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.NET Framework 4
 AutoValidate Enumeration
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Microsoft Visual Studio 2010/.NET Framework 4

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.NET Framework Class Library
AutoValidate Enumeration

Determines how a control validates its data when it loses user input focus.

Namespace:  System.Windows.Forms
Assembly:  System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)
Visual Basic
Public Enumeration AutoValidate
C#
public enum AutoValidate
Visual C++
public enum class AutoValidate
F#
type AutoValidate
Member nameDescription
DisableImplicit validation will not occur. Setting this value will not interfere with explicit calls to Validate or ValidateChildren.
EnablePreventFocusChangeImplicit validation occurs when the control loses focus.
EnableAllowFocusChangeImplicit validation occurs, but if validation fails, focus will still change to the new control. If validation fails, the Validated event will not fire.
InheritThe control inherits its AutoValidate behavior from its container (such as a form or another control). If there is no container control, it defaults to EnablePreventFocusChange.

If a user switches focus off of a Windows Forms control, the control will use AutoValidate to determine how to validate its data. This type of validation is called implicit validation, because it occurs without the application developer having to make an explicit call to Validate or ValidateChildren.

The property corresponding to this value will have different defaults based on the type of control. For more information, see User Input Validation in Windows Forms.

The following code example turns off implicit validation for a form and all of its contained controls, and instead manually performs validation of all of the form's children when a mouse button is clicked.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Windows.Forms

Public Class Form1
    Inherits Form

    'Entry point which delegates to C-style main Private Function
    Public Overloads Shared Sub Main()
        Main(System.Environment.GetCommandLineArgs())
    End Sub

    Private Overloads Shared Sub Main(ByVal args() As String)
        Application.EnableVisualStyles()
        Application.Run(New Form1())
    End Sub 'Main

    Private WithEvents FirstNameBox, LastNameBox As TextBox
    Private WithEvents ValidateButton As Button
    Private FlowLayout1 As FlowLayoutPanel

    Private Sub New()
    End Sub

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
        ' Turn off validation when a control loses focus. This will be inherited by child
        ' controls on the form, enabling us to validate the entire form when the 
        ' button is clicked instead of one control at a time.
        Me.AutoValidate = System.Windows.Forms.AutoValidate.Disable

        FlowLayout1 = New FlowLayoutPanel()
        FlowLayout1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill

        FirstNameBox = New TextBox()
        FirstNameBox.Name = "FirstNameBox"
        FirstNameBox.Location = New Point(10, 10)
        FirstNameBox.Size = New Size(75, FirstNameBox.Size.Height)
        FirstNameBox.CausesValidation = True
        FlowLayout1.Controls.Add(FirstNameBox)

        LastNameBox = New TextBox()
        LastNameBox.Name = "LastNameBox"
        LastNameBox.Location = New Point(90, 10)
        LastNameBox.Size = New Size(75, LastNameBox.Size.Height)
        LastNameBox.CausesValidation = True
        FlowLayout1.Controls.Add(LastNameBox)

        ValidateButton = New Button()
        ValidateButton.Text = "Validate"
        ValidateButton.Location = New Point(170, 10)
        ValidateButton.Size = New Size(75, ValidateButton.Size.Height)
        FlowLayout1.Controls.Add(ValidateButton)

        Me.Text = "Test Validation"

        Me.Controls.Add(FlowLayout1)
    End Sub


    Private Sub FirstNameBox_Validating(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs) Handles FirstNameBox.Validating
        If FirstNameBox.Text.Length = 0 Then
            e.Cancel = True
        Else
            e.Cancel = False
        End If
    End Sub


    Private Sub LastNameBox_Validating(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs) Handles LastNameBox.Validating
        e.Cancel = False
    End Sub


    Private Sub ValidateButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles ValidateButton.Click
        If ValidateChildren() Then
            MessageBox.Show("Validation succeeded!")
        Else
            MessageBox.Show("Validation failed.")
        End If
    End Sub
End Class
C#
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;

namespace TestValidation
{
    class Form1 : Form
    {
        private static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Application.EnableVisualStyles();
            Application.Run(new Form1());
        }

        private TextBox firstNameBox, lastNameBox;
        private Button validateButton;
        private FlowLayoutPanel flowLayout1;

        private Form1()
        {
            this.Load += new EventHandler(Form1_Load);
        }

        void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            // Turn off validation when a control loses focus. This will be inherited by child
            // controls on the form, enabling us to validate the entire form when the 
            // button is clicked instead of one control at a time.
            this.AutoValidate = AutoValidate.Disable;

            flowLayout1 = new FlowLayoutPanel();
            flowLayout1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
            flowLayout1.Name = "flowLayout1";

            firstNameBox = new TextBox();
            firstNameBox.Name = "firstNameBox";
            firstNameBox.Size = new Size(75, firstNameBox.Size.Height);
            firstNameBox.CausesValidation = true;
            firstNameBox.Validating += new System.ComponentModel.CancelEventHandler(firstNameBox_Validating);
            flowLayout1.Controls.Add(firstNameBox);

            lastNameBox = new TextBox();
            lastNameBox.Name = "lastNameBox";
            lastNameBox.Size = new Size(75, lastNameBox.Size.Height);
            lastNameBox.CausesValidation = true;
            lastNameBox.Validating += new System.ComponentModel.CancelEventHandler(lastNameBox_Validating);
            flowLayout1.Controls.Add(lastNameBox);

            validateButton = new Button();
            validateButton.Text = "Validate";
            // validateButton.Location = new Point(170, 10);
            validateButton.Size = new Size(75, validateButton.Size.Height);
            validateButton.Click += new EventHandler(validateButton_Click);
            flowLayout1.Controls.Add(validateButton);

            this.Controls.Add(flowLayout1);

            this.Text = "Test Validation";
        }

        void firstNameBox_Validating(object sender, System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
        {
            if (firstNameBox.Text.Length == 0)
            {
                e.Cancel = true;
            }
            else
            {
                e.Cancel = false;
            }
        }

        void lastNameBox_Validating(object sender, System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
        {
            e.Cancel = false;
        }

        void validateButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (this.ValidateChildren())
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Validation succeeded!");
            }
            else
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Validation failed.");
            }
        }
    }
}

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
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