<cf_datavalidate>

1
ltcf_datavalidategt

• Derrick Rapley
• adrapley_at_rapleyzone.com
• Maryland CFUG
• October 8, 2002

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Agenda

• What is cf_datavalidate?
• Why use server-side validation?
• How to use cf_datavalidate
• Syntax
• Displaying Error Messages
• Using Custom Validation

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What is cf_datavalidate?

• cf_datavalidate is a custom tag that performs
  server-side data validation
• Requires use of child tag cf_dataValidateItem
• Easy to use
• Minimizes the amount of code needed to perform
  validation
• Keeps track of error messages
• Handle custom validation

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Why use server-side validation?

• To prevent potential malicious attacks
• To prevent bad data from being entered into the
  database
• Client side validation is useless when JavaScript
  is turned off. (including CFFORM)

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cf_datavalidate

• cf_datavalidate is the parent tag
• Must have end tag
• Requires two parameters
• OUTPUT (required) the variable you want the
  error messages stored in
• TYPE (optional) the type of variable for
  OUTPUT, QUERY or STRUCTURE (default is QUERY)
• ltcf_datavalidate output"qryErrors"
  type"structure"gt
• ltcf_dataValidateItemgt
• lt/cf_datavalidategt

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cf_dataValidateItem

• Must be encapsulated by cf_datavalidate
• ltcf_dataValidate output"qryErrors"gt
• ltcf_dataValidateItem type"required"
  valueform.FirstName" messageFirst Name is
  required"gt
• lt/cf_dataValidategt
• Parameters vary upon the TYPE of validation
• TYPE and MESSAGE are required for all Types

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cf_dataValidateItem - Types

• Required
• Numeric
• SimpleValue
• LenLT
• LenGT
• Range
• Compare
• Email

• Space
• Repex
• 3of4
• Date
• DateCompare
• DateRange
• DateGT
• DateLT

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Displaying Errors

• Depends on the specified TYPE in the parent tag
  cf_datavalidate
• 2 ways to display the error messages
• Query loop through the query of messages
• Structure Re-display the form and show the
  error message associated with each field (a
  little more advanced and requires some form
  manipulation)

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Displaying Errors - Query

• The error messages are placed in a query that you
  can loop through
• ltcf_dataValidate outputqryErrors type
  querygt
• ltcf_dataValidateItem type"required"
  valueform.FirstName messageFirst Name is
  required"gt
• lt/cf_dataValidategt
• ltcfif qryErrors.RecordCountgt
• ltcfoutput queryqryErrorsgt
• qryErrors.messageltbrgt
• lt/cfoutputgt
• ltcfabort
• lt/cfifgt

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Displaying Errors - Structure

• Requires form manipulation
• Form needs to be included in the template that
  does the validation
• The parameter FORMFIELD is required in the child
  tag ltcf_dataValidateItemgt
• ltcf_dataValidate outputqryErrors type
  structuregt
• ltcf_dataValidateItem type"required"
  valueform.FirstName messageFirst Name is
  required formfieldFirstNamegt
• lt/cf_dataValidategt

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Including Custom Validation

• Include the custom scenario inside
  cf_datavalidate
• ltcf_dataValidate outputqryErrors type
  querygt
• ltcf_dataValidateItem type"required"
  valueform.FirstName messageFirst Name is
  required"gt
• ltcfif form.company NEQ ACME Anvilsgt
• ltcf_dataValidateItem typecustom
  messageCustom Errorgt
• lt/cfifgt
• lt/cf_dataValidategt