VAB Forum Rss Feed

New Post: Self Validator and Inheritance

jcr — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:33:31 GMT

Hello,

I´m have an object B that inherits from A.

I have some Self Validations in A. Should they be (implicitly) called when object object B is beeing validated?

Thank you!

New Post: WCF Parameter Validation

findjammer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:20:45 GMT

Hi All,

I've started looking at this for the first time and am having problems getting it working. I have a service setup correctly as far as I can tell from all the examples / MSDN docs I can find.

The service is hosted in IIS, I've tried using config file configuration, attribute configuration and both, it just never seems to through a ValidationFault. My operation looks like:

        [OperationContract]
        [FaultContract(typeof(SecurityFaultException), Action=Constants.FaultAction)]
        [FaultContract(typeof(ValidationFault))]
        bool Register([NotNullValidator] string userName, string password, string email);

Whilst the service looks like:

[ValidationBehavior]
public interface IAccountService

As far as I can tell this should work. The configuration snippets I've tried are as per this page:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc309334.aspx

The only change to these configuration snippets I have made is to update the version number to match Enterprise Library 4.0.0.0 in the behaviour extensions declaration.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

New Post: ValueAccessValidator Class

baris — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:28:25 GMT

Why does not ValueAccessValidator Class have ValueAccess and ValueValidator public properties?

New Post: Problem with Range Validator

sandeepkashaboina — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:51:28 GMT

Below worked instead:

StringLengthValidator

New Post: Problem with Range Validator

sandeepkashaboina — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:48:19 GMT

My property is declared as:

Private _FirstName As String
<RangeValidator(1, RangeBoundaryType.Inclusive, 255, RangeBoundaryType.Exclusive, Negated:=False, MessageTemplate:="Please provide First Name.")> _
    Public Property FirstName() As String
      Get
        Return (_FirstName)
      End Get
      Set(ByVal Value As String)
        _FirstName = Value
      End Set
    End Property

So, when trying to validate the class, throwing an exception "Object must be of type Int32."
What would be the problem??

<Stack_Trace>   at System.Int32.CompareTo(Object value)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.RangeChecker`1.IsInRange(T target)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.RangeValidator`1.DoValidate(T objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validator`1.DoValidate(Object objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.AndCompositeValidator.DoValidate(Object objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.ValueAccessValidator.DoValidate(Object objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.AndCompositeValidator.DoValidate(Object objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.AndCompositeValidator.DoValidate(Object objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validators.GenericValidatorWrapper`1.DoValidate(T objectToValidate, Object currentTarget, String key, ValidationResults validationResults)
   at Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validation.Validate[T](T target)
   at CustomerAlerter.InsertCustomer(String URL, CustomerInfo objCustomer) in c:\inetpub\wwwroot\A1CRM\App_Code\CustomerAlerter.vb:line 554</Stack_Trace>

New Post: Business Object validation - with Validation Application Block

eug — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:13:10 GMT

Feedback on the use of VAB and storing the settings in the database:

Firstly, VAB settings can be saved in the database using a SqlConfigurationSource. You can save your VAB settings and other enterprise library settings that would by default go in a config file into the database relatively easily. We went with solution B (see case study above) and found that saving our Validation Application Block settings in the database works fine. The downside is that it leaves the settings 'locked away' in the database in an ntext field - fine for validation purposes but rather unobtainable for general users of the application (therefore the settings are only really accessible to developers via the Enterprise Library Configuration Editor) and it does not really allow you to change the settings at runtime. You could write an xml editor to read or write values into the settings database used by VAB, but we did not have time to do this. If your validation rules will remain quite static then this approach could work. If your validation rules will change from time to time and from object to object then this approach is probably not flexible enough.

For more info on saving enterprise library settings in the database research 'SqlConfigurationSource'. Here is a good discussion about it: jorgas on SqlConfigurationSource.
Secondly, VAB does allow you to validate Business Objects and it works well for defined objects (i.e. once you've compiled the project/assembly that contains your business objects you can load the assembly into the VAB configuration interface and it will find your classes/objects and allow you to set rules per object). The only constraint is that if your business objects change you may have to reload the assembly into the Configuration tool and redefine the rules that have been set up.
And finally, Enterprise Library contains an editor that works a lot better than saving settings in a configuration file (at least for hands-on developers). The editor provides a visual representation of all the config sections and settings used for enterprise library. The enterprise library settings tend to grow the more you use enterprise libraries. We found that the files become unmanageable, especially if you use your main web.config or app.config file to store EL settings in. Try to either store the settings in the database, or use a file configuration data source.

