Form: Validate

When validation happens

Validation happens on every change of modelValue. A change in modelValue can be originated from either user interaction or an imperative action from an Application Developer. We could therefore say validation happens 'realtime'. This is aligned with the platform.

When validation feedback will be shown

Although validation happens realtime under the hood, displaying validity feedback in realtime may not always lead to the desired User Experience. Together with interaction states, validity states can determine whether a validation message should be shown along the input field.

Assessing field validation state programmatically

When a field has validation feedback it can be accessed using the hasFeedbackFor and showsFeedbackFor properties. This can be used if the validity of the field is needed in code.

hasFeedbackFor is the state of the field regardless of whether the feedback is shown or not.
showsFeedbackFor represents whether or not validation feedback is being shown. This takes into account interaction state such as a field being touched and dirty, prefilled or submitted

// Field is invalid and has not interacted with
const field = document.querySelector('#my-field');
field.hasFeedbackFor.includes('error'); // returns true
field.showsFeedbackFor.includes('error'); // returns false

// Field  invalid, dirty and touched
field.hasFeedbackFor.includes('error'); // returns true
field.showsFeedbackFor.includes('error'); // returns true

Features

Allow for advanced UX scenarios by updating validation state on every value change
Provide a powerful way of writing validation via pure functions
Default validators
Custom validators
Multiple validation types(error, warning, info, success)

Our validation system is designed to:

Allow for advanced UX scenarios by updating validation state on every value change
Provide a powerful way of writing validations via classes.

Validators

All validators are extensions of the Validator class. They should be applied to the element implementing ValidateMixin as follows:

<validatable-el
  .validators="${[new MyValidator({ myParam: 'foo' }), { extra: 'options' } ]]}"
></validatable-el>

As you can see the 'validators' property expects a map (an array of arrays). So, every Validator is a class consisting of:

validator function
validator parameters (optional)
validator config (optional)

Validator classes

All validators extend from the default Validator class. Below example is an example of a validator could look like:

class MyValidator extends Validator {
  execute(modelValue, param) {
    const hasFeedback = false;
    if (modelValue === param) {
      hasFeedback = true;
    }
    return hasFeedback;
  }

  static get validatorName() {
    return 'Required';
  }

  static getMessage({ fieldName }) {
    return `Please fill in ${fieldName}`;
  }
}

<validatable-el .validators="${[new MyValidator('foo')]}"></validatable-el>

Installation

npm i --save @lion/form-core

import '@lion/input/define';
import { %ValidatorName% } from '@lion/form-core';

Default Validators

By default, the validate system ships with the following validators:

Required
String Validators, IsString, EqualsLength, MinLength, MaxLength, MinMaxLength, Pattern
Number Validators, IsNumber, MinNumber, MaxNumber, MinMaxNumber
Date Validators, IsDate, MinDate, MaxDate, MinMaxDate, IsDateDisabled
Email Validator, IsEmail

All validators return false if the required validity state is met.

All validators are considered self explanatory due to their explicit namings.

npm i --save @lion/validate-messages

import { loadDefaultFeedbackMessages } from '@lion/validate-messages';

export const defaultValidationMessages = () => {
  loadDefaultFeedbackMessages();
  return html`
    <lion-input
      name="value"
      label="Default validation"
      .fieldName="${'value'}"
      .validators="${[new Required(), new MinLength(4)]}"
      .modelValue="${'foo'}"
    ></lion-input>
    <button @click=${() => (localize.locale = 'de-DE')}>DE</button>
    <button @click=${() => (localize.locale = 'en-GB')}>EN</button>
    <button @click=${() => (localize.locale = 'fr-FR')}>FR</button>
    <button @click=${() => (localize.locale = 'nl-NL')}>NL</button>
    <button @click=${() => (localize.locale = 'zh-CN')}>CN</button>
  `;
};

Once the method loadDefaultFeedbackMessages is called, it will make sure that all validators provided in @lion/form-core will have a default error message. It uses the @lion/localize system to provide these translations and has support for more than 15 locales.

