APEX - Why aren't my input validations working? - validation

Question

I'm working on a contact search page and I have a problem. My console has no errors but when I run a search, the results don't generate and all of my input validation errors prompt.
For Example:
Jane Grey
The Search for Jane Grey
Here is my VisualForce page:
<apex:page id="ContactPage" controller="Ctrl_ContactSearch">
<apex:tabPanel id="ContactPanel">
<apex:tab id="ContactTab" label="Contact Search">
<apex:form id="ContactForm">
<!-- Input Fields -->
<apex:pageBlock title="Contact Search Page" id="ContactBlock">
<apex:pageBlockSection id="contact-table" columns="3">
<apex:pageBlockSectionItem id="NameInputBlock">
<apex:outputLabel value="Name" />
<apex:inputText id="NameInputField" value="{!name}" />
</apex:pageBlockSectionItem>
<apex:pageBlockSectionItem id="PhoneInputBlock">
<apex:outputLabel value="Phone" />
<apex:inputText id="PhoneInputField" value="{!phone}" />
</apex:pageBlockSectionItem>
<apex:pageBlockSectionItem id="EmailInputBlock">
<apex:outputLabel value="Email" />
<apex:inputText id="EmailInputField" value="{!email}" />
</apex:pageBlockSectionItem>
</apex:pageBlockSection>
<!-- Buttons -->
<apex:pageBlockButtons location="bottom">
<apex:commandButton value="Search Contacts" action="{!searchContacts}" />
<apex:commandButton value="Clear Fields" action="{!ClearFields}" />
</apex:pageBlockButtons>
</apex:pageBlock>
<!-- Results Display -->
<apex:pageBlock title="Results" rendered="{!contacts.size!=0}" >
<apex:pageBlockSection >
<apex:pageBlockTable value="{!contacts}" var="c" id="contact-table">
<apex:column >
<apex:facet name="header">Name</apex:facet>
{!c.Name}
</apex:column>
<apex:column >
<apex:facet name="header">Phone Number</apex:facet>
{!c.Phone}
</apex:column>
<apex:column >
<apex:facet name="header">Email</apex:facet>
{!c.Email}
</apex:column>
</apex:pageBlockTable>
</apex:pageBlockSection>
</apex:pageBlock>
<!-- Error Display -->
<apex:pageBlock title="Errors" id="ErrorSection" >
<apex:pageMessages id="ErrorsListing">
</apex:pageMessages>
</apex:pageBlock>
</apex:form>
</apex:tab>
</apex:tabPanel>
<script type = "text/javascript">
var name = document.getElementByID("name");
var phone = document.getElementByID("phone");
var email = document.getElementByID("email");
</script>
</apex:page>
Here is my Controller:
public with sharing class Ctrl_ContactSearch
{
public List<Contact> contacts { get; set; }
public String name { get; set; }
public String phone { get; set; }
public String email { get; set; }
public integer MatchingContacts { get; set; }
public boolean ErrorsPresent = false;
public boolean Error_NoResults = false;
public boolean Error_FieldsEmpty = false;
public boolean Error_NameSyntax = false;
public boolean Error_PhoneSyntax = false;
public boolean Error_EmailSyntax = false;
/* Name Input Validation Regex*/
public static Boolean ValidationName (String name)
{
Boolean NameIsValid = false;
String nameRegex = '/^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9]*(_[a-zA-Z0-9]+)*(__[cC])?$/';
Pattern PatternName = Pattern.compile(nameRegex);
Matcher nameMatcher = PatternName.matcher(name);
if (nameMatcher.matches())
{
NameIsValid = true;
}
return NameIsValid;
}
/* Phone Input Validation Regex*/
public static Boolean ValidationPhone (String phone)
{
Boolean PhoneIsValid = false;
String phoneRegex = '//^\\(?([0-9]{3})\\)?[-. ]?([0-9]{3})[-. ]?([0-9]{4})$//';
Pattern PatternPhone = Pattern.compile(phoneRegex);
Matcher phoneMatcher = PatternPhone.matcher(phone);
if (phoneMatcher.matches())
{
PhoneIsValid = true;
}
return PhoneIsValid;
}
/* Email Input Validation Regex*/
public static Boolean ValidationEmail (String email)
{
Boolean EmailIsValid = false;