For more info on using the Enterprise Library Configuration tool see: david hayden's blog.

Happy coding.

New Post: Cannot convert method group 'CreateValidatorFromAttributes' to non-delegate type 'Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validator

newbie06 — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:22:01 GMT

I am trying to add a base class to my business objects so that they can be validated before the objects are saved to the database. I found this great sample on David Haydens website and have been trying to implement it myself. Here is the error message I am getting - Cannot convert method group 'CreateValidatorFromAttributes' to non-delegate type 'Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Validation.Validator<T>

Here is my code:

public abstract class DomainObject<T> where T : class{

protected Validator<T> validationService;

public DomainObject(){

validationService =

ValidationFactory.CreateValidatorFromAttributes<T>;

}

What am I doing wrong. I am using Ent Lib 4.1 and attributes on my properties in my business objects. Can somebody please help me, thanks, VAB newbie

New Post: Validation Application Block with ruleset in Database

peteryengaran — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:53:45 GMT

Am creating a application where i need to handle different ruleset. I want keep the configuration in Database and i want to define the rules based on the user.

Can any one post your comments?

Thanks,
Peter.

New Post: Object Property Validation (IConfigurationSource and IValidationIntegrationProxy)

MikelFinch — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:02:37 GMT

Overview/Problem

We would like to use “dynamic rulesets” in our validation. Currently, we do this by setting the ValidationSettings in an IConfigurationSource and pass this object into ValidationFactory.CreateValidator() for object validation. However, I have not found a way to pass an IConfigurationSource into IValidationIntegrationProxy or ValidationIntegrationHelper methods.

Is there a way to pass an IConfigurationSource to IValidationIntegrationProxy or ValidationIntegrationHelper?

Or is there a way I can create a validator from ValidatorData in an IConfigurationSource?

Or is there another way to dynamically changing the “validation” section (ValidationSettings) at runtime? My hope is that this option does not require writing directly to app.config.

Details

First, let me give a brief background of what we have so far before building up to property validation.

1.) We are using the Validation Application Block found in Enterprise Library 4
2.) Our validation rulesets are not stored in Attributes or in an app.config file
3.) Validation rules are stored in a MS SQL Server renationalized database, not as XML, which is used to construct a "validation" section, ValidationSettings, in an IConfigurationSource

OK, so hopefully I stated all this correctly and it makes sense. To give you the high level usage it would be like:

...
Patient patient = new Patient();
ValidationConfigurationSource vcs = new ValidationConfigurationSource();

// do some code to load vcs's "validation" section, which is a ValdiationSettings
Validator val = ValdationFactory.CreateValidator<Patient>("RuleSet1", vcs);
ValidationRulesets vrs = val.Validate(patient);

This works perfectly to validate an "object" this way. However, sometimes we would like to validate just a single Property on an Object. The only way I have seen this done in the past is by using an IValidationIntegrationProxy. However, IValidationIntegrationProxy will validate against either the Attributes or app.config, there is NO WAY to inject an IConfigurationSource of my own (like I did with ValidationFactory.CreateValidator). Is that correct? Does anyone know of a way to interject an IConfigurationSource into either IValidationIntegrationSource or ValidationIntegrationHelper? Here is some sample code I wrote:

Patient patient = new Patient();

ValidationIntegrationProxy myProx = new ValidationIntegrationProxy();

myProx.ProvidesCustomValueConversion = false;

myProx.SpecificationSource = ValidationSpecificationSource.Attributes;

myProx.Ruleset = "Tester";

myProx.ValidatedType = patient.GetType();

myProx.ValidatedPropertyName = "Test";

ValidationIntegrationHelper vih = new ValidationIntegrationHelper(myProx);

Validator propertyValidator = vih.GetValidator();

ValidationResults vrs = propertyValidator.Validate(patient);

ValidationIntegrationHelper.GetValidator() does not take IConfigurationSource as a parameter.

I have also tried to construct a validator from a ValidatorData stored in the “validation” section in the IConfigurationSource. However, this doesn’t work very well at all. In order to do this you would need to call IValidatorDescriptor.CreateValidator(), which is inherited an implemented by ValidatorData but the IValidatorDescriptor interface is “internal” to VAB and I cannot reach it from my code.