Required

The required validator can be put onto every form field element and will make sure that element is not empty. For an input that may mean that it is not an empty string, while for a checkbox-group it means at least one checkbox needs to be checked.

export const requiredValidator = () => html`
  <lion-input .validators=${[new Required()]} label="Required"></lion-input>
`;

String Validators

Useful on input elements it allows to define how many characters can be entered.

export const stringValidators = () => html`
  <lion-input
    .validators=${[new EqualsLength(7)]}
    .modelValue=${'not exactly'}
    label="EqualsLength"
  ></lion-input>
  <lion-input
    .validators=${[new MinLength(10)]}
    .modelValue=${'too short'}
    label="MinLength"
  ></lion-input>
  <lion-input
    .validators=${[new MaxLength(7)]}
    .modelValue=${'too long'}
    label="MaxLength"
  ></lion-input>
  <lion-input
    .validators=${[new MinMaxLength({ min: 10, max: 20 })]}
    .modelValue=${'that should be enough'}
    label="MinMaxLength"
  ></lion-input>
  <lion-input
    .validators=${[new Pattern(/#LionRocks/)]}
    .modelValue=${'regex checks if "#Lion<NO SPACE>Rocks" is in this input #LionRocks'}
    label="Pattern"
  ></lion-input>
`;

Number Validators

Number validations assume that it's modelValue is actually a number. Therefore it may only be used on input that have an appropriate parser/formatter like the input-amount.

export const numberValidators = () => html`
  <lion-input-amount
    .validators="${[new IsNumber()]}"
    .modelValue="${'foo'}"
    label="IsNumber"
  ></lion-input-amount>
  <lion-input-amount
    .validators="${[new MinNumber(7)]}"
    .modelValue="${5}"
    label="MinNumber"
  ></lion-input-amount>
  <lion-input-amount
    .validators="${[new MaxNumber(7)]}"
    .modelValue="${9}"
    label="MaxNumber"
  ></lion-input-amount>
  <lion-input-amount
    .validators="${[new MinMaxNumber({ min: 10, max: 20 })]}"
    .modelValue="${5}"
    label="MinMaxNumber"
  ></lion-input-amount>
`;

Date Validators

Date validators work with real javascript dates. Use them on input-date or input-datepicker.

export const dateValidators = () => {
  const today = new Date();
  const year = today.getFullYear();
  const month = today.getMonth();
  const day = today.getDate();
  const yesterday = new Date(year, month, day - 1);
  const tomorrow = new Date(year, month, day + 1);
  return html`
    <lion-input-date
      .validators=${[new IsDate()]}
      .modelValue=${'foo'}
      label="IsDate"
    ></lion-input-date>
    <lion-input-date
      .validators=${[new MinDate(today)]}
      .modelValue=${new Date(yesterday)}
      label="MinDate"
    ></lion-input-date>
    <lion-input-date
      .validators=${[new MaxDate(today)]}
      .modelValue=${new Date(tomorrow)}
      label="MaxDate"
    ></lion-input-date>
    <lion-input-date
      .validators=${[new MinMaxDate({ min: new Date(yesterday), max: new Date(tomorrow) })]}
      .modelValue=${new Date(today)}
      label="MinMaxDate"
    ></lion-input-date>
  `;
};

Email Validator

export const emailValidator = () => html`
  <lion-input-email
    .validators="${[new IsEmail()]}"
    .modelValue="${'foo'}"
    label="IsEmail"
  ></lion-input-email>
`;

Override Default Messages

To get default validation messages you need to import and call the loadDefaultFeedbackMessages function once in your application.

