Dissapearin Validators

[Tom Pearson]

I create controls and validators dynamically dependent on data at runtime.
I create the control then the relevant validator(s) for it assigning the Control.ID as the control to validate.
These controls and validators are then added to a table for display to the user.
This code did seem to work originally, but now does not amd I am stumped as to why. There have been some code

changes, but not to the methods below and I have pretty much undone all these changes but to no avail.
I assume that the ID I pass will be prefixed with the correct naming container when the User Control the objects

live on is rendered with the page as I don't have a could not find code to validate message. The validator is

simply not appearing at the client side.
I can see the space I put in the cell which contains the validator (see in code) and obviously the cell exists

also. But no validator.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

Cheers

Tom

This is the code below------
/// <summary>
/// Create the required control, validator etc for the parameter
/// </summary>
/// <param name="parameter ">The parameter info</param>
private void CreateControl( FunctionParamet er parameter, int index )
{
// Get the display name
string displayName = parameter.Displ ayName;

// Get the control Id
string controlId = parameter.DataN ame;

// Create the return value
WebControl theControl = null;

// Create an array of BaseValidators to add to
ArrayList validators = new ArrayList( );

// if the control isn't visible store the required default value
if( !parameter.Visi ble )
{
// Create a text box to store the default value in
TextBox defaultTextBox = new TextBox( );

// get the default value for this control
if(parameter.Va lue != null)
defaultTextBox. Text = parameter.Value .ToString();
// hide the textbox
defaultTextBox. Visible = false;
theControl = defaultTextBox;
}

// Create the correct input control
else
{
// Check if this parameter has a list of predefined values
if( (string)paramet er.PredefinedVa lues != "NotSet" )
{
// If we have a list of predefined values we need a list box
DropDownList dropDownList = new DropDownList( );
dropDownList.Da taSource = GetListItems( (string)paramet er.PredefinedVa lues

);
dropDownList.Da taTextField = "DisplayVal ue";
dropDownList.Da taValueField = "StoredProcValu e";
dropDownList.Da taBind( );
theControl = dropDownList;
}

// Create the correct type of input control
else
{
// Create the control dependent on type
// Switch on the DataType forced to upper characters
switch( (parameter.Data Type).ToUpper( ) )
{
case INT:
// Create a text box control for integer input
TextBox txtBox = new TextBox( );
theControl = txtBox;
// Create a length validator for an int
RegularExpressi onValidator theIntValidator = new

RegularExpressi onValidator( );
theIntValidator .ControlToValid ate = controlId;
theIntValidator .ErrorMessage = displayName + " must

contain integers only";
theIntValidator .Text = "*";
theIntValidator .ValidationExpr ession = INT_REG_EXP;
validators.Add( theIntValidator );
break;
case DECIMAL:
// Create a text box control for free input
TextBox decimalBox = new TextBox( );
theControl = decimalBox;
// Create a length validator for a decimal
RegularExpressi onValidator theDecimalValid ator = new

RegularExpressi onValidator( );
theDecimalValid ator.ControlToV alidate = controlId;
theDecimalValid ator.ErrorMessa ge = displayName + " must

contain numeric characters and a simgle point only";
theDecimalValid ator.Text = "*";
theDecimalValid ator.Validation Expression =

DECIMAL_REG_EXP ;
validators.Add( theDecimalValid ator );
break;
case VARCHAR:
case NVARCHAR:
// Create a text box control for the input
TextBox varCharBox = new TextBox( );
theControl = varCharBox;
// Create a length validator for a varchar
RegularExpressi onValidator theVarCharValid ator = new

RegularExpressi onValidator( );
theVarCharValid ator.ControlToV alidate = controlId;
theVarCharValid ator.ErrorMessa ge = displayName + " must

contain less than " + parameter.DataL ength + " alpha characters";
theVarCharValid ator.Text = "*";
theVarCharValid ator.Validation Expression = VARCHAR_REG_EXP

+ parameter.DataL ength+ "}";
validators.Add( theVarCharValid ator );
break;
case BIT:
// Create the drop down list with true and false
DropDownList boolean = new DropDownList( );
ListItem liTrue = new ListItem( "True", "TRUE" );
ListItem liFalse = new ListItem( "False", "FALSE" );
boolean.Items.A dd( liTrue );
boolean.Items.A dd( liFalse );
theControl = boolean;
break;
case DATETIME:
// Create a text box control for the input
TextBox dateTimeBox = new TextBox( );
theControl = dateTimeBox;
// Create a length validator for a varchar
RegularExpressi onValidator theDateTimeVali dator = new

RegularExpressi onValidator( );
theDateTimeVali dator.ControlTo Validate = controlId;
theDateTimeVali dator.ErrorMess age = displayName + " must

contain a valid date in the format dd/mm/yy";
theDateTimeVali dator.Text = "*";
theDateTimeVali dator.Validatio nExpression =

DATETIME_REG_EX P;
validators.Add( theDateTimeVali dator );
break;
default:
// Unkown, throw exception
throw new Exception( "CRITERIA SELECTOR: Unknown Data Type