String emailRegex = '/^\\w+([\\.-]?\\w+)*#\\w+([\\.-]?\\w+)*(\\.\\w{2,3})+$//';
Pattern PatternEmail = Pattern.compile(emailRegex);
Matcher emailMatcher = PatternEmail.matcher(email);
if (emailMatcher.matches())
{
EmailIsValid = true;
}
return EmailIsValid;
}
/* Runs when "Clear Fields" button is pressed*/
public void ClearFields()
{
name = '';
phone = '';
email = '';
}
/* Runs when "Search Contacts" button is pressed*/
public PageReference searchContacts()
{
/* Checks if input fields are empty*/
if (name == '' && phone == '' && email == '')
{
Error_FieldsEmpty = true;
ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.ERROR,'Your fields are blank. Please enter your information in the remaining fields to proceed'));
}
else
{
/* Checks Input Validation Results*/
if (ValidationName(name) == false)
{
Error_NameSyntax = true;
ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.ERROR,'Inproper name format. Please enter name in following format : Firstname Lastname.'));
}
if (ValidationPhone(phone) == false)
{
Error_PhoneSyntax = true;
ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.ERROR,'Inproper phone number format. Please enter number in following format : XXX-XXX-XXXX.'));
}
if (ValidationPhone(email) == false)
{
Error_EmailSyntax = true;
ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.ERROR,'Inproper email format. Please enter email in following format : XXX#emailprovider.com'));
}
/* Runs if all Validation results are 'true'*/
if (ValidationName(name) == true && ValidationPhone(phone) == true && ValidationPhone(email) == true)
{
contacts = [select Name, Phone, Email from Contact where Name = :name or Phone = :phone or email = :email];
MatchingContacts = contacts.size();
/* Checks if/how many matches were found from the search*/
if(MatchingContacts != 0)
{
system.debug('There are currently ' + MatchingContacts + 'results found.' );
}
else
{
Error_NoResults = false;
ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.ERROR,'No matching Contacts were found.'));
}
}
}
/* Displays "Error" field if any errors are found*/
if (Error_NoResults == true || Error_FieldsEmpty == true || Error_NameSyntax == true || Error_PhoneSyntax == true || Error_EmailSyntax == true)
{
ErrorsPresent = true;
ApexPages.addmessage(new ApexPages.message(ApexPages.severity.WARNING,'There are errors present. Please read and follow instructions accordingly.'));
}
return null;
}
}
What do I have wrong here?
For some reason StackOverflow won't let me make this post without adding extra text. I'm putting this here to increase the wordcount.

Answer 1

1st, some constructive criticism:
The DRY principle says you should combine your validation methods into 1.
2nd, it looks like your regexs weren't good. Depending on the exact requirements of the validation, you can try these below... Taken willy nilly from other replies to other questions on forums much like this one... (I am by no means a Regex expert)
Try something like this:
private string nameRegEx = '^[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9 ]+$';
private string emailRegEx = '^[a-zA-Z0-9._|\\\\%#~`=?&/$^*!}{+-]+#[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\\.[a-zA-Z]{2,4}$';
private string phoneRegEx = '^(\\d{3}\\-\\d{3}-\\d{4})?$';
public static Boolean Validate (String str, String validation)
{
Boolean IsValid = false;
Pattern Pattern = Pattern.compile(validation);
Matcher Matcher = Pattern.matcher(str);
if (Matcher.matches())
{
IsValid = true;
}
return IsValid;
}
Also, this function returns a Boolean. When checking its return value, you don't need the equality operators. Just use if (Validate(name, nameRegex)) { ... } or if (!Validate(email, emailRegex)) { ... }