Sometimes the default messages don't make sense for your input field. In that case you want to override it by adding a getMessage function to your validator.

export const defaultMessages = () => html`
  <lion-input
    .validators="${[new EqualsLength(4, { getMessage: () => '4 chars please...' })]}"
    .modelValue="${'123'}"
    label="Custom message for validator instance"
  ></lion-input>
  <lion-input
    .validators="${[
      new EqualsLength(4, {
        getMessage: ({ modelValue, params: param }) => {
          const diff = modelValue.length - param;
          return `${Math.abs(diff)} too ${diff > 0 ? 'much' : 'few'}...`;
        },
      }),
    ]}"
    .modelValue="${'way too much'}"
    label="Dynamic message for validator instance"
  ></lion-input>
`;

Override fieldName

In the scenario that the default messages are correct, but you only want to change the fieldName, this can both be done for a single specific validator or for all at once.

export const overrideFieldName = () => html`
  <lion-input
    .validators="${[new EqualsLength(4, { fieldName: 'custom fieldName' })]}"
    .modelValue="${'123'}"
    label="Custom fieldName for 1 validator"
  ></lion-input>
  <lion-input
    .validators="${[new Required(), new EqualsLength(4)]}"
    .fieldName="${'custom fieldName'}"
    .modelValue="${'123'}"
    label="Custom fieldName for all validators"
  ></lion-input>
`;

Custom Validators

Here is an example how you can make your own validator and providing the error messages directly within. You can even hard code localization in there if needed or you can use a localization system.

Note that we import an lion-input here as an example of a form control implementing ValidateMixin. We could equally well use lion-textarea, lion-select, lion-fieldset etc. to illustrate our example.

export const customValidators = () => {
  const isInitialsRegex = /^([A-Z]\.)+$/;
  class IsInitialsExample extends Validator {
    static get validatorName() {
      return 'IsExampleInitials';
    }

    execute(value) {
      let hasFeedback = false;
      const isStringValidator = new IsString();
      if (isStringValidator.execute(value) || !isInitialsRegex.test(value)) {
        hasFeedback = true;
      }
      return hasFeedback;
    }

    static getMessage({ fieldName }) {
      return `Please enter a valid ${fieldName} in the format "L.I.".`;
    }
  }
  return html`
    <lion-input
      label="Initials"
      name="initials"
      .validators="${[new IsInitialsExample('mine')]}"
    ></lion-input>
  `;
};

The custom IsInitialsExample checks if the value is fitting our regex, but does not prevent the user from submitting other values.

Retrieving validity states is as easy as checking for:

myInitialsInput.hasFeedbackFor.include('error');

Validation Examples

Checkbox Validator

You can apply validation to the <lion-checkbox-group>, similar to how you would do so in any fieldset. The interaction states of the <lion-checkbox-group> are evaluated in order to hide or show feedback messages.

export const checkboxValidation = () => {
  const validate = e => {
    const checkboxGroup = e.target.parentElement.querySelector('#scientists');
    checkboxGroup.submitted = !checkboxGroup.submitted;
  };
  return html`
    <lion-checkbox-group
      id="scientists"
      name="scientists[]"
      label="Favorite scientists"
      .validators=${[new Required()]}
    >
      <lion-checkbox label="Archimedes" .choiceValue=${'Archimedes'}></lion-checkbox>
      <lion-checkbox label="Francis Bacon" .choiceValue=${'Francis Bacon'}></lion-checkbox>
      <lion-checkbox label="Marie Curie" .choiceValue=${'Marie Curie'}></lion-checkbox>
    </lion-checkbox-group>
    <button @click="${e => validate(e)}">Validate</button>
  `;
};

Below is a more advanced validator on the group that evaluates the children checkboxes' checked states.

export const checkboxValidationAdvanced = () => {
  class HasMinTwoChecked extends Validator {
    execute(value) {
      return value.length < 2;
    }
    static get validatorName() {
      return 'HasMinTwoChecked';
    }
    static async getMessage() {
      return 'You need to select at least 2 values.';
    }
  }
  const validate = e => {
    const checkboxGroup = e.target.parentElement.querySelector('#scientists2');
    checkboxGroup.submitted = !checkboxGroup.submitted;
  };
  return html`
    <lion-checkbox-group
      id="scientists2"
      name="scientists2[]"
      label="Favorite scientists"
      help-text="You should have at least 2 of those"
      .validators=${[new Required(), new HasMinTwoChecked()]}
    >
      <lion-checkbox label="Archimedes" .choiceValue=${'Archimedes'}></lion-checkbox>
      <lion-checkbox label="Francis Bacon" .choiceValue=${'Francis Bacon'}></lion-checkbox>
      <lion-checkbox label="Marie Curie" .choiceValue=${'Marie Curie'}></lion-checkbox>
    </lion-checkbox-group>
    <button @click="${e => validate(e)}">Validate</button>
  `;
};

