From 0ecb05f399f60ca9cd3993fd2ae8f19a2d66e052 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Judy Bogart Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:28:42 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] docs: refactor form validation doc to be task-oriented rework content to meet current documentation standards and conventions, structure as task-oriented document --- aio/content/guide/form-validation.md | 266 ++++++++++++++------------- aio/content/navigation.json | 2 +- 2 files changed, 140 insertions(+), 128 deletions(-) diff --git a/aio/content/guide/form-validation.md b/aio/content/guide/form-validation.md index 2b61e533190c6..afee5077f0bb4 100644 --- a/aio/content/guide/form-validation.md +++ b/aio/content/guide/form-validation.md @@ -1,132 +1,131 @@ -# Form validation +# Validating form input -Improve overall data quality by validating user input for accuracy and completeness. +You can improve overall data quality by validating user input for accuracy and completeness. +This page shows how to validate user input from the UI and display useful validation messages, +in both reactive and template-driven forms. -This page shows how to validate user input in the UI and display useful validation messages -using both reactive and template-driven forms. It assumes some basic knowledge of the two -forms modules. +**Prerequisites** -
+Before reading about form validation, you should have a basic understanding of the following. - For the sample app that this page describes, see the . +* [TypeScript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/home.html "The TypeScript language") and HTML5 programming. -
+* Fundamental concepts of [Angular app design](guide/architecture "Introduction to Angular app-design concepts"). + +* The [two types of forms that Angular supports](guide/forms-overview "Introduction to Angular forms"). + +* Basics of either [Template-driven Forms](guide/forms "Template-driven forms guide") or [Reactive Forms](guide/reactive-forms "Reactive forms guide").
-If you're new to forms, start by reviewing the [Forms](guide/forms) and -[Reactive Forms](guide/reactive-forms) guides. +Get the complete example code for the reactive and template-driven forms used here to illustrate form validation. +Run the .
+{@a template-driven-validation} -## Template-driven validation +## Validating input in template-driven forms To add validation to a template-driven form, you add the same validation attributes as you would with [native HTML form validation](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Guide/HTML/HTML5/Constraint_validation). Angular uses directives to match these attributes with validator functions in the framework. Every time the value of a form control changes, Angular runs validation and generates -either a list of validation errors, which results in an INVALID status, or null, which results in a VALID status. +either a list of validation errors that results in an INVALID status, or null, which results in a VALID status. You can then inspect the control's state by exporting `ngModel` to a local template variable. The following example exports `NgModel` into a variable called `name`: - -Note the following: +Notice the following features illustrated by the example. * The `` element carries the HTML validation attributes: `required` and `minlength`. It also carries a custom validator directive, `forbiddenName`. For more -information, see [Custom validators](guide/form-validation#custom-validators) section. +information, see the [Custom validators](#custom-validators) section. * `#name="ngModel"` exports `NgModel` into a local variable called `name`. `NgModel` mirrors many of the properties of its underlying `FormControl` instance, so you can use this in the template to check for control states such as `valid` and `dirty`. For a full list of control properties, see the [AbstractControl](api/forms/AbstractControl) API reference. -* The `*ngIf` on the `
` element reveals a set of nested message `divs` + * The `*ngIf` on the `
` element reveals a set of nested message `divs` but only if the `name` is invalid and the control is either `dirty` or `touched`. -* Each nested `
` can present a custom message for one of the possible validation errors. + * Each nested `
` can present a custom message for one of the possible validation errors. There are messages for `required`, `minlength`, and `forbiddenName`. +{@a dirty-or-touched}
+To prevent the validator from displaying errors before the user has a chance to edit the form, you should check for either the `dirty` or `touched` states in a control. - -#### Why check _dirty_ and _touched_? - -You may not want your application to display errors before the user has a chance to edit the form. -The checks for `dirty` and `touched` prevent errors from showing until the user -does one of two things: changes the value, -turning the control dirty; or blurs the form control element, setting the control to touched. +* When the user changes the value in the watched field, the control is marked as "dirty". +* When the user blurs the form control element, the control is marked as "touched".
