Question

I am assuming I need a regular expression here?

I have a zip code field and the zip codes must be in the city limits of Chicago. Luckily all the zip codes begin with 606. So I need to poll the input to make sure that the zip code entered is 5 digits and begin with the numbers 606:

My input is basic enough:

<label for="dzip"><span class="red">&hearts;&nbsp;</span>Zip:</label>
<input name="attributes[address_zip]" id="dzip" type="text" size="30" class="required zip-code" />

And then my script for city was easy enough. I just need to apply it to zip-code as well:

    jQuery.validator.addMethod("Chicago", function(value) {
    return value == "Chicago";
}, '**Recipient must reside in Chicago City Limits**');

May help if I show how the plug-in functions for phone-numbers (US). Basically I need to translate this to zips:

    jQuery.validator.addMethod("phoneUS", function(phone_number, element) {
    phone_number = phone_number.replace(/\s+/g, "");
    return this.optional(element) || phone_number.length > 9 && phone_number.match(/^(1-?)?(\([2-9]\d{2}\)|[2-9]\d{2})-?[2-9]\d{2}-?\d{4}$/);
}, "Please specify a valid phone number");

What does this part do/mean?:

phone_number.replace(/\s+/g, "")

I dropped in the phone part directly from an example on the validate site.

Final answer from all the great (and quick) input here was this:

    jQuery.validator.addMethod("zip-code", function(zip_code, element) {
    zip_code = zip_code.replace(/\s+/g, "");
    return this.optional(element) || zip_code.length == 5 && zip_code.match(^606[0-9]{2}$);
}, "Please specify a City of Chicago Zip Code");

Answer 1

for the length use the .length property

if($('#dzip').val().length != 5)
  return false;

for the 606 use the substr method

if($('#dzip').val().substr(0,3) != 606)
  return false;

combined

$('#dzip').change(function(){
  var val = $(this).val();
  if(val.length != 5 || val.substr(0,3) != 606)
    return false; //not valid
  else
  //do stuff here
})

---

Try this:

jQuery.validator.addMethod("chicago", function(zip, element) {
    zip = zip.replace(/\s+/g, "");
    return this.optional(element) || zip.match("^606[0-9]{2}$");
}, '**Recipient must reside in Chicago City Limits**');

The above code can be read as

• Add a method chicago to the validator plugin
• when the method is called strip all whitespace characters
• then if the field is not required and it is empty
• or if it is required and not empty and is 5 digits in length
• and the first 3 characters are 606
• return true
• else return false