<img src="/package_icon.png" height="30px"> Validar.Fody

Provides validation for XAML binding models.

Injects IDataErrorInfo or INotifyDataErrorInfo code into a class at compile time.

This is an add-in for Fody

It is expected that all developers using Fody become a Patron on OpenCollective. See Licensing/Patron FAQ for more information.

Usage

See also Fody usage.

NuGet installation

Install the Validar.Fody NuGet package and update the Fody NuGet package:

PM> Install-Package Fody
PM> Install-Package Validar.Fody

The Install-Package Fody is required since NuGet always defaults to the oldest, and most buggy, version of any dependency.

Add to FodyWeavers.xml

Add <Validar/> to FodyWeavers.xml

<Weavers>
  <Validar/>
</Weavers>

Model Code

• Must implement INotifyPropertyChanged (in this case implementation excluded for brevity).
• Contain a [InjectValidation] attribute.

For example

[InjectValidation]
public class Person : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    public string GivenNames { get; set; }
    public string FamilyName { get; set; }
}

Validation template code

public class ValidationTemplate : IDataErrorInfo, INotifyDataErrorInfo
{
    public ValidationTemplate(INotifyPropertyChanged target)
    {
        // Provide an implementation
    }

    // implementation of IDataErrorInfo
    // implementation of INotifyDataErrorInfo
}

What gets compiled

Note that an instance of ValidationTemplate has been injected into Person

public class Person : INotifyPropertyChanged, IDataErrorInfo, INotifyDataErrorInfo 
{
    IDataErrorInfo validationTemplate;
    public string GivenNames { get; set; }
    public string FamilyName { get; set; }

    public Person()
    {
        validationTemplate = new ValidationTemplate(this);
    }

    // implementation of IDataErrorInfo
    // implementation of INotifyDataErrorInfo
}

Validation Template

• Must be named ValidationTemplate.
• Namespace doesn't matter.
• Must implement either IDataErrorInfo or INotifyDataErrorInfo or both.
• Have a instance constructor that takes a INotifyPropertyChanged.
• Can be generic e.g. ValidationTemplate<T> where T: INotifyPropertyChanged

Current Assembly

If ValidationTemplate exist in the current assembly they will be picked up automatically.

Other Assembly

If ValidationTemplate exist in a different assembly add a [ValidationTemplateAttribute] to tell Validar where to look.

[assembly: ValidationTemplateAttribute(typeof(MyUtilsLibrary.ValidationTemplate))]

Validation Template Implementations

Custom ValidationTemplate implementations are supported. Here are some suggested implementations that enable common validation libraries.

FluentValidation

Install-Package FluentValidation

Note that FluentValidation extracts the model validation into a different class

public class PersonValidator : AbstractValidator<Person>
{
    public PersonValidator()
    {
        RuleFor(x => x.FamilyName).NotEmpty();
        RuleFor(x => x.GivenNames).NotEmpty();
    }
}

public class ValidationTemplate<T> : IDataErrorInfo, INotifyDataErrorInfo where T : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    T target;
    IValidator validator;
    ValidationResult validationResult;
    ValidationContext<T> context;
    static ConcurrentDictionary<RuntimeTypeHandle, IValidator> validators = new ConcurrentDictionary<RuntimeTypeHandle, IValidator>();

    public ValidationTemplate(T target)
    {
        this.target = target;
        validator = GetValidator(target.GetType());
        context = new ValidationContext<T>(target);
        validationResult = validator.Validate(context);
        target.PropertyChanged += Validate;
    }

    static IValidator GetValidator(Type modelType)
    {
        if (!validators.TryGetValue(modelType.TypeHandle, out var validator))
        {
            var typeName = string.Format("{0}.{1}Validator", modelType.Namespace, modelType.Name);
            var type = modelType.Assembly.GetType(typeName, true);
            validators[modelType.TypeHandle] = validator = (IValidator)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
        }
        return validator;
    }

    void Validate(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        validationResult = validator.Validate(context);
        foreach (var error in validationResult.Errors)
        {
            RaiseErrorsChanged(error.PropertyName);
        }
    }