Radio Validator

export const radioValidation = () => {
  const validate = e => {
    const radioGroup = e.target.parentElement.querySelector('#dinos1');
    radioGroup.submitted = !radioGroup.submitted;
  };
  return html`
    <lion-radio-group
      id="dinos1"
      name="dinos1"
      label="Favourite dinosaur"
      .validators=${[new Required()]}
    >
      <lion-radio label="allosaurus" .choiceValue=${'allosaurus'}></lion-radio>
      <lion-radio label="brontosaurus" .choiceValue=${'brontosaurus'}></lion-radio>
      <lion-radio label="diplodocus" .choiceValue="${'diplodocus'}"></lion-radio>
    </lion-radio-group>
    <button @click="${e => validate(e)}">Validate</button>
  `;
};

You can also create a validator that validates whether a certain option is checked.

export const radioValidationAdvanced = () => {
  class IsBrontosaurus extends Validator {
    static get validatorName() {
      return 'IsBrontosaurus';
    }
    execute(value) {
      let showFeedback = false;
      if (value !== 'brontosaurus') {
        showFeedback = true;
      }
      return showFeedback;
    }
    static async getMessage() {
      return 'You need to select "brontosaurus"';
    }
  }
  const validate = e => {
    const radioGroup = e.target.parentElement.querySelector('#dinos2');
    radioGroup.submitted = !radioGroup.submitted;
  };
  return html`
    <lion-radio-group
      id="dinos2"
      name="dinos2"
      label="Favourite dinosaur"
      .validators=${[new Required(), new IsBrontosaurus()]}
    >
      <lion-radio label="allosaurus" .choiceValue=${'allosaurus'}></lion-radio>
      <lion-radio label="brontosaurus" .choiceValue=${'brontosaurus'}></lion-radio>
      <lion-radio label="diplodocus" .choiceValue=${'diplodocus'}></lion-radio>
    </lion-radio-group>
    <button @click="${e => validate(e)}">Validate</button>
  `;
};

Combobox

Validation can be used as normal, below is an example of a combobox with a Required validator.

export const validationCombobox = () => html`
  <lion-combobox .validators="${[new Required()]}" name="favoriteMovie" label="Favorite movie">
    <lion-option checked .choiceValue=${'Rocky'}>Rocky</lion-option>
    <lion-option .choiceValue=${'Rocky II'}>Rocky II</lion-option>
    <lion-option .choiceValue=${'Rocky III'}>Rocky III</lion-option>
    <lion-option .choiceValue=${'Rocky IV'}>Rocky IV</lion-option>
    <lion-option .choiceValue=${'Rocky V'}>Rocky V</lion-option>
    <lion-option .choiceValue=${'Rocky Balboa'}>Rocky Balboa</lion-option>
  </lion-combobox>
`;

Validation Types

The most common use case for validation is the assessment of whether the input is in error state. An error state would be considered blocking: it prevents a form from being submitted to the server.

However, the validation system also supports three non blocking validation feedback types. Summed up, we have the following four types:

error: blocking the field from being submitted to the server. For example: "Please enter an amount higher than 1000,00 euro."
warning: something looks wrong, but it is not blocking. For example an optional email input: "Please enter a valid e-mail address in the format "name@example.com"."
info: shows extra information. For example a message of a scheduled payment planner: "Ends on 15/05/2020 after 5 payments."
success: will only be triggered if there was a Message from one of the above validation types and is now correct. For example: "Ok, correct."

