Question

The following code is used to validate when form submit button is hit, but I am not getting the wanted result back.

It should display the error messages but they are not being displayed what am I doing wrong?

The custom validator validates passwords, it should change the error message based on the which errors occur:

1. Password is blank
2. Password is invalid
3. Passwords do not match

Only one error should show at a time so I wrote this custom validtor in .ascx.cs:

    protected void cvPasswordValidation_ServerValidate(object source, ServerValidateEventArgs args)
    {

        bool IsPasswordBlank = false;
        bool IsPasswordValid = false;

        cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = false;

        // If password is blank then IsValid is false, show blank password errors.
        if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(args.Value))
        {

            //args.IsValid = false;
            IsPasswordBlank = true;
            //Show blank password error depending on which box is empty.
            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(txtPassword.Text))
            {
                cvPasswordValidation.ErrorMessage = "You must enter password";
            }
            else
            {
                cvPasswordValidation.ErrorMessage = "You must confirm password";
            }
            cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = false;

        }
        else
        {
            cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = true;
        }

        // If password is not valid format then IsValid is false, show invalid format errors.
        if (!Regex.IsMatch(args.Value, RegexHelper.ValidPassword)) 
        {

            IsPasswordValid = true;
            //Show invalid format errors, if password is not blank
            if (IsPasswordBlank == false)
            {
                cvPasswordValidation.ErrorMessage = "<b>Current password</b> not in correct format. Your password must contain 6 - 12 characters with a combination of numbers and letters.";
            }
            cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = false;
        } 
        else 
        {
            cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = true; 
        } 

        // If passwords do not match then IsValid is false, show do not match errors.
        bool areEqual = String.Equals(txtPassword.Text, txtConfirmPassword.Text, StringComparison.Ordinal);

        if (areEqual == false)
        {

            //Show do not match errors is password is not blank and is not invalid format
            if (IsPasswordBlank == false && IsPasswordValid == false)
            {
                cvPasswordValidation.ErrorMessage = "Your passwords do not match.";
            }
            cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = false;
        }
        else
        {
            cvPasswordValidation.IsValid = true;
        }

    }

and the .ascx:

<asp:TextBox runat="server" ID="txtPassword" MaxLength="12" autocomplete="off" TextMode="Password" ValidationGroup="vgOnlineDetails"></asp:TextBox>

<asp:CustomValidator ID="cvPasswordValidation"
                 runat="server"
                 display="Dynamic"
                 OnServerValidate="cvPasswordValidation_ServerValidate"
                 ControlToValidate="txtPassword"
                 ValidationGroup="vgOnlineDetails">
</asp:CustomValidator>

Answer 1

You need to set ValidateEmptyText = true to validate empty fields.