Question

I have a Razor web page where I have a model

public class UploadModel
{
    [Required]
    [StringLength(25)]
    public string PatientID { get; set; }
    [DataType(DataType.Date)]
    [DateRange("1000/12/01", "4010/12/16")]
    public DateTime DrawDate { get; set; }
}
public class DateRangeAttribute : ValidationAttribute
{
    private const string DateFormat = "yyyy/MM/dd";
    private const string DefaultErrorMessage =
    "'{0}' must be a date between {1:d} and {2:d}.";

    public DateTime MinDate { get; set; }
    public DateTime MaxDate { get; set; }

    public DateRangeAttribute(string minDate, string maxDate)
        : base(DefaultErrorMessage)
    {
        MinDate = ParseDate(minDate);
        MaxDate = ParseDate(maxDate);
    }

    public override bool IsValid(object value)
    {
        if (value == null || !(value is DateTime))
        {
            return true;
        }
        DateTime dateValue = (DateTime)value;
        return MinDate <= dateValue && dateValue <= MaxDate;
    }
    public override string FormatErrorMessage(string name)
    {
        return String.Format(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture,
        ErrorMessageString,
        name, MinDate, MaxDate);
    }

    private static DateTime ParseDate(string dateValue)
    {
        return DateTime.ParseExact(dateValue, DateFormat,
        CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
    }
}

That does validation for the datetime

However in the view,
when I run through all the elements in the model

@Html.EditorFor(m => m)

It is creating a datetime type which creates problems because I am using jquery to do the calendar date picking since it is cross broswer. Any way to force the datetime to become a text even with the validation class? Thanks!

Answer 1

Since you are writing your custom validation, why don’t you change

public DateTime DrawDate { get; set; }

to a string type and adjust your validation accordingly?