I have a ViewModel class that implements the IDataErrorInfo Interface.
In each property's set I validate the value passed in and if it fails the validation I call a method called AddError to add an error for the property. The AddError method adds an item into my underlying data type I'm using to manage the errors (a Dictionary(Of String, List(Of String))).
Currently things are working well during data entry. If the user enters invalid values for a property, the FrameworkElement that is used to input the data is highlighted with the ToolTip set to the error message.
Now, here's my problem.
Say my object contains invalid fields from the start....
For example, if I have a Person class with a required field "Name" and I create a new instance of the Person class. The Name Field will not be highlighted as an "error" because the Name Property's set method hasn't been called yet.
So, I put validation into the property's get as well.
This seems to works but......it feels like a hack. And some property validation has to be done by the model (as opposed to the ViewModel that I'm working with). The Model bubbles up the appropriate error message that should be set but I can't get the error message unless I set the Model's property.
Any advise on the best approach to implementing the IDataErrorInfo interface would be really really appreciated.
Thanks!
-Frinny
I figured out something that doesn't feel like a hack.
I also probably should have mentioned that I have a base class that all my ViewModel inherit from. It is in this base class that I am implementing the IDataErrorInfo Interface.
What I ended up doing was adding a new MustOverride method to the base ViewModel class called "Validate" that validates the property name supplied to it. If the validation fails then it adds an entry into my underlying errors dictionary.
I call the validate method in the Item property (that implements the IDataErrorInfo.Item property).
This way each derived class can contain it's own validation code and I can be sure that the method exists because it's part of the base ViewModel class.
If this isn't the best approach, please let me know.
-Frinny
Related
I am designing a WPF application following MVVM. My ViewModel is exposing one Double property called DoubleValue, which is binding to a TextBox in the View. I have set "ValidatesOnDataErrors=True" for the binding. So if the user types a string which can't be converted to a Double, it display the red background.
In my ViewModel I also have a Command object, let's call SaveCommand, whose CanExecute delegate is depending on whether there is any error in the VM (my ViewModelBase class implements IDataErrorInfo, I have an overridable ValidatePropertyByName function and the validation errors are stored in a dictionary.) But now my problem is, if I give an invalid string in the TextBox, since the conversion fails, it never calls the setter of the binding property value. In another word, the ValidatePropertyByName is not called and the error dictionary remains the previous state, which normally is clean. So if now the user click the Save button (which is enabled since the error dictionary is clean), the SaveCommand executes with the previous valid double value to save. This is obviously not good.
So how can I make my ViewModel aware of such conversion errors?
UPDATE:
Some code example:
The binding property is like this:
Public Property DoubleValue As Double
Get
Return _doubleValue
End Get
Set(value As Double)
If value <> _doubleValue Then
_doubleValue = value
RaisePropertyChanged("DoubleValue")
End If
End Set
End Property
Private _doubleValue As Double
My binding is like this:
<TextBox Grid.Row="3" Text="{Binding DoubleValue, ValidatesOnDataErrors=True}" />
And now my problem is: if I give a string "XXX" in the text box, since it can't be converted to a double value, the setter of DoubleValue is never get called. And so the property value remains the previous(valid) value. Now if my SaveCommand gets executed, it will do the save operation with this previous valid value, which will make the user confused.
the most easy way is to just use string properties in your viewmodel. then you get all input from the user and can validate it in your viewmodel. the drawback is that you have to convert the values to the right type when you go to the model.
if you dont want this you have to create your own controls or better behaviors so that the use can just input values that your viewmodel expect. eg. NumericInputBehavior.
You cannot simply put these two things together. One is the regular validation inside the ViewModel. The other are control-specific problems, like unconvertible values.
