Question

How can we validate the below code ?
I want validate the input named software_name not be null. how to write the code?
the validation rules looks only support single input.

<input name="software_name[]" type="text" class="input_txt_l software-name" value="" />
<input name="software_name[]" type="text" class="input_txt_l software-name" value="" />
<input name="software_name[]" type="text" class="input_txt_l software-name" value="" />
<input name="software_name[]" type="text" class="input_txt_l software-name" value="" />

============================update at 2011/07/26========================

I can’t understand your help, I think I explain not clearly.try again.

I use this validation for form validate. http://bassistance.de/jquery-plugins/jquery-plugin-validation/

when we validate single input , we can use this to validate the name element.
html code:

<form action="url/saved" method="post" id="server-form">
    Name:<input name="name" type="text" class="input_txt" value=""/>    
</form>

javascript code:

var v = $('#server-form').validate({
        rules:{
            name:{
            required:true,
            minlength:2,
        maxlength:64
            }
        },
        messages:{
            name:{
            required:'can not be null',
            minlength:"too short",
        maxlength:"too long"
            }

        },

        onfocusout: function(element) {
        if ( !this.checkable(element)) {
            this.element(element);
        }
        },

        errorPlacement: function(error, element) {
            $(element).setValidateError({
        errorBox:error
            });
        },

        success: function(element) {
            $(element).setValidateOK();
    }

    });

but when we use form array. like this

<input name="software_name[]" type="text" class="input_txt_l software-name" value="" />

the jquery-validation-plugin looks not support . Am I right?

the only way looks likes @rharshath said ?

$('.software-name').each(function(i, $input) {
    if( $.trim($input.val()) == "" ) {
        // go nuts - alert it, or highlight that field, 
        // or put a tooltip beside it - whatever.
    }
});

we have to hack it by myself ?

Answer 1

Follow the below steps.

1) Open jquery.validate.js file
2) Find checkForm: function() {
3) Replace this function with below code.

checkForm: function() {
    this.prepareForm();
    for ( var i = 0, elements = (this.currentElements = this.elements()); elements[i]; i++ ) {
        if (this.findByName( elements[i].name ).length != undefined && this.findByName( elements[i].name ).length > 1) {
            for (var cnt = 0; cnt < this.findByName( elements[i].name ).length; cnt++) {
                    this.check( this.findByName( elements[i].name )[cnt] );
            }
        } else {
            this.check( elements[i] );
        }
    }
    return this.valid();
}