region Properties

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRequired { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCompare1 { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCompare2 { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRegex { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRange { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCustom { get; set; }

        #endregion Properties

        #region Accessors

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RequiredFieldValidator RequiredFieldValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CompareValidator CompareValidator1 { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CompareValidator CompareValidator2 { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RegularExpressionValidator RegexValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RangeValidator RangeValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CustomValidator CustomValidator { get; private set; }

        #endregion Accessors

        #region Overrides

        public override void InitializeCell(TableCell cell, int columnIndex, GridItem inItem)
        {
            base.InitializeCell(cell, columnIndex, inItem);

            if (inItem.IsInEditMode)
            {
                string lBaseID = cell.ClientID;
                string lControlID = String.Format("{0}_TextBox", DataField);
                cell.Controls[0].ID = lControlID;
                if (ValidateRequired)
                {
                    RequiredFieldValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RequiredFieldValidator";
                    RequiredFieldValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RequiredFieldValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateCompare1)
                {
                    CompareValidator1.ID = lBaseID + "_CompareValidator1";
                    CompareValidator1.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CompareValidator1);
                }
                if (ValidateCompare2)
                {
                    CompareValidator2.ID = lBaseID + "_CompareValidator2";
                    CompareValidator2.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CompareValidator2);
                }
                if (ValidateRegex)
                {
                    RegexValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RegexValidator";
                    RegexValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RegexValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateRange)
                {
                    RangeValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RangeValidator";
                    RangeValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RangeValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateCustom)
                {
                    CustomValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_CustomValidator";
                    CustomValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CustomValidator);
                }
            }
        }

        #endregion Overrides
    }

}

Example column using a RequiredFieldValidator

<Columns>
     <JVD:ValidatorBoundColumn UniqueName="Description" DataField="Description" ValidateRequired="true">
          <RequiredFieldValidator Display="Dynamic" SetFocusOnError ="true" ErrorMessage="<%$ Resources:JVD, Validation_Description_Required %>" />
     </JVD:ValidatorBoundColumn>
</Columns>

[Sebastian]

Hello Richard,

Thank you for the suggestion - I will forward it to our development department for further consideration. If this turns out to be a common request, you may see it included in a future version of RadGrid.

At this point you may consider the solution pointed by Shinu or extending the built-in GridBoundColumn to include validator controls in it as you already did. We appreciate posting your implementation in our public forums - I updated your Telerik points for the involvement.

Kind regards,
Stephen
the Telerik team

Check out Telerik Trainer, the state of the art learning tool for Telerik products.

[Richard]

I discovered today that my column class as posted above will only work in a top-level grid.  To work in a detail grid it needs a couple more overrides.  Below is the class with the overrides added, plus a version for DateTime columns (no regex validator and only one compare validator - as a note, I included two compare validators in the bound column so that I can use one to compare datatype and the other to compare value.

using System;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using Telerik.Web.UI;

/// <summary>
/// Extension to telerik:GridBoundColumn
/// adding a selection of Validators that can
/// be turned on and used as required
/// </summary>

namespace JVD.WebControls
{

    public class ValidatorBoundColumn : GridBoundColumn
    {

        #region Constructor

        public ValidatorBoundColumn()
        {
            RequiredFieldValidator = new RequiredFieldValidator();
            CompareValidator1 = new CompareValidator();
            CompareValidator2 = new CompareValidator();
            RegexValidator = new RegularExpressionValidator();
            RangeValidator = new RangeValidator();
            CustomValidator = new CustomValidator();
        }

        #endregion Constructor

        #region Properties

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRequired { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCompare1 { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCompare2 { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRegex { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRange { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCustom { get; set; }

        #endregion Properties

        #region Accessors

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RequiredFieldValidator RequiredFieldValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CompareValidator CompareValidator1 { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CompareValidator CompareValidator2 { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RegularExpressionValidator RegexValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RangeValidator RangeValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CustomValidator CustomValidator { get; private set; }

        #endregion Accessors

        #region Overrides

        public override void InitializeCell(TableCell cell, int columnIndex, GridItem inItem)
        {
            base.InitializeCell(cell, columnIndex, inItem);

            if (inItem.IsInEditMode)
            {
                string lBaseID = cell.ClientID;
                string lControlID = String.Format("{0}_TextBox", DataField);
                cell.Controls[0].ID = lControlID;
                if (ValidateRequired)
                {
                    RequiredFieldValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RequiredFieldValidator";
                    RequiredFieldValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RequiredFieldValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateCompare1)
                {
                    CompareValidator1.ID = lBaseID + "_CompareValidator1";
                    CompareValidator1.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CompareValidator1);
                }
                if (ValidateCompare2)
                {
                    CompareValidator2.ID = lBaseID + "_CompareValidator2";
                    CompareValidator2.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CompareValidator2);
                }
                if (ValidateRegex)
                {
                    RegexValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RegexValidator";
                    RegexValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RegexValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateRange)
                {
                    RangeValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RangeValidator";
                    RangeValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RangeValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateCustom)
                {
                    CustomValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_CustomValidator";
                    CustomValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CustomValidator);
                }
            }
        }