-## Reactive form validation +{@a reactive-form-validation} -In a reactive form, the source of truth is the component class. Instead of adding validators through attributes in the template, you add validator functions directly to the form control model in the component class. Angular then calls these functions whenever the value of the control changes. +## Validating input in reactive forms + +In a reactive form, the source of truth is the component class. +Instead of adding validators through attributes in the template, you add validator functions directly to the form control model in the component class. +Angular then calls these functions whenever the value of the control changes. ### Validator functions -There are two types of validator functions: sync validators and async validators. +Validator functions can be either synchronous or asynchronous. -* **Sync validators**: functions that take a control instance and immediately return either a set of validation errors or `null`. You can pass these in as the second argument when you instantiate a `FormControl`. +* **Sync validators**: Synchronous functions that take a control instance and immediately return either a set of validation errors or `null`. You can pass these in as the second argument when you instantiate a `FormControl`. -* **Async validators**: functions that take a control instance and return a Promise +* **Async validators**: Asynchronous functions that take a control instance and return a Promise or Observable that later emits a set of validation errors or `null`. You can pass these in as the third argument when you instantiate a `FormControl`. -Note: for performance reasons, Angular only runs async validators if all sync validators pass. Each must complete before errors are set. +For performance reasons, Angular only runs async validators if all sync validators pass. Each must complete before errors are set. -### Built-in validators +### Built-in validator functions -You can choose to [write your own validator functions](guide/form-validation#custom-validators), or you can use some of -Angular's built-in validators. +You can choose to [write your own validator functions](#custom-validators), or you can use some of Angular's built-in validators. -The same built-in validators that are available as attributes in template-driven forms, such as `required` and `minlength`, are all available to use as functions from the `Validators` class. For a full list of built-in validators, see the [Validators](api/forms/Validators) API reference. +The same built-in validators that are available as attributes in template-driven forms, such as `required` and `minlength`, are all available to use as functions from the `Validators` class. +For a full list of built-in validators, see the [Validators](api/forms/Validators) API reference. To update the hero form to be a reactive form, you can use some of the same -built-in validators—this time, in function form. See below: +built-in validators—this time, in function form, as in the following example. {@a reactive-component-class} -Note that: +In this example, the `name` control sets up two built-in validators—`Validators.required` and `Validators.minLength(4)`—and one custom validator, `forbiddenNameValidator`. (For more details see [custom validators](#custom-validators) below.) -* The name control sets up two built-in validators—`Validators.required` and `Validators.minLength(4)`—and one custom validator, `forbiddenNameValidator`. For more details see the [Custom validators](guide/form-validation#custom-validators) section in this guide. -* As these validators are all sync validators, you pass them in as the second argument. -* Support multiple validators by passing the functions in as an array. -* This example adds a few getter methods. In a reactive form, you can always access any form control through the `get` method on its parent group, but sometimes it's useful to define getters as shorthands -for the template. +All of these validators are synchronous, so they are passed as the second argument. Notice that you can support multiple validators by passing the functions in as an array. +This example also adds a few getter methods. In a reactive form, you can always access any form control through the `get` method on its parent group, but sometimes it's useful to define getters as shorthand for the template. -If you look at the template for the name input again, it is fairly similar to the template-driven example. +If you look at the template for the `name` input again, it is fairly similar to the template-driven example. -Key takeaways: +This form differs from the template-driven version in that it no longer exports any directives. Instead, it uses the `name` getter defined in the component class. - * The form no longer exports any directives, and instead uses the `name` getter defined in - the component class. - * The `required` attribute is still present. While it's not necessary for validation purposes, - you may want to keep it in your template for CSS styling or accessibility reasons. +Notice that the `required` attribute is still present in the template. Although it's not necessary for validation, it should be retained to for accessibility purposes. +{@a custom-validators} -## Custom validators +## Defining custom validators -Since the built-in validators won't always match the exact use case of your application, sometimes you'll want to create a custom validator. +The built-in validators don't always match the exact use case of your application, so you sometimes need to create a custom validator. -Consider the `forbiddenNameValidator` function from previous -[examples](guide/form-validation#reactive-component-class) in -this guide. Here's what the definition of that function looks like: +Consider the `forbiddenNameValidator` function from previous [reactive-form examples](#reactive-component-class). +Here's what the definition of that function looks like. -The function is actually a factory that takes a regular expression to detect a _specific_ forbidden name and returns a validator function. +The function is a factory that takes a regular expression to detect a _specific_ forbidden name and returns a validator function. In this sample, the forbidden name is "bob", so the validator will reject any hero name containing "bob". Elsewhere it could reject "alice" or any name that the configuring regular expression matches. @@ -137,55 +136,57 @@ null if the control value is valid _or_ a validation error object. The validation error object typically has a property whose name is the validation key, `'forbiddenName'`, and whose value is an arbitrary dictionary of values that you could insert into an error message, `{name}`. -Custom async validators are similar to sync validators, but they must instead return a Promise or Observable -that later emits null or a validation error object. In the case of an Observable, the Observable must complete, -at which point the form uses the last value emitted for validation. +Custom async validators are similar to sync validators, but they must instead return a Promise or observable that later emits null or a validation error object. +In the case of an observable, the observable must complete, at which point the form uses the last value emitted for validation. + +{@a adding-to-reactive-forms} -### Adding to reactive forms +### Adding custom validators to reactive forms -In reactive forms, custom validators are fairly simple to add. All you have to do is pass the function directly -to the `FormControl`. +In reactive forms, add a custom validator by passing the function directly to the `FormControl`. -### Adding to template-driven forms +{@a adding-to-template-driven-forms} -In template-driven forms, you don't have direct access to the `FormControl` instance, so you can't pass the -validator in like you can for reactive forms. Instead, you need to add a directive to the template. +### Adding custom validators to template-driven forms -The corresponding `ForbiddenValidatorDirective` serves as a wrapper around the `forbiddenNameValidator`. +In template-driven forms, add a directive to the template, where the directive wraps the validator function. +For example, the corresponding `ForbiddenValidatorDirective` serves as a wrapper around the `forbiddenNameValidator`. -Angular recognizes the directive's role in the validation process because the directive registers itself -with the `NG_VALIDATORS` provider, a provider with an extensible collection of validators. +Angular recognizes the directive's role in the validation process because the directive registers itself with the `NG_VALIDATORS` provider, as shown in the following example. +`NG_VALIDATORS` is a predefined provider with an extensible collection of validators. The directive class then implements the `Validator` interface, so that it can easily integrate -with Angular forms. Here is the rest of the directive to help you get an idea of how it all -comes together: +with Angular forms. +Here is the rest of the directive to help you get an idea of how it all +comes together. -Once the `ForbiddenValidatorDirective` is ready, you can simply add its selector, `appForbiddenName`, to any input element to activate it. For example: +Once the `ForbiddenValidatorDirective` is ready, you can add its selector, `appForbiddenName`, to any input element to activate it. +For example:
-You may have noticed that the custom validation directive is instantiated with `useExisting` -rather than `useClass`. The registered validator must be _this instance_ of +Notice that the custom validation directive is instantiated with `useExisting` rather than `useClass`. The registered validator must be _this instance_ of the `ForbiddenValidatorDirective`—the instance in the form with -its `forbiddenName` property bound to “bob". If you were to replace -`useExisting` with `useClass`, then you’d be registering a new class instance, one that -doesn’t have a `forbiddenName`. +its `forbiddenName` property bound to “bob". + +If you were to replace `useExisting` with `useClass`, then you’d be registering a new class instance, one that doesn’t have a `forbiddenName`.
