Question

I want to write a custom validator for MVC.NET framework that checks if entered date is in the future. To do it, I wrote the following class:

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Property, AllowMultiple = false, Inherited = true)]
    public sealed class InTheFutureAttribute : ValidationAttribute, IClientValidatable
    {
        private const string DefaultErrorMessage = "{0} should be date in the future";

        public InTheFutureAttribute()
            : base(DefaultErrorMessage)
        {
        }

        public override string FormatErrorMessage(string name)
        {
            return string.Format(ErrorMessageString, name);
        }

        public override bool IsValid(object value)
        {
            DateTime time = (DateTime)value;

            if (time < DateTime.Now)
            {
                return false;
            }

            return true;
        }

        public IEnumerable<ModelClientValidationRule> GetClientValidationRules(ModelMetadata metadata, ControllerContext context)
        {
            var clientValidationRule = new ModelClientValidationRule()
            {
                ErrorMessage = FormatErrorMessage(metadata.GetDisplayName()),
                ValidationType = "wrongvalue"
            };

            return new[] { clientValidationRule }; 
        }
    }

and added attribute to field that I want to check.

On the View page I create input field in the following way:

<div class="editor-label-search">
            @Html.LabelFor(model => model.checkIn)
        </div>
        <div class="editor-field-search-date">
            @Html.EditorFor(model => model.checkIn)

             <script type="text/javascript">
                $(document).ready(function ()
                { $('#checkIn').datepicker({ showOn: 'button', buttonImage: '/Content/images/calendar.gif', duration: 0, dateFormat: 'dd/mm/yy' }); });
            </script>  
            @Html.ValidationMessageFor(model => model.checkIn)
        </div>

When I submit the form for the controller that requires model with checked attribute code in my validator is called and it returns false, but instead of displaying an error it just call my controller’s action and send invalid model to it.

Am I doing something wrong? How can I fix it?

Answer 1

Did you add the client-side validation logic: the custom validator and unobtrusive adapter.
If not, here is the client side logic:

//Add the client-side validator:

jQuery.validator.addMethod("wrongvalue",
 function (value, element, param) {

    var dateValue = $.datepicker.parseDate('dd/mm/yy', value); //use any date parser, if UI/Datepicker is not used

    var now = new Date();
    var today = new Date(now.getFullYear(), now.getMonth(), now.getDate());

    var isValid = dateValue >= today;
    return isValid;
});

//Add an unobtrusive adapter:

jQuery.validator.unobtrusive.adapters.add("wrongvalue", [], function (options) {

    options.rules["wrongvalue"] = true;
    options.messages["wrongvalue"] = options.message;
});