" + (string)paramet er.DataType );
}
}

// Set the id to be that of the DataName
theControl.ID = controlId;

// Give all controls a fixed width for display purposes
theControl.Widt h = Unit.Pixel( 100 );

// set the text properties
theControl.Font .Size = FontUnit.Point( FONT_SIZE );

// If this is mandatory add a required field validator
if( parameter.Optio nal != true )
{
RequiredFieldVa lidator mandatoryValida tor = new RequiredFieldVa lidator( );
mandatoryValida tor.ControlToVa lidate = theControl.ID;
mandatoryValida tor.ErrorMessag e = displayName + " is a mandatory field";
mandatoryValida tor.Text = "*";
validators.Add( mandatoryValida tor );
}

// Create any specialist regular expression validators
if( parameter.RegEx pression != "" )
{
// Create the regular expression validator
RegularExpressi onValidator theValidator = new RegularExpressi onValidator(

);
theValidator.Co ntrolToValidate = theControl.ID;
theValidator.Er rorMessage = displayName + ": " +

(string)paramet er.RegExpressio nErrorMsg;
theValidator.Te xt = "*";
theValidator.Va lidationExpress ion = (string)paramet er.RegExpressio n;
validators.Add( theValidator );
}
}

this.paramContr ols.Add(paramet er.DataName,the Control);

// Add the tool tip
theControl.Tool Tip = parameter.Descr iption;

// Need to add the control to the correct table
// So initialise our control to the optional table
Table theTable = tblOptionalPara meters;

// Check if the parameter is visible
if( parameter.Visib le == false )
{
theTable = tblNotVisible;
}
// If visible check if the parameter is mandatory
else if( parameter.Optio nal == false )
{
// If so assign it to the mandatory table
theTable = tblMandatoryPar ameters;
}

// Add the control, label and validator to the correct table
AddToTable( theTable, theControl, validators, displayName, parameter.DataN ame,

(parameter.Data Type).ToUpper( ), index );
}

/// <summary>
/// Add a parameter to the table
/// </summary>
/// <param name="theTable" >The table to add the control to</param>
/// <param name="theContro l">The control to add</param>
/// <param name="theValida tor">The validators</param>
/// <param name="label">Th e display name</param>
/// <param name="paramName ">The stored proc parameter name</param>
/// <param name="type">The parameter type</param>
private void AddToTable( Table theTable, Control theControl, ArrayList validators, string label,

string paramName, string type, int index )
{
// Create the table cells and row
Table paramTable = new Table( );
TableCell paramNameCell = new TableCell( );
TableCell paramTypeCell = new TableCell( );
TableCell paramIndexCell = new TableCell( );
TableCell labelCell = new TableCell( );
TableCell controlCell = new TableCell( );
TableCell validatorCell = new TableCell( );
TableRow theTableRow = new TableRow( );

// Add the parameter name to the table and hide it
paramNameCell.T ext = paramName;
paramNameCell.V isible = false;

// Add the parameter type to the table and hide it
paramTypeCell.T ext = type;
paramTypeCell.V isible = false;

// Add the parameter index to the table and hide it
paramIndexCell. Text = index.ToString( );
paramIndexCell. Visible = false;

// Add the controls label
labelCell.Text = label;
labelCell.Width = Unit.Pixel( 100 );
labelCell.Font. Size = FontUnit.Point( FONT_SIZE );
labelCell.Horiz ontalAlign = HorizontalAlign .Right;

// Add the control
controlCell.Con trols.Add( theControl );
controlCell.Wid th = Unit.Pixel( 100 );
controlCell.Hor izontalAlign = HorizontalAlign .Left;

// Add the validator(s) if there are any
for( int i = 0; i< validators.Coun t; ++i )
{
validatorCell.C ontrols.Add( (Control)valida tors[ i ] );
}

// Give the validator cell a fixed width for display purposes
validatorCell.W idth = Unit.Pixel( 20 );
validatorCell.T ext = " ";
validatorCell.V isible = true;

// Add the cells to the row
theTableRow.Cel ls.Add( paramNameCell );
theTableRow.Cel ls.Add( paramTypeCell );
theTableRow.Cel ls.Add( paramIndexCell );
theTableRow.Cel ls.Add( labelCell );
theTableRow.Cel ls.Add( controlCell );
theTableRow.Cel ls.Add( validatorCell );

// Add the row to the table
paramTable.Rows .Add( theTableRow );

// Put this whole table in a single cell
TableCell tableCell = new TableCell( );
tableCell.Contr ols.Add( paramTable );

// Has the last row got the maximum number of cells
// Create new row if this is the title row or no rows
if( theTable.Rows.C ount <= 1 || theTable.Rows[ theTable.Rows.C ount -1 ].Cells.Count ==

MAX_CELLS )
{
// If so add a new row
TableRow newRow = new TableRow( );
newRow.Width = Unit.Percentage ( 100 );
theTable.Rows.A dd( newRow );

}

// Now add the parameter table cell
theTable.Rows[ theTable.Rows.C ount -1 ].Cells.Add( tableCell );
}