## Control status CSS classes -Like in AngularJS, Angular automatically mirrors many control properties onto the form control element as CSS classes. You can use these classes to style form control elements according to the state of the form. The following classes are currently supported: +Angular automatically mirrors many control properties onto the form control element as CSS classes. You can use these classes to style form control elements according to the state of the form. +The following classes are currently supported. * `.ng-valid` * `.ng-invalid` @@ -195,25 +196,27 @@ Like in AngularJS, Angular automatically mirrors many control properties onto th * `.ng-untouched` * `.ng-touched` -The hero form uses the `.ng-valid` and `.ng-invalid` classes to +In the following example, the hero form uses the `.ng-valid` and `.ng-invalid` classes to set the color of each form control's border. -## Cross field validation -This section shows how to perform cross field validation. It assumes some basic knowledge of creating custom validators. +## Cross-field validation -
+A cross-field validator is a [custom validator](#custom-validators "Read about custom validators") that compares the values of different fields in a form and accepts or rejects them in combination. +For example, you might have a form that offers mutually incompatible options, so that if the user can choose A or B, but not both. +Some field values might also depend on others; a user might be allowed to choose B only if A is also chosen. -If you haven't created custom validators before, start by reviewing the [custom validators section](guide/form-validation#custom-validators). +The following cross validation examples show how to do the following: -
+* Validate reactive or template-based form input based on the values of two sibling controls, +* Show a descriptive error message after the user interacted with the form and the validation failed. -In the following section, we will make sure that our heroes do not reveal their true identities by filling out the Hero Form. We will do that by validating that the hero names and alter egos do not match. +The examples use cross-validation to ensure that heroes do not reveal their true identities by filling out the Hero Form. The validators do this by checking that the hero names and alter egos do not match. -### Adding to reactive forms +### Adding cross-validation to reactive forms The form has the following structure: @@ -225,7 +228,9 @@ const heroForm = new FormGroup({ }); ``` -Notice that the name and alterEgo are sibling controls. To evaluate both controls in a single custom validator, we should perform the validation in a common ancestor control: the `FormGroup`. That way, we can query the `FormGroup` for the child controls which will allow us to compare their values. +Notice that the `name` and `alterEgo` are sibling controls. +To evaluate both controls in a single custom validator, you must perform the validation in a common ancestor control: the `FormGroup`. +You query the `FormGroup` for its child controls so that you can compare their values. To add a validator to the `FormGroup`, pass the new validator in as the second argument on creation. @@ -237,74 +242,73 @@ const heroForm = new FormGroup({ }, { validators: identityRevealedValidator }); ``` -The validator code is as follows: +The validator code is as follows. -The identity validator implements the `ValidatorFn` interface. It takes an Angular control object as an argument and returns either null if the form is valid, or `ValidationErrors` otherwise. +The `identity` validator implements the `ValidatorFn` interface. It takes an Angular control object as an argument and returns either null if the form is valid, or `ValidationErrors` otherwise. -First we retrieve the child controls by calling the `FormGroup`'s [get](api/forms/AbstractControl#get) method. Then we simply compare the values of the `name` and `alterEgo` controls. +The validator retrieves the child controls by calling the `FormGroup`'s [get](api/forms/AbstractControl#get) method, then compares the values of the `name` and `alterEgo` controls. -If the values do not match, the hero's identity remains secret, and we can safely return null. Otherwise, the hero's identity is revealed and we must mark the form as invalid by returning an error object. +If the values do not match, the hero's identity remains secret, both are valid, and the validator returns null. +If they do match, the hero's identity is revealed and the validator must mark the form as invalid by returning an error object. + +To provide better user experience, the template shows an appropriate error message when the form is invalid. -Next, to provide better user experience, we show an appropriate error message when the form is invalid. -Note that we check if: -- the `FormGroup` has the cross validation error returned by the `identityRevealed` validator, -- the user is yet to [interact](guide/form-validation#why-check-dirty-and-touched) with the form. +This `*ngIf` displays the error if the `FormGroup` has the cross validation error returned by the `identityRevealed` validator, but only if the user has finished [interacting with the form](#dirty-or-touched). + +### Adding