Programming ASP.NET 3.5, 4th Edition

Chapter 11. Validation

As you saw in previous chapters, many web applications involve user input. Sadly, however, users make mistakes: they skip required fields, they enter phone numbers with the wrong number of digits, and they send to your application all manner of incorrectly formatted data. Your database routines can choke on corrupted data, and orders can be lost, for example, if a credit card number is entered incorrectly or an address is omitted, so it is imperative to validate user input.

Traditionally, it takes a great deal of time and effort to write reliable validation code. Each field must be checked, and routines must be created for ensuring data integrity. If bad data is found, error messages must be displayed so that the user knows there is a problem and knows how to correct it.

In a given application, you may choose to validate that certain fields have a value, that the values fall within a given range, or that the data is formatted correctly. For example, when processing an order, you may need to ensure the user has input an address and phone number, the phone number has the right number of digits (and no letters), and that the Social Security number entered is in the appropriate form of nine digits separated with hyphens.

Some applications require more complex validation, in which one field is validated to be within a range established by two other fields. For example, in one field you might ask what date a customer wishes to arrive at your hotel, and in a second ...