So my questions are:

1.) Is there any way to interject an IConfigurationSource into IValidationIntegrationProxy or ValidationIntegrationHelper?

2.) Is there a way to construct valitors by hand if you have access to the “validation” section in an IConfigurationSource?

Regards,

Mikel Finch

New Post: WCF parameter validation

ColinGr — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:31:40 GMT

If I have a WCF interface as follows

[DataContract]
class Parameter
{
    [DataMember]
    [RegexValidator]
public string Name {get; set;}

    [DataMember]
public string Name {get; set;}

}

[ServiceContract]
interface ISomething
{
    [OperationContract]
    [FaultContract(typeof(ValidationFault))]
public void DoSomething(Parameter p);
}

I want to be able to pass null as parameter p, but the I keep getting a ValidationFault. I've tried setting [IgnoreNulls] on the parameter but it has no effect.

any ideas?

New Post: VAB ignores Inheritance when configuring rules in config file

jackdanies — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:46:57 GMT

Hi Shabab!

I've got the same problem in my WinForms App. I'm currently opening an issue for that (man, codeplex is so slow when I want to sign in or post). You can go to the issue tracker and vote for it.

New Post: Validate duplicate business key

AhmedSoliman — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:31:31 GMT

It is first time to use validation block and I succeeded to configure it. Mainly I need validation block for validating duplicate business key, for example: I need to validate username not exist in my database before . so I need the best way to do that considering the following:

- Asp.net application .net 3.5

- Business objects are LINQ classes ( I prefer these classes to be clean from any extra methods or attributes)

- I am using xml rule set

- For asp.net integration I am use PropertyProxyValidator

New Post: ValueConvert problematic

Biergarten — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:52:48 GMT

A good question. I have the same problem, but with an 'Int32' property.

I want it to be between 0 and 100000 or empty. And what i want is a error message like:

"The property should be an integer between 0 and 100000",

whatever they enter, for example:

"wkje"

"1.2"

"230403948574734"

"-2343"

NEW POST: VAB and inherited classes

jacdevos — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:39:03 GMT

Validation.Validate(p) uses GENERICS to build the validator (this is similar to calling Validation.Validate<Person>(p)).

The solution is to use REFLECTION to create the validator, like this:
Istead of:
ValidationResults res = Validation.Validate(p);
Use this:
Validator entityValidator = ValidationFactory.CreateValidator(this.GetType());
ValidationResults res = entityValidator.Validate(p);

NEW POST: Validation Block Evaluation Questions

noeleee — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:58:34 GMT

Hey Everyone,

I have some questions about the Validation Block.

*I read there are some “quirks” with Enterprise Library 3.1 Validation Block. What are they?

*I am evaluating the v3.1 Validation Block for a WCF project based on .NET 3.5. Has anyone used it with the .NET 3.5 Framework? Have you had any issues? Do you see the lack of integration with 2008 as a major problem?

*Is a version that targets .NET 3.5/VS 2008 schedule for release? When?

*Does the Validation Block provide a mechanism to code the validation failure? For example, if a certain validation error should be associated with a particular control in the client, can I code that error with “0001” or GUID, etc.? Perhaps I would use the Key or the Tag property in the ValidationDetail?

Thanks very much!

Noel

NEW POST: VAB and inherited classes

phrozen — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:01:51 GMT

For example I use following classes:

public class Person
{
private string _Name;

public string Name
{
get { return _Name; }
set { _Name = value; }
}
}

public class Employee : Person
{
private string _Department;

StringLengthValidator(1,99)
public string Department
{
get { return _Department; }
set { _Department = value; }
}
}

And I want to validate a Person

Employee e = new Employee();
e.Name = "John";
e.Department = "";
Person p = e;
ValidationResults res = Validation.Validate(p);

the result is valid although the Department is empty.

How can I pass a base class and validate a possible sub-class?

NEW POST: Is it possible to 'change' the location of the XML Rule sets?

nonnb — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:04:45 GMT

Hi & Happy Holidays

We have a Smart Client business app, and, would like to keep the validation rules on the server side of the SOA.

However, as a performance benefit (i.e. save an unnecessary server round trip), and user experience benefit, the "on the fly" validation capability of VAB / Validation Provider / ErrorProvider on the UI works very well, and we would like to get the benefit of this as well.