cross-validation to template-driven forms -### Adding to template driven forms -First we must create a directive that will wrap the validator function. We provide it as the validator using the `NG_VALIDATORS` token. If you are not sure why, or you do not fully understand the syntax, revisit the previous [section](guide/form-validation#adding-to-template-driven-forms). +For a template-driven form, you must create a directive to wrap the validator function. +You provide that directive as the validator using the [`NG_VALIDATORS` token](#adding-to-template-driven-forms "Read about providing validators"), as shown in the following example. -Next, we have to add the directive to the html template. Since the validator must be registered at the highest level in the form, we put the directive on the `form` tag. +You must add the new directive to the HTML template. +Because the validator must be registered at the highest level in the form, the following template puts the directive on the `form` tag. + To provide better user experience, we show an appropriate error message when the form is invalid. - -Note that we check if: -- the form has the cross validation error returned by the `identityRevealed` validator, -- the user is yet to [interact](guide/form-validation#why-check-dirty-and-touched) with the form. - -This completes the cross validation example. We managed to: -- validate the form based on the values of two sibling controls, -- show a descriptive error message after the user interacted with the form and the validation failed. + -## Async Validation -This section shows how to create asynchronous validators. It assumes some basic knowledge of creating [custom validators](guide/form-validation#custom-validators). +This is the same in both template-driven and reactive forms. -### The Basics -Just like synchronous validators have the `ValidatorFn` and `Validator` interfaces, asynchronous validators have their own counterparts: `AsyncValidatorFn` and `AsyncValidator`. +## Creating asynchronous validators -They are very similar with the only difference being: +Asynchronous validators implement the `AsyncValidatorFn` and `AsyncValidator` interfaces. +These are very similar to their synchronous counterparts, with the following differences. -* They must return a Promise or an Observable, -* The observable returned must be finite, meaning it must complete at some point. To convert an infinite observable into a finite one, pipe the observable through a filtering operator such as `first`, `last`, `take`, or `takeUntil`. +* The `validate()` functions must return a Promise or an observable, +* The observable returned must be finite, meaning it must complete at some point. +To convert an infinite observable into a finite one, pipe the observable through a filtering operator such as `first`, `last`, `take`, or `takeUntil`. -It is important to note that the asynchronous validation happens after the synchronous validation, and is performed only if the synchronous validation is successful. This check allows forms to avoid potentially expensive async validation processes such as an HTTP request if more basic validation methods fail. +Asynchronous validation happens after the synchronous validation, and is performed only if the synchronous validation is successful. +This check allows forms to avoid potentially expensive async validation processes (such as an HTTP request) if the more basic validation methods have already found invalid input. -After asynchronous validation begins, the form control enters a `pending` state. You can inspect the control's `pending` property and use it to give visual feedback about the ongoing validation. +After asynchronous validation begins, the form control enters a `pending` state. You can inspect the control's `pending` property and use it to give visual feedback about the ongoing validation operation. -A common UI pattern is to show a spinner while the async validation is being performed. The following example presents how to achieve this with template-driven forms: +A common UI pattern is to show a spinner while the async validation is being performed. The following example shows how to achieve this in a template-driven form. ```html ``` -### Implementing Custom Async Validator -In the following section, validation is performed asynchronously to ensure that our heroes pick an alter ego that is not already taken. New heroes are constantly enlisting and old heroes are leaving the service. That means that we do not have the list of available alter egos ahead of time. +### Implementing a custom async validator -To validate the potential alter ego, we need to consult a central database of all currently enlisted heroes. The process is asynchronous, so we need a special validator for that. +In the following example, an async validator ensures that heroes pick an alter ego that is not already taken. +New heroes are constantly enlisting and old heroes are leaving the service, so the list of available alter egos cannot be retrieved ahead of time. +To validate the potential alter ego entry, the validator must initiate an asynchronous operation to consult a central database of all currently enlisted heroes. -Let's