The api for warning validators and info validators are as follows:

export const validationTypes = () => {
  try {
    class MyTypesInput extends LionInput {
      static get validationTypes() {
        return ['error', 'warning', 'info', 'success'];
      }
    }
    customElements.define('my-types-input', MyTypesInput);
  } catch (err) {
    // expected as it is a demo
  }
  return html`
    <style>
      .demo-types-input {
        padding: 0.5rem;
      }
      .demo-types-input[shows-feedback-for~='success'] {
        background-color: #e4ffe4;
        border: 1px solid green;
      }
      .demo-types-input[shows-feedback-for~='error'] {
        background-color: #ffd4d4;
        border: 1px solid red;
      }
      .demo-types-input[shows-feedback-for~='warning'] {
        background-color: #ffe4d4;
        border: 1px solid orange;
      }
      .demo-types-input[shows-feedback-for~='info'] {
        background-color: #d4e4ff;
        border: 1px solid blue;
      }
    </style>
    <my-types-input
      .validators="${[
        new Required(),
        new MinLength(7, { type: 'warning' }),
        new MaxLength(10, {
          type: 'info',
          getMessage: () => `Please, keep the length below the 10 characters.`,
        }),
        new DefaultSuccess(),
      ]}"
      .modelValue="${'exactly'}"
      label="Validation Types"
      class="demo-types-input"
    ></my-types-input>
  `;
};

Success validators work a bit differently. Their success state is defined by the lack of a previously existing erroneous state (which can be an error or warning state).

So, an error validator going from invalid (true) state to invalid(false) state, will trigger the success validator.

Asynchronous validation

By default, all validations are run synchronously. However, for instance when validation can only take place on server level, asynchronous validation will be needed.

You can make your async validators as follows:

export const asynchronousValidation = () => {
  function pause(ms = 0) {
    return new Promise(resolve => {
      setTimeout(() => {
        resolve();
      }, ms);
    });
  }
  class AsyncValidator extends Validator {
    constructor(...args) {
      super(...args);
    }
    static get validatorName() {
      return 'asyncValidator';
    }
    static get async() {
      return true;
    }
    async execute() {
      console.log('async pending...');
      await pause(2000);
      console.log('async done...');
      return true;
    }
    static getMessage({ modelValue }) {
      return `validated for modelValue: ${modelValue}...`;
    }
  }
  return html`
    <style>
      lion-input[is-pending] {
        opacity: 0.5;
      }
    </style>
    <lion-input
      label="Async validation"
      .validators="${[new AsyncValidator()]}"
      .modelValue="${'123'}"
    ></lion-input>
  `;
};

Dynamic parameter change

export const dynamicParameterChange = () => {
  const beginDate = new Date('09/09/1990');
  const minDateValidatorRef = new MinDate(beginDate, {
    message: 'Fill in a date after your birth date',
  });
  return html`
    <lion-input-date
      label="Birth date"
      help-text="Adjust this date to retrigger validation of the input below..."
      .modelValue="${beginDate}"
      @model-value-changed="${({ target: { modelValue, errorState } }) => {
        if (!errorState) {
          // Since graduation date is usually not before birth date
          minDateValidatorRef.param = modelValue;
        }
      }}"
    ></lion-input-date>
    <lion-input-date
      label="Graduation date"
      .modelValue="${new Date('09/09/1989')}"
      .validators="${[minDateValidatorRef]}"
    ></lion-input-date>
  `;
};

Disabled inputs validation

According to the W3C specs, Disabled fields should not be validated. Therefore if the attribute disabled is present on a lion-input it will not be validated.

export const disabledInputsValidation = () => html`
  <lion-input
    disabled
    .validators=${[new EqualsLength(7)]}
    .modelValue=${'not exactly'}
    label="EqualsLength"
  ></lion-input>
`;

Backend validation

Backend validation is needed in some cases. For example, you have a sign up form, the username could be already taken. You can add an AsyncValidator to check the availability when the username field is changed but you may have a conflict when you submit the form (another user take the username in parallel).