Although we can duplicate the rule configs on both Client and Server, it would be 'nicer' if we can keep to the one common set, i.e. we would like to keep our entity validation rules in our Server app.config, but would like to expose a rules 'service' allowing clients to retrieve these rules (and cache them) for the purpose of 'early / on the fly' validation.

Which brings the question : Is there a simple way to dynamically set the Validation "rule" store (on the client) to a location other than app.config, or will we need to hack the file?

This is probably a common scenario with a Smart Client / VAB combination?

Thanks in Advance

Regards

Stuart

NEW POST: Validating Arguments To Constructors

colin_jack — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:25:06 GMT

I'd like to be able to use your style of validation for arguments to constructors. Is this possible and even better is there any way I can find out whether it is possible to construct and object and if not why not, I'm thinking of something like this:

Title title = ...;
string firstName = ...;

ValidationResults r = Validation.ValidateConstruction<typeof(CustomerName)>(title, firstName);

This method would look at the attributes applied to the constructor and if it finds any would evaluate them against the passed in data (with the order of the arguments to the ValidateConstruction method being in the same order as the arguments to the constructor). Thus if we had an attribute on the constructor that required the first argument to be non-null then we'd get a validation-result failure if "title" was null.

Is this possible or do you think it would be easy for me to add?

NEW POST: VAB ignores Inheritance when configuring rules in config file

Shababhussain — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:12:41 GMT

I have an interesting situation and am getting confusing results.

Scenario:
I have a class hierarchy with base class and several sub-classes. I would like to apply validation rules at the base class for common fields and have sub-classes inherit those rules. I can do this by applying attributes to the fields in base class. However, this does not work when I apply the rules on the base type using the web.config and not the attributes. VAB does not respect inheritance when reading rules from the config file.

Is this "working as desgined"? Is there any workaround for this other then just hard coding my validation rules via attributes in the base class?

Thanks,

--Shabab

NEW POST: Business Object validation - with Validation Application Block

eug — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:12:11 GMT

My question: the validation application block (VAB) is not a perfect match for our requirements but can be amended to fit, so is it the right solution to go with?

VAB benefits: UI validation, business object validation, central place to store rules, etc.
negatives: rules stored in xml, rules cant be edited at runtime.

My scenario in nutshell : I have quite a few Customer business objects. Each customer has a similar (yet different) set of rules to be validated against, but the rules change dynamically depending on which the month of the year it is, or on the Customer's countryID, for instance. We will need to create many different rulesets (one for each scenario), for example CustomerA is subject to Ruleset1,2 and 3, but if CustomerA had a different countryID then RuleSets1 and 4 apply instead. We also want the customer-admin to be able to log into an admin section on our web application and manage their rules (or some of the rules), i.e. enable/disable rules and change the Range values of a range validator for example. In the past we have used customer specific xml files to contain certain config settings (similar to xml rules), but managing the file configuration turned into a nightmare and is now strongly opposed where I work.

My proposed solution (A) : use the Validation block, with this many rules we can really benefit from the features of VAB. The problem is that in order to satisfy all the different rules we will end up with loads of different rulesets and configuration files (which is not what we want) and changing the rules will require a developer with xml knowledge or access to the Enterprise Library Configuration tool - which is not ideal when we want the customer to be able to manage rules. (we could perhaps make this work by writing some code to manage and edit the customer xml files?).

My proposed solution (B) : use the Validation block along with SqlConfiguration to store the rules in a sql db, getting away from config files in the file system. The problem here is that the sqlconfiguration simply dumps a long serialised xml string into a single database column (ntext field type) with no normalisation at all. With large rulesets this is perhaps even worse than managing xml files? Provided that the ntext field can handle all our rules this solution might work, we could then extract the rules-xml from the DB and create some code and an interface in the web application for editing the rules.

Poposed Solution (C) : take solution B and amend the sqlconfiguration stored procedures to store and retrieve the rules in a better way. The procs will have to take different sets of parameters and we will have to create our own rules and constraints tables and write some code to insert and retrieve the rule settings, and to include these rules in validation. This might end up being a lot of work. Well it’s not that much work but we will probably end up writing our own validation engine.

Solution B will probably work best, using Enterprise Library Configuration tool initially to set up the rulesets, storing the rules in the database; and then for editing the rules we create a section in the web application that will read (deserialise) the xml rulesets from the database and allow authenticated customers to edit and save the rules back into the database.

Has anyone used the validation block to such extent? Please reply to let us know the recommended approach.