.NET Framework Class Library
Control..::.Validating Event

Updated: September 2008

Occurs when the control is validating.

Namespace:  System.Windows.Forms
Assembly:  System.Windows.Forms (in System.Windows.Forms.dll)
Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public Event Validating As CancelEventHandler
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As Control
Dim handler As CancelEventHandler

AddHandler instance.Validating, handler
C#
public event CancelEventHandler Validating
Visual C++
public:
 event CancelEventHandler^ Validating {
    void add (CancelEventHandler^ value);
    void remove (CancelEventHandler^ value);
}
JScript
JScript does not support events.
Remarks

When you change the focus by using the keyboard (TAB, SHIFT+TAB, and so on), by calling the Select or SelectNextControl methods, or by setting the ContainerControl..::.ActiveControl property to the current form, focus events occur in the following order:

  1. Enter

  2. GotFocus

  3. Leave

  4. Validating

  5. Validated

  6. LostFocus

When you change the focus by using the mouse or by calling the Focus method, focus events occur in the following order:

  1. Enter

  2. GotFocus

  3. LostFocus

  4. Leave

  5. Validating

  6. Validated

If the CausesValidation property is set to false, the Validating and Validated events are suppressed.

If the Cancel property of the CancelEventArgs is set to true in the Validating event delegate, all events that would usually occur after the Validating event are suppressed.

Caution noteCaution:

Do not attempt to set focus from within the Enter, GotFocus, Leave, LostFocus, Validating, or Validated event handlers. Doing so can cause your application or the operating system to stop responding. For more information, see the WM_KILLFOCUS topic in the "Keyboard Input Reference" section, and the "Message Deadlocks" section of the "About Messages and Message Queues" topic in the MSDN library at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library.

For more information about handling events, see Consuming Events.

Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows CE Platform Note:

The Validating event fires after LostFocus in all code sequences on the .NET Compact Framework, except where it is not possible to restore focus later, such as when closing the form.

Examples

The following code example uses the derived class TextBox and validates an e-mail address that the user enters. If the e-mail address is not in the standard format (containing "@" and "."), the validation fails, an ErrorProvider icon is displayed, and the event is canceled. This example requires that a TextBox and ErrorProvider control have been created on a form.

Visual Basic
   Private Function ValidEmailAddress(ByVal emailAddress As String, ByRef errorMessage As String) As Boolean
      ' Confirm there is text in the control.
      If textBox1.Text.Length = 0 Then
         errorMessage = "E-mail address is required."
         Return False

      End If

      ' Confirm that there is an "@" and a "." in the e-mail address, and in the correct order.
      If emailAddress.IndexOf("@") > -1 Then
         If (emailAddress.IndexOf(".", emailAddress.IndexOf("@")) > emailAddress.IndexOf("@")) Then
            errorMessage = ""
            Return True
         End If
      End If

      errorMessage = "E-mail address must be valid e-mail address format." + ControlChars.Cr + _
        "For example 'someone@example.com' "
      Return False
End Function

   Private Sub textBox1_Validating(ByVal sender As Object, _
   ByVal e As System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs) Handles textBox1.Validating

      Dim errorMsg As String
      If Not ValidEmailAddress(textBox1.Text, errorMsg) Then
         ' Cancel the event and select the text to be corrected by the user.
         e.Cancel = True
         textBox1.Select(0, textBox1.Text.Length)

         ' Set the ErrorProvider error with the text to display. 
         Me.errorProvider1.SetError(textBox1, errorMsg)
      End If
   End Sub


   Private Sub textBox1_Validated(ByVal sender As Object, _
   ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles textBox1.Validated
      ' If all conditions have been met, clear the error provider of errors.
      errorProvider1.SetError(textBox1, "")
   End Sub
C#
private void textBox1_Validating(object sender, 
                 System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
{
   string errorMsg;
   if(!ValidEmailAddress(textBox1.Text, out errorMsg))
   {
      // Cancel the event and select the text to be corrected by the user.
      e.Cancel = true;
      textBox1.Select(0, textBox1.Text.Length);

      // Set the ErrorProvider error with the text to display. 
      this.errorProvider1.SetError(textBox1, errorMsg);
   }
}

private void textBox1_Validated(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
   // If all conditions have been met, clear the ErrorProvider of errors.
   errorProvider1.SetError(textBox1, "");
}
public bool ValidEmailAddress(string emailAddress, out string errorMessage)
{
   // Confirm that the e-mail address string is not empty.
   if(emailAddress.Length == 0)
   {
      errorMessage = "e-mail address is required.";
         return false;
   }

   // Confirm that there is an "@" and a "." in the e-mail address, and in the correct order.
   if(emailAddress.IndexOf("@") > -1)
   {
      if(emailAddress.IndexOf(".", emailAddress.IndexOf("@") ) > emailAddress.IndexOf("@") )
      {
         errorMessage = "";
         return true;
      }
   }

   errorMessage = "e-mail address must be valid e-mail address format.\n" +
      "For example 'someone@example.com' ";
      return false;
}
Visual C++
private:
   void textBox1_Validating( Object^ sender, System::ComponentModel::CancelEventArgs^ e )
   {
      String^ errorMsg;
      if ( !ValidEmailAddress( textBox1->Text, &errorMsg ) )
      {
         // Cancel the event and select the text to be corrected by the user.
         e->Cancel = true;
         textBox1->Select( 0, textBox1->Text->Length );

         // Set the ErrorProvider error with the text to display.
         this->errorProvider1->SetError( textBox1, errorMsg );
      }
   }

   void textBox1_Validated( Object^ sender, System::EventArgs^ e )
   {
      // If all conditions have been met, clear the ErrorProvider of errors.
      errorProvider1->SetError( textBox1, "" );
   }

public:
   bool ValidEmailAddress( String^ emailAddress, [Out]interior_ptr<String^> errorMessage )
   {
      // Confirm that the e-mail address String* is not empty.
      if ( emailAddress->Length == 0 )
      {
         *errorMessage = "e-mail address is required.";
         return false;
      }

      // Confirm that there is an "@" and a "." in the e-mail address, and in the correct order.
      if ( emailAddress->IndexOf( "@" ) > -1 )
      {
         if ( emailAddress->IndexOf( ".", emailAddress->IndexOf( "@" ) ) > emailAddress->IndexOf( "@" ) )
         {
            *errorMessage = "";
            return true;
         }
      }

      *errorMessage = "e-mail address must be valid e-mail address format.\n" +
         "For example 'someone@example.com' ";
      return false;
   }
Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 2.0, 1.0
See Also

Reference

Change History

Date

History

Reason

September 2008

Updated caution about setting focus.

Information enhancement.

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