The default configuration file includes standard validation options for plain text and calculation field types.

<validation name="calculation">
   <choice name="none" treeImg="text">
      <caption localeRef="dlgNV8n" />
      <schema datatype="string" />

and

<validation name="plaintext" visible="false">
   <choice name="none" treeImg="text">
      <caption localeRef="dlgNV8n" />

The validation sections let you control the drop-down list of validation choices for a field type (for example, Plain Text). Here is an overview of that section of the cms_config.aspx file.

<datadesign>
  <validation> (0 or more)
    <choice> (0 or more)
      <caption>
      <schema>
      <calculate>
<regexp> OR
      <script> OR
       <xpath> 
      <validate>
        <regexp> OR
        <script> OR
        <xpath> 
<errormessage> (optional)

Defining a Choice Validation Sub-element

Every item in the validation drop-down list must be defined within a set of <choice> tags. Within the <choice> tags, you define a caption, a schema, and either a calculation or validation expression.

The default validation choices appear below.

Attributes

• name—Assign a new name to each choice.
• treeImg—The icon to display for this field in the Select Field or Group dialog. (Unlike toolbar icons, you cannot create your own icons.)

  NOTE: This attribute only applies to the Data Design of a Smart Form -- it does not apply to HTML forms.

  

  • (calculation)
  • (calendar)
  • (checkbox)
  • (droplist)
  • (fieldset)
  • (hidden)
  • (hyperlink)
  • (number)
  • (password)
  • (picture)
  • (richarea)
  • (text)
  • (textbox)

Sub-elements

• caption—Defines the displayed text for this choice. The attributes and description are the same as <caption> elements for commands.
• schema—Defines a W3C XML schema (WXS) definition for this choice. The definition may be a simple type defined by the datatype attribute and/or a WXS fragment.

  NOTE: This attribute only applies to the Data Design of a Smart Form -- it does not apply to HTML forms.

• calculate—Defines an expression which normalizes a value prior to checking validation.
• validate—Defines an expression that determines if a value is valid.

Defining an schema format

Defining a Schema Fragment

When defining a schema fragment, the “xs” namespace prefix is required for WXS tags. Also, the WXS fragment must be valid for inclusion in an xs:restriction (simple type). That is,

<xs:simpleType>
	<xs:restriction>
		...fragment...
	</xs:restriction>
</xs:simpleType>

The simple data types are defined by W3C XML Schema definition language 1.0.

NOTE: The datatype value should not include a namespace prefix. For example datatype=”string” is correct; datatype=”xs:string” is incorrect

Examples

• Using only a datatype attribute

  <schema datatype="string"/>

• Using only a schema fragment

  <schema>
  <xs:simpleType>
    <xs:union memberTypes="xs:nonNegativeInteger">
    <xs:simpleType>
    <xs:restriction base="xs:string">
    <xs:length value="0"/>
    </xs:restriction>
    </xs:simpleType>
    </xs:union>
    </xs:simpleType>
  </schema>

• Using a datatype attribute and a schema fragment

  <schema datatype="string">
    <xs:minLength value="1"/>
  </schema>

Defining a calculation

Defining a Calculation

A Calculated Field lets you include values that are calculated, typically from values in other fields. For example, you can multiply 2 field values. The equation used is an XPath expression.

Use the <calculate> element to define an expression that normalizes a value prior to checking validation. For example, a calculation can truncate digits in a decimal, remove excess white space, or capitalize text. The expression must return a value of the same data type and format as the original value.

Several sample calculations are delivered with Ektron. They appear when the user clicks the Examples drop-down on the Calculated Field dialog. These calculations are explained in Formula Example Descriptions.

You can only define one expression for <calculate> and <validate>. You have the following expression element choices.

Regular Expressions (JScript)

• <regexp>—Defines a regular expression supported by JScript. You can define a regular expression either between the tags or using attributes. If between the tags, the expression must begin with a slash (/) character. The g, i, and m flags are allowed. For example: <regexp>/\S+/</regexp>.
• <regexp patternings-exp-pattern”—A regular expression pattern (without the “/” chars).
• <regexp global=”true|false”—Specifies whether the pattern matches only the first occurrence or all occurrences within the text. This corresponds to the g flag.
• <regexp ignorecase=”true|false”—Specifies if the match is case-sensitive. This corresponds to the “i” flag.
• <regexp multiline=”true|false”—Specifies if the match, when using ^ and $, is applied to each line in text that has multiple lines. This corresponds to the “m” flag.
• <regexp wholeline=”true|false”—Specifies whether the pattern applies to the whole text or not. This is the same as placing “^(“at the beginning of the pattern, and “)$” at the end of the pattern.

JavaScript

• <script value=”javascript-expression”—Specifies a JavaScript expression to be evaluated. The field's value is available in a property named 'this.text'. For example: <script value="this.text.toUpperCase()"/>

XPATH (See Also: Xpath Operators and Functions)

• <xpath select=”xpath-expression”—Specifies an XPath expression to be evaluated. The field's value is available using “.”.