So there are two possible ways to solve this:
1) Don't use a converter. Just bind the string. Inside the ViewModel you can then use the validation to check for a valid value. (More MVVM)
2) Store your ValidationErrors on the controlside and merge them with the viewmodel errors. This is not easy but a good way to create one source for binding against ALL problems within your UI. We are doing this for complex textboxes at work. This means manual code in the controls but for complex customcontrols this is OK, I believe.
edit: just to elaborate a little on the 2nd point. We are having a DependencyProperty of Type ObservableCollection inside the Control. Then you can bind this Collection to a ViewModel Property and as soon as your control moves an Error inside the collection it is available inside the viewModel. You can then use this collection inside your validation implementation. This works pretty well for larger controls.
Edit2: For the MarkInvalid Stuff I mentioned in the comment. It would look like this:
DataErrorValidationRule validationRule = new DataErrorValidationRule();
ValidationError validationError = new ValidationError(validationRule, myTextBox.GetBindingExpression(TextBox.TextProperty)) { ErrorContent = "My custom message" };
Validation.MarkInvalid(myTextBox.GetBindingExpression(TextBox.TextProperty), validationError);
You would call in from inside a TextChanged when you can't convert the new given value or
Validation.ClearInvalid(myTextBox.GetBindingExpression(TextBox.TextProperty))
Maybe that will help?
I'm using IDataErrorInfo to validate my viewmodels as it allows me to use a clear xaml sintax and it's pretty straightforward once you get it.
My question is how to validate one property when another one changes because the validation does not consist only on the value on the cell but depends on others. I see that the validation method is only called when the value of the property changes.
Thanks in advance.
with IDataErrorInfo you can hook into
public string this[string columnName]
by overriding it, or writing your own.
in your case do a check that the columnName equals the property you are looking to validate and then either return a string with a value to represent a validation error, or null to say there was no error.
Also, to make sure it gets revalidated, when the dependent properties get updated, make sure you do a OnPropertyChanged for the main property
I have a simple scenario and a issue with it which I just cant seem to resolve past few days.
OK, first of all I use MVVM to bind my View on a ViewModel. I have in my view several text boxes which binds to several properties (most strings) in ViewModel (binds actually to an Custom Object (type Person, name SelectedPerson) with strings properties , object which is a property of the viewmodel). This object implements INotifyPropertyChanged and IDataErrorInfo. It has also an int property named Age. I also have in my view a button which is bound to a command in my viewmodel, a command which inside CanExecute test the SelectedPerson's properties and return true if all are correct.
Now my issue is: if I put in my Age text box from my View something not int, a red tectagle will appear (is normal, because there is an exception to the conversion), but in that specific moment, to the object behind (SelectedPerson, type Person) there isn't sent the newValue (the setter to that property Age, or the IDataErrorInfo Members don't intercept the value .... I guess it is normal because there isn't any "new" value, because I put an incorrect format in the text box in the first place).
So, maybe I repeat myself, the issue is: if the new Age (new incorrect Age) isn't set, then the Object behind still hold last value, which if it was correct then the command itself it's correct (the can execute will return true) and the button is enabled
As you can imagine I want the submit button (it's a button which saves current person details in data storage module) to be disabled when current properties don't pass through conversions methods.
PS: I used a IValueConverter class , and on that text box binded to Age, I made use of my StringToIntConverter class....but on Convert Method I don't know how to pass the SelectedPerson binded object (I just pass the text value, and return the int value)
I guess one way to do it could be by using MultiBinding scenario , but I'm not sure.
If I could pass the SelectedPerson inside Convert method from that converter I could invalidate that command from the converter itself.
Sorry for my English, I know it's far from perfect :) and thanks in advance for your time.
I think the cleanest solution would be to bind the textbox to a string property instead, and update your view model so that your IDataErrorInfo implementation for that property name attempts a string to int conversion and returns the result of that. Your CanExecute test would also then include this conversion as part of the validation test.
I have a ViewModelBase class where I define RaisePropertyChanged method for the INotifyPropertyChanged interface. Most MVVM people are pretty familiar with this.
I also have a Validating ViewModel that inherits from ViewModelBase. It implements a interface and some methods to validate it's properties. It has a IsValid property the is only a getter who checks if there are any rule violations. However if I would wan't to bind to this property in the Views it would have to get updated at some time. This would basicly be everytime some other property is changed, or at least properties that I validate against. One simple solution would be to just Notify IsValid inside the RaisePropertyChanged method but it is defined in ViewModelBase where IsValid hasn't been defined.
