Input Validation With ASP.NET, Part 1 - Making Friends
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It is a common practice to use client-side scripting languages like JavaScript or VBScript for client side input validation. However, this type of client-side validation is not foolproof. Remember, you're not in control of the client, so if a user turns off JavaScript in his or her browser, all your efforts to ensure that the user does not enter irrelevant data will become... well, irrelevant. That's why most experienced developers use both client-side and server-side validation. Server-side validation involves checking the values submitted to the server through a server-side script, and taking appropriate action when the input is incorrect.
That's where the ASP.NET Validator controls come in. In a Web-based application, each Validator control (there are five of them in all, and I've covered them all in this tutorial) is linked to a form control. When a user submits a form, the .NET framework ensures that the data entered by the user is filtered through the Validators, and checked for accuracy. If any of the values flunk the validation tests, an exception is generated; this can then be caught and resolved by the application's exception-handling mechanisms.
With ASP.NET's Validators, it's also possible to perform selective validation, wherein one validation test is dependent on the results of another. For example, if the user states that she's living in the US, you might also require him or her to enter a US state code. However, if the user indicates that she's living outside the US, it doesn't make sense to ask for a state code.
So which kinds of validations are possible using these ASP.NET Validator controls? Here's a quick list:
RequiredFieldValidator - forces entry of a value for the associated control
CompareValidator - used with a comparison operator to compare the value provided against a constant value or another control
RangeValidator - checks whether the value entered is within a specified range
RegularExpressionValidator - uses regular expressions to validate user input
CustomValidator - allows you to create customized validation routines
Next: First Glance >>
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