start by creating the validator class. +The following code create the validator class, `UniqueAlterEgoValidator`, which implements the `AsyncValidator` interface. -As you can see, the `UniqueAlterEgoValidator` class implements the `AsyncValidator` interface. In the constructor, we inject the `HeroesService` that has the following interface: +The constructor injects the `HeroesService`, which defines the following interface. ```typescript interface HeroesService { @@ -312,29 +316,37 @@ interface HeroesService { } ``` -In a real world application, the `HeroesService` is responsible for making an HTTP request to the hero database to check if the alter ego is available. From the validator's point of view, the actual implementation of the service is not important, so we can just code against the `HeroesService` interface. +In a real world application, the `HeroesService` would be responsible for making an HTTP request to the hero database to check if the alter ego is available. +From the validator's point of view, the actual implementation of the service is not important, so the example can just code against the `HeroesService` interface. -As the validation begins, the `UniqueAlterEgoValidator` delegates to the `HeroesService` `isAlterEgoTaken()` method with the current control value. At this point the control is marked as `pending` and remains in this state until the observable chain returned from the `validate()` method completes. +As the validation begins, the `UniqueAlterEgoValidator` delegates to the `HeroesService` `isAlterEgoTaken()` method with the current control value. +At this point the control is marked as `pending` and remains in this state until the observable chain returned from the `validate()` method completes. -The `isAlterEgoTaken()` method dispatches an HTTP request that checks if the alter ego is available, and returns `Observable` as the result. We pipe the response through the `map` operator and transform it into a validation result. As always, we return `null` if the form is valid, and `ValidationErrors` if it is not. We make sure to handle any potential errors with the `catchError` operator. +The `isAlterEgoTaken()` method dispatches an HTTP request that checks if the alter ego is available, and returns `Observable` as the result. +The `validate()` method pipes the response through the `map` operator and transforms it into a validation result. -Here we decided that `isAlterEgoTaken()` error is treated as a successful validation, because failure to make a validation request does not necessarily mean that the alter ego is invalid. You could handle the error differently and return the `ValidationError` object instead. +The method then, like any validator, returns `null` if the form is valid, and `ValidationErrors` if it is not. +This validator handles any potential errors with the `catchError` operator. +In this case, the validator treats the `isAlterEgoTaken()` error as a successful validation, because failure to make a validation request does not necessarily mean that the alter ego is invalid. +You could handle the error differently and return the `ValidationError` object instead. -After some time passes, the observable chain completes and the async validation is done. The `pending` flag is set to `false`, and the form validity is updated. +After some time passes, the observable chain completes and the asynchronous validation is done. +The `pending` flag is set to `false`, and the form validity is updated. -### Note on performance +### Optimizing performance of async validators -By default, all validators are run after every form value change. With synchronous validators, this will not likely have a noticeable impact on application performance. However, it's common for async validators to perform some kind of HTTP request to validate the control. Dispatching an HTTP request after every keystroke could put a strain on the backend API, and should be avoided if possible. +By default, all validators run after every form value change. With synchronous validators, this does not normally have a noticeable impact on application performance. +Async validators, however, commonly perform some kind of HTTP request to validate the control. Dispatching an HTTP request after every keystroke could put a strain on the backend API, and should be avoided if possible. -We can delay updating the form validity by changing the `updateOn` property from `change` (default) to `submit` or `blur`. +You can delay updating the form validity by changing the `updateOn` property from `change` (default) to `submit` or `blur`. -With template-driven forms: +With template-driven forms, set the property in the template. ```html ``` -With reactive forms: +With reactive forms, set the property in the `FormControl` instance. ```typescript new FormControl('', {updateOn: 'blur'}); diff --git a/aio/content/navigation.json b/aio/content/navigation.json index e6ec4dc9ddf11..8b8aee8a82942 100644 --- a/aio/content/navigation.json +++ b/aio/content/navigation.json @@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ }, { "url": "guide/form-validation", - "title": "Form Validation", + "title": "Validate form input", "tooltip": "Validate user's form entries." }, {