    public IEnumerable GetErrors(string propertyName)
    {
        return validationResult.Errors
                               .Where(x => x.PropertyName == propertyName)
                               .Select(x => x.ErrorMessage);
    }

    public bool HasErrors
    {
        get { return validationResult.Errors.Count > 0; }
    }

    public string Error
    {
        get
        {
            var strings = validationResult.Errors.Select(x => x.ErrorMessage)
                                          .ToArray();
            return string.Join(Environment.NewLine, strings);
        }
    }

    public string this[string propertyName]
    {
        get
        {
            var strings = validationResult.Errors.Where(x => x.PropertyName == propertyName)
                                          .Select(x => x.ErrorMessage)
                                          .ToArray();
            return string.Join(Environment.NewLine, strings);
        }
    }

    public event EventHandler<DataErrorsChangedEventArgs> ErrorsChanged;

    void RaiseErrorsChanged(string propertyName)
    {
        var handler = ErrorsChanged;
        if (handler != null)
        {
            handler(this, new DataErrorsChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
        }
    }
}

Sandra.SimpleValidator

Install-Package Sandra.SimpleValidator

Note that Sandra.SimpleValidator extracts the model validation into a different class

public class PersonValidator : ValidateThis<Person>
{
    public PersonValidator()
    {
        For(x => x.GivenNames)
            .Ensure(new Required().WithMessage("'Given Names' should not be empty."));

        For(x => x.FamilyName)
            .Ensure(new Required().WithMessage("'Family Name' should not be empty."));
    }
}

public class ValidationTemplate : IDataErrorInfo, INotifyDataErrorInfo
{
    INotifyPropertyChanged target;
    IModelValidator validator;
    ValidationResult validationResult;

    public ValidationTemplate(INotifyPropertyChanged target)
    {
        this.target = target;
        validator = GetValidator(target.GetType());
        validationResult = validator.Validate(target);
        target.PropertyChanged += Validate;
    }

    static ConcurrentDictionary<RuntimeTypeHandle, IModelValidator> validators = new ConcurrentDictionary<RuntimeTypeHandle, IModelValidator>();

    static IModelValidator GetValidator(Type modelType)
    {
        if (!validators.TryGetValue(modelType.TypeHandle, out var validator))
        {
            var typeName = string.Format("{0}.{1}Validator", modelType.Namespace, modelType.Name);
            var type = modelType.Assembly.GetType(typeName, true);
            validators[modelType.TypeHandle] = validator = (IModelValidator)Activator.CreateInstance(type);
        }
        return validator;
    }

    void Validate(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
    {
        validationResult = validator.Validate(target);
        foreach (var error in validationResult.Messages)
        {
            RaiseErrorsChanged(error.PropertyName);
        }
    }

    public IEnumerable GetErrors(string propertyName)
    {
        return validationResult.Messages
                               .Where(x => x.PropertyName == propertyName)
                               .Select(x => x.Message);
    }

    public bool HasErrors
    {
        get { return validationResult.IsInvalid; }
    }

    public string Error
    {
        get
        {
            var strings = validationResult.Messages.Select(x => x.Message)
                                          .ToArray();
            return string.Join(Environment.NewLine, strings);
        }
    }

    public string this[string propertyName]
    {
        get
        {
            var strings = validationResult.Messages.Where(x => x.PropertyName == propertyName)
                                          .Select(x => x.Message)
                                          .ToArray();
            return string.Join(Environment.NewLine, strings);
        }
    }

    public event EventHandler<DataErrorsChangedEventArgs> ErrorsChanged;

    void RaiseErrorsChanged(string propertyName)
    {
        var handler = ErrorsChanged;
        if (handler != null)
        {
            handler(this, new DataErrorsChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
        }
    }
}

DataAnnotations

public class ValidationTemplate :
    IDataErrorInfo,
    INotifyDataErrorInfo
{
    INotifyPropertyChanged target;
    ValidationContex