Would any of you have a good solution for this dilemma?
If you are following the standard event handling pattern, your RaisePropertyChanged method will be marked as virtual (it should probably be a protected virtual method), so you'll be able to override that method in your validating view model, call the base implementation, and then invoke the PropertyChanged event for the IsValid property.
I'm not quite sure what you are doing, but if it is general validation, you would be better off using a framework such as DataAnnotations.
I have two controls bound to properties MinCartValue and MaxCartValue. MinCartValue must be less than MaxCartValue. To achieve this validation I have implemented the the IDataErrorInfo interface, and run the above check in the this[columnName] method if either MinCartValue or MaxCartValue are touched. ValidatesOnDataErrors=True is set in the binding of both controls.
The validation works correctly, highlighting each control when a change to its property value violates the rule. The problem is that once a control is flagged as invalid, if the user corrects the problem by altering the other control's value, the first control remains flagged as invalid. This is understandable because the IDataErrorInfo method was not doing validation on the first control's property.
So what I need is a way to force property #1 to be re-validated (or a way to clear the invalid state) when property #2 is validated, and vice versa. I have tried calling RaisePropertyChanged within my this[columnName] method but it does nothing. Also tried setting the property to its own value to try to trick it to validate itself, but again nothing happens.
Thanks
I would recommend looking at the INotifyDataErrorInfo interface (introduced in Silverlight 4). It's able to async-notify if properties become invalid, so I think the framework is better about respecting this across many properties instead of expecting that the property currently being changed is the only one whose validity may be changing.
I had two DateTime properties (DateFrom and DateTo) that needed to be validated against each other. In the setters for these properties I just raised a PropertyChanged event for both DateTo and DateFrom. Worked like a charm.
I'm not sure if I'm understanding your problem exactly, but perhaps this may help. Providing some example XAML and the binding property code would help.
It sounds like an issue of your code depending on the default UpdateSourceTrigger, which in the case of TextBox controls is their focus/unfocus. You can set in the XAML the UpdateSourceTrigger attribute by adding UpdateSourceTrigger=Explicit to your binding where your validation occurs. Then in each TextBox (MinCartValue, MaxCartValue), add an event handler to the TextChanged event.
In the code-behind in the event handler, you can do something like this:
private void TextBox_TextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
{
TheTextBox.GetBindingExpression(TextBox.TextProperty).UpdateSource();
}
TheTextBox in this case would be one of your cart controls. The UpdateSource() method is a way to manually update the binding value, which should trigger your validation. This method provides away to tie into a trigger to update values and raising properties have changed outside of the default scope (using text changed intead of focus and unfocus on TextBox in this instance).
Here's how I solved it. Let's say Property1 and Property2 are codependent. I'm not familiar with MVVM (yet), but you're probably extending your entity class to implement IDataErrorInfo. In this case you can also extend On[Property]Changed method and report change in codependent property:
partial class YourEntity : IDataErrorInfo
{
public string this[string columnName]
{
//Your validation logic
}
public string Error
{
//WPF doesn't use it anyway
get { return string.Empty; }
}
partial void OnProperty1Changed()
{
OnPropertyChanging("Property2");
OnPropertyChanged("Property2");
}
partial void OnProperty2Changed()
{
OnPropertyChanging("Property1");
OnPropertyChanged("Property1");
}
}
In this case the update in either one of this properties makes both bound controls re-evaluate themselves.
EDIT2: It appears that you should use OnPropertyChang* instead of ReportPropertyChang*. ReportPropertyChanged will notify the entity framework that there are pending changes in the model, but in fact all you're trying to do is inform the view. You don't want to update the database with the property that didn't really change. ReportPropertyChang* will also fail on computed fields that have no mappings in the database.
EDIT1: Found out that it's essential to call ReportPropertyChanging before ReportPropertyChanged.