Defining validation

Defining Validation

Use the <validate> element to define an expression that determines if a value is valid. The expression must return a Boolean (true or false) result. For example:

<validate>
  <regexp>/^\d+$/</regexp>
</validate>

To construct the <validate> element, use the same expression element options as <calculate>.

Defining an error message

Defining an Error Message

Use the <errormessage localeRef="id"> element to define a message to display when the data is not valid. For example, “Must be a number between 1 and 10, inclusive.” The text may be within the <errormessage> tags or referenced using localeRef into the localeNNNN.xml file.

Defining a Custom Validation Sub-element

NOTE: This section only applies to the Data Design of a Smart Form -- it does not apply to HTML forms.

Use the <custom> element to change the standard values that appear in the following fields of the Custom Validation dialog.

• Data Type

  

• Examples

  

To change the list of options, modify the <custom> element of the cms_config.aspx file. This section describes the <custom> element’s attributes and child elements.

<datadesign>
<validation>
:
  <custom> (optional tag)
    <caption>
    <selections name="datatype">
      <listchoice> (0 or more)
    <selections name="examples">
      <listchoice> (0 or more)

• <custom>—Specifies basic data types available when customizing validation. The types are defined in the <listchoice> elements (see below).
• <custom visible=”true|false”—Controls whether the Custom Validation field appears on the Properties dialog.
• <custom enabled=”true|false”—Controls whether the Custom Validation field is active or “grayed out” on the Properties dialog. If set to true, the Custom Validation field is active; if false, it is grayed out.
• <caption localeRef=”id”>—Specifies text to display in the validation drop-down list. The default caption is “(Custom)”.

Selections element for Data Type field

• <selections name=”datatype”>—The name must be datatype.
• <selections enabled=”true|false” —Controls whether the drop-down list is active or “grayed out” on the Properties dialog.
• <selections visible=”true|false”—Controls whether the drop-down list appears on the Properties dialog.

Listchoice element for Data Type field

• <listchoice>—Defines the values in the Custom Validation dialog Data Type drop-down list.
• <listchoice value=”simple-data-type”—Enter each data type that should appear in the Custom Validation dialog’s Data Type drop-down list. The simple data types are defined by W3C XML Schema definition language 1.0.
  

  

• <listchoice treeImg=”id”—Specifies the icon to display for this field in the Select Field or Group dialog. Unlike toolbar icons, you cannot create your own.
• <listchoice localeRef=”id”—The text that describes this Data Type on the Custom Validation dialog. This element can refer to a string in the localeNNNN.xml file. Or, you can enter the string between the <listchoice> tags.
• <listchoice default=”true|false”—Use this attribute to indicate the default choice in the Custom Validation dialog’s Data Type drop-down list.

Selections element for Examples field

• <selections name=”examples”>—The name must be “examples”.
• <selections enabled=”true|false”—Determines if the Examples drop-down list and label are active or “grayed out” in the Custom Validation dialog.
  

  

• <selections visible=”true|false”—Determines if the Examples drop-down list and label appear.

Listchoice Element for Examples field

• <listchoice>—Defines the values in the Examples drop-down list.
• <listchoice value=”xpath-expression-example”—The XPath expression appears in the Examples drop-down list of the Custom Validation dialog.
  

  

• <listchoice localeRef=”id”——The text that describes the examples on the Custom Validation dialog. This element can refer to a string in the localeNNNN.xml file. Or, you can enter the string between the <listchoice> tags.
  

  

Saving Invalid Documents

Use the publishinvalid attribute of the <standard> element to determine if an XML invalid document can be saved if its data fails the validation criteria. In Data Entry mode, an example would be if a field requires a non-negative whole number, but the user does not insert a value in that field.

If the publishinvalid attribute’s value is true, content is not checked for validity when it is saved. If false, the content is checked for validity during a save. If the content is valid, it is saved. If it is invalid, the user is notified, and a custom script can be created to allow the content to be saved or prevent it.

NOTE: If the publishinvalid attribute is not defined in the <standard> element, the default is true so that Ektron is backwards compatible with previous releases.

To determine if an invalid XML document should be saved, write a client-side script that is called when invalid content is found. The routine should ask if the user wants to save the invalid content. The script should return True to save the content, or False to abort the save. For example:

<script language="JavaScript1.2">
<!--       
eWebEditPro.instances["MyEditor1"].onerror = myOnErrorHandler;
 function myOnErrorHandler()
{
   if (EWEP_STATUS_INVALID == this.status && "save" == this.event.source)
   {
     var strMsg = "Content is invalid.";
     strMsg += "\nError Code: " + this.event.reason;
     strMsg += "\nError Reason: " + this.event.message;
     alert(strMsg);
     return false; // prevent save
   }
}
//--> 
</script>

If the content is invalid, an onerror event is generated. This event provides 2 additional properties for the event object when it fires:

• reason (a numeric error code)
• message (text describing the error)

As with the regular onerror event, the source property is available. You can display the values of these properties in an error message that informs the user why the document is not valid.

Xpath Operators and Functions

Content copied from www.w3schools.com/xpath. To learn more about XPath, check these Web pages.

• W3C Spec—XPath 1.0 spec—http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath
• Tutorial—www.w3schools.com/xpath/default.asp

Xpath functions