export const backendValidation = () => {
  // Mock
  function fakeFetch(ms = 0, withError = false) {
    return new Promise(resolve => {
      setTimeout(() => {
        resolve(
          new Response(
            JSON.stringify({
              message: withError ? 'Username is already taken' : '',
            }),
            { status: withError ? 400 : 200 },
          ),
        );
      }, ms);
    });
  }

  let backendValidationResolver;
  let backendErrorMessage = 'Unknown Error';
  let isBackendCallPending = false;

  const submitHandler = ev => {
    const lionForm = ev.target;
    if (lionForm.hasFeedbackFor.includes('error')) {
      const firstFormElWithError = lionForm.formElements.find(el =>
        el.hasFeedbackFor.includes('error'),
      );
      firstFormElWithError.focus();
      return;
    }
    isBackendCallPending = true;
    lionForm.formElements.username.validate(); // => backendValidationResolver will be assigned
    const formData = lionForm.serializedValue;
    fakeFetch(2000, formData.simulateError.length).then(async response => {
      if (response.status !== 200) {
        backendErrorMessage = (await response.json())?.message;
        backendValidationResolver(true);
      }
      backendValidationResolver(false);
      isBackendCallPending = false;
    });
  };

  class BackendValidator extends Validator {
    static get validatorName() {
      return 'backendValidator';
    }
    static get async() {
      return true;
    }
    async execute() {
      if (isBackendCallPending) {
        return await new Promise(resolve => (backendValidationResolver = resolve));
      }
      return false;
    }
    static getMessage({ fieldName, modelValue, params: param }) {
      return backendErrorMessage;
    }
  }
  return html`
    <style>
      lion-input[is-pending] {
        opacity: 0.5;
      }
    </style>
    <lion-form @submit=${submitHandler}>
      <form>
        <lion-input
          label="username"
          name="username"
          .validators="${[new BackendValidator(''), new Required()]}"
          .modelValue="${''}"
        ></lion-input>
        <lion-checkbox-group name="simulateError">
          <lion-checkbox label="Check to simulate a backend error"></lion-checkbox>
        </lion-checkbox-group>
        <lion-button-submit>Submit</lion-button-submit>
      </form>
    </lion-form>
  `;
};

Multiple field validation

When validation is dependent on muliple fields, two approaches can be considered:

Fieldset validation
Validators with knowledge about context

Fieldset validation

Assume we have a field startDate and endDate field, with condition startDate < endDate. The easiest way to achieve this, is by adding a Validator to a fieldset wrapping those fields.

const isInterpretable = mv => mv && !(mv instanceof Unparseable);

class Interval extends Validator {
  static get validatorName() {
    return 'Interval';
  }

  execute({ startDate, endDate }) {
    if (isInterpretable(startDate) && isInterpretable(endDate)) {
      return !(startDate < endDate);
    }
    return false;
  }

  static async getMessage() {
    return `The start date should be before the end date`;
  }
}
export const fieldsetValidation = () => html`
  <lion-fieldset .validators="${[new Interval()]}">
    <lion-input-date name="startDate" label="Start date"></lion-input-date>
    <lion-input-date name="endDate" label="End date"></lion-input-date>
  </lion-fieldset>
`;

Validators with knowledge about context

Assume we want to create password validation with a confirmation field. We don't want to show feedback on group level, but right beneath the fields.

const isInterpretableValue = mv => mv && !(mv instanceof Unparseable);

class PasswordMatch extends Validator {
  static get validatorName() {
    return 'PasswordsMatch';
  }

  execute(modelValue, { first, second }) {
    if (isInterpretableValue(first.modelValue) && isInterpretableValue(second.modelValue)) {
      return first.modelValue !== second.modelValue;
    }
    return false;
  }
}
// TODO: use ref directive once on Lit-element 3
const first = renderLitAsNode(html`
  <lion-input
    .feedbackCondition="${(type, meta) => meta.focused}"
    type="password"
    name="initialPassword"
    label="New password"
  ></lion-input>
`);
const second = renderLitAsNode(html`
  <lion-input
    .feedbackCondition="${(type, meta) => meta.focused}"
    type="password"
    name="confirmPassword"
    label="Confirm password"
  ></lion-input>
`);
first.validators = [
  new PasswordMatch(
    { first, second },
    { getMessage: () => 'Please match with confirmation field' },
  ),
];
second.validators = [
  new PasswordMatch({ first, second }, { getMessage: () => 'Please match with initial field' }),
];

export const contextValidation = () => html` ${first}${second} `;

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