jQuery validation plugin checkbox validation - jquery-validate

Question

I need to validate the form. I am using jQuery validation plugin but I cannot seem to get this working.
<form id="form1" name="form1" action=<?=$_SERVER['PHP_SELF'];?> method="POST">
<div>
<h3>Cardio-Pulmonary System</h3>
<div style="border: medium none;display: inline;padding: 0;text-align:left">
<h4>1. Do you have, or have you had, or do you take medications for?</h4>
<label><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="none" name="q1[]" />no / or none of the below</label>
<p><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="q1-1" name="q1[]" />heart disease (please specify)
<input class="checkbox" type="text" id="text" name="q1-1" value="" /></p>
<p><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="high blood pressure" name="q1[]" />high blood pressure</p>
<p><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="high cholesterol" name="q1[]" />high cholesterol</p>
<p><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="diabetes" name="q1[]" />diabetes</p>
<p><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="q1-2" name="q1[]" />lung disorder (eg asthma, emphysema)
<input class="checkbox" type="text" id="text" name="q1-2" value="" /></p>
<p><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" value="other cardiac problem" name="q1[]" />other cardiac problem (include pacemaker)</p>
<h4>2. Do you have a family history of?</h4>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="none" name="q2[]" />no / or none of the below</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="heart murmur" name="q2[]" />heart murmur</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="valve defect" name="q2[]" />valve defect</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="racing heart" name="q2[]" />racing heart</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="irregular beats" name="q2[]" />irregular beats</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="angina" name="q2[]" />angina</p>
<p>other<br/><input type="text" id="text" value="" name="q2[]" /></p>
<h4>3. Have you ever been told that you have heart problems? Eg</h4>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="none" name="q3[]" />no / or none of the below</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="heart disease" name="q3[]" />heart disease</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="high blood pressure" name="q3[]" />high blood pressure</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="high cholesterol" name="q3[]" />high cholesterol</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="diabetes" name="q3[]" />diabetes</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="stroke" name="q3[]" />stroke</p>
<h4>4. Do you have, or have you experienced?</h4>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="none" name="q4[]" />no / or none of the below</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="epilepsy" name="q4[]" />epilepsy</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="fainting" name="q4[]" />fainting</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="seizures" name="q4[]" />seizures</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="dizzy spells" name="q4[]" />dizzy spells</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="convulsions" name="q4[]" />convulsions</p>
<h4>5. Have you ever smoked cigarettes?</h4>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="q5-1" name="q5[]" />Yes, still do approx <input type="text" name="q5-1" style="width:20px" maxlength="3" /> a day</p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="q5-2" name="q5[]" />Yes, but stopped <input type="text" name="q5-2" style="width:20px" maxlength="3" /> months / <input type="text" name="q5-3" style="width:20px" maxlength="3" /> years ago. </p>
<p><input type="checkbox" value="never" name="q5[]" />Never</p>
</div>
</form>
How do you validate checkboxes so that they need to select at least one for each question?
This is my form...http://test9.favstay.com/form.php

Answer 1

Use min and max length
<input type="checkbox" value="palin" name="upd" id="upd"/>
</p>
<p>
<label for="fox">Fox</label>
<input type="checkbox" value="fox" name="upd" id="upd" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="left">Left</label>
<input type="checkbox" value="left" name="upd" id="upd" />
</p>
Validate
$("#upd").rules("add", {
required: true,
minlength: 1,
maxlength: 1,
messages: {
required: "Please pick a category",
minlength: jQuery.format("Please, Check at least one box"),
maxlength: jQuery.format("Please, You checked too many boxes"),
}
});
Add an ID for each checkbox(q4, q5 etc), Substitute your q3, q4 etc where I have #upd. Just adapt this to your needs.

Answer 2

You can use jquery validation plugin to validate an HTML form, and to validate the checkboxes, you can add "custom selectors" to the validate options. Check out the example here