Validation of complex classes in ASP.NET MVC4 fails

Question

came across an issue with validation of complex classes in ASP.NET MVC4 using DataAnnotation.

Let's have a following model (simplified)

public class Customer
{
   [Required]
   [StringLength(8, MinimumLength = 3)]        
   public string UserName { get; set; }

   [Required]
   [StringLength(8, MinimumLength = 3)]
   public string DisplayName { get; set; }
}


public class Order
{
    public Customer customer { get; set; }
}

Then I try to validate an instance of this model in my controller:

// CREATE A DUMMY INSTANCE OF THE MODEL 
Customer cust = new Customer();
cust.UserName = "x";
cust.DisplayName = "x";

Order orderModel = new Order();
orderModel.customer = cust;

// VALIDATE MODEL
TryValidateModel(orderModel); // ModelState.IsValid is TRUE (which is incorrect)
TryValidateModel(cust); // ModelState.IsValid is FALSE (whic is correct}

Validation of orderModel should fail as the cust.UserName has only 1 character, but 3 are required by the Model. Same applies to cust.DisplayName. But when I validate a pure Customer class then it fails as expected.

Any idea what's wrong?

thanks

Jiri

As far as I know you can't validate nested objects like that, maybe use a custom validator — saj
– saj, Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 13:20
It seems data annotation validation doesn't run validation of nested objects by default. Simmilar post here stackoverflow.com/questions/2493800/… — petro.sidlovskyy
– petro.sidlovskyy, Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 13:30

Forty-Two · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-30 18:30:38Z

2

DataAnnotations won't dig into your objects on it's own. You have two choices:

1--Write a custom validator to check child properties

2--Create a view model with populated with the simple properties decorated with data annotations

answered Aug 30, 2012 at 18:30

Forty-Two

7,6252 gold badges39 silver badges54 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Validation of complex classes in ASP.NET MVC4 fails

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related