Question

This one is driving me crazy:-)

Lets say I have some test xaml code:

    <Window x:Class="ProWPFInCSharpyTestProject.ValidationTest"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        Title="ValidationTest" Height="300" Width="300">
    <Grid>
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition />
            <RowDefinition />
            <RowDefinition />
            <RowDefinition />
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>

        <TextBox Margin="10" Name="someTextBox" VerticalAlignment="Top" Text="" />
        <TextBox Grid.Row="1" Margin="10" Name="SomeTextBox2" VerticalAlignment="Top" />
        <TextBlock Grid.Row="2" Margin="10" Name="errorMessageTextBlock"  />
        <Button Content="Click Me" Grid.Row="3" Margin="10" VerticalAlignment="Top" />
    </Grid>
</Window>

Now, I have no object bound to it, because it will collect data from the form and throw it in the database. But now I want to validate if the fields are empty when the button is clicked and show an error message. Almost every single tutorial I have looked at has an object bound to the grid but this is not relevant to me.

Why can’t this be more like asp.net? Just put a validator with a validator group. It would things so much less cryptic and complex than it is now.

Answer 1

Sorry man, but you’re doing WPF not ASP.NET. I understand that WPF can be frustrating but is not a good idea to bend a technology to your old habits.
Having said that, You’re talking about gathering the data entered then pass it to the database.
One way to do it in WPF is using a ViewModel or any object to act as some kind of container. The WPF binding stuff will tell you if something went wrong. Then you can pass/translate your objects to the Data Layer/ORM and then lastly hit the database.

Maybe Kent approach works, but not in complex scenarios.