        public override GridColumn Clone()
        {
            ValidatorBoundColumn lReturn = new ValidatorBoundColumn();
            lReturn.CopyBaseProperties(this);
            return lReturn;
        }

        protected override void CopyBaseProperties(GridColumn fromColumn)
        {
            base.CopyBaseProperties(fromColumn);

            ValidatorBoundColumn lColumn = (ValidatorBoundColumn) fromColumn;

            CompareValidator1 = lColumn.CompareValidator1;
            CompareValidator2 = lColumn.CompareValidator2;
            CustomValidator = lColumn.CustomValidator;
            RangeValidator = lColumn.RangeValidator;
            RegexValidator = lColumn.RegexValidator;
            RequiredFieldValidator = lColumn.RequiredFieldValidator;

            ValidateCompare1 = lColumn.ValidateCompare1;
            ValidateCompare2 = lColumn.ValidateCompare2;
            ValidateCustom = lColumn.ValidateCustom;
            ValidateRange = lColumn.ValidateRange;
            ValidateRegex = lColumn.ValidateRegex;
            ValidateRequired = lColumn.ValidateRequired;
        }

        #endregion Overrides
    }

}

using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Web.UI;
using System.Web.UI.WebControls;
using Telerik.Web.UI;

/// <summary>
/// Extension to telerik:GridDateTimeColumn
/// adding a selection of Validators that can
/// be turned on and used as required
/// </summary>

namespace JVD.WebControls
{

    public class ValidatorDateTimeColumn : GridDateTimeColumn
    {

        #region Constructor

        public ValidatorDateTimeColumn()
        {
            RequiredFieldValidator = new RequiredFieldValidator();
            CompareValidator = new CompareValidator();
            RangeValidator = new RangeValidator();
            CustomValidator = new CustomValidator();
        }

        #endregion Constructor

        #region Properties

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRequired { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCompare { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateRange { get; set; }

        [Category("Validation"), DefaultValue("false")]
        public bool ValidateCustom { get; set; }

        #endregion Properties

        #region Accessors

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RequiredFieldValidator RequiredFieldValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CompareValidator CompareValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public RangeValidator RangeValidator { get; private set; }

        [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Content),
        PersistenceMode(PersistenceMode.InnerProperty)]
        public CustomValidator CustomValidator { get; private set; }

        #endregion Accessors

        #region Overrides

        public override void InitializeCell(TableCell cell, int columnIndex, GridItem inItem)
        {
            base.InitializeCell(cell, columnIndex, inItem);

            if (inItem.IsInEditMode)
            {
                string lBaseID = cell.ClientID;
                string lControlID = cell.Controls[0].ID;
                if (ValidateRequired)
                {
                    RequiredFieldValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RequiredFieldValidator";
                    RequiredFieldValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RequiredFieldValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateCompare)
                {
                    CompareValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_CompareValidator";
                    CompareValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CompareValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateRange)
                {
                    RangeValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_RangeValidator";
                    RangeValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(RangeValidator);
                }
                if (ValidateCustom)
                {
                    CustomValidator.ID = lBaseID + "_CustomValidator";
                    CustomValidator.ControlToValidate = lControlID;
                    cell.Controls.Add(CustomValidator);
                }
            }
        }

        public override GridColumn Clone()
        {
            ValidatorDateTimeColumn lReturn = new ValidatorDateTimeColumn();
            lReturn.CopyBaseProperties(this);
            return lReturn;
        }

        protected override void CopyBaseProperties(GridColumn fromColumn)
        {
            base.CopyBaseProperties(fromColumn);
            ValidatorDateTimeColumn lColumn = (ValidatorDateTimeColumn)fromColumn;

            CompareValidator = lColumn.CompareValidator;
            CustomValidator = lColumn.CustomValidator;
            RangeValidator = lColumn.RangeValidator;
            RequiredFieldValidator = lColumn.RequiredFieldValidator;

            ValidateCompare = lColumn.ValidateCompare;
            ValidateCustom = lColumn.ValidateCustom;
            ValidateRange = lColumn.ValidateRange;
            ValidateRequired = lColumn.ValidateRequired;
        }

        #endregion Overrides
    }

}