topic Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet in ArcGIS Pro SDK Questions

Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Tue, 05 May 2020 18:19:19 GMT

I followed the sample here ProGuide Custom settings · Esri/arcgis-pro-sdk Wiki · GitHub and have added my own add-in settings to the backstage. I've binded several properties to the UI and it works great. I have a textbox where the user can browse to a folder where our company's data exists. If the user inputs an invalid folder I wanted to change the backcolor of the textbox and set the OK button to disabled until the input is fixed. A similar thing is done with the Layout options.

Ive looked in the community samples and looked at the Pro SDK and cant find anything. Where would I add my validation logic to mimic the existing Layout options?

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

GKmieliauskas — Wed, 06 May 2020 09:41:02 GMT

Hi Abel,

This is the WPF stuff. Look here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/wpf/data/how-to-implement-binding-validation

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Wed, 06 May 2020 14:13:28 GMT

Yes Im aware of the validation binding. Thank You. What I am asking is how we tap into the Pro Settings OK button to disable it when something is not valid.

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

GKmieliauskas — Wed, 06 May 2020 14:32:26 GMT

You can disable OK button by setting Page IsValid property, like this:

base.IsValid = false;

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Wed, 06 May 2020 20:32:24 GMT

Ok I am able to bind my validation rules to the textbox. It works great! Thanks!.

But now am struggling how to get that result back to the ViewModel so I can update the IsValid of the page.

My XAML looks like this

In the ViewModel I can initialize to False and I can see that works:

Protected Overrides Function InitializeAsync() As Task

'setup the initial validity of the Page
MyBase.IsValid = False

Return Task.FromResult(0)
End Function

But how do I process updates? Just cant seem to figure that one out.

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

Wolf — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 08:32:16 GMT

In the setter for the MyAppDataDir property in the ViewModel set base.IsValid:

// for example

public string MyAppDataDir
{
   get { return _myAppDataDir; }
   set
   {
      SetProperty(ref _myAppDataDir, value, () => MyAppDataDir);
      base.IsValid = System.IO.Directory.Exists(value);
   }
}
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Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Wed, 06 May 2020 23:16:58 GMT

Wolfgang Kaiser‌ I had something similar but didnt work. I believe its because of the Validity rules. Since the path doesnt exist then the property is never set.

Public Property MyDataDir As String
Get
Return _myAppDataDir
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
MyBase.IsValid = False
If SetProperty(_aaAnalystAppDataDir, value, Function() MyAppDataDir) Then
MyBase.IsModified = True
MyBase.IsValid = True 'the property passed the validity rules
Else
MyBase.IsValid = False
End If
End Set
End Property

I even changed my XAML to

<Binding Path="MyAppDataDir" UpdateSourceTrigger="PropertyChanged" ValidatesOnExceptions="True" ValidatesOnDataErrors="True" NotifyOnValidationError="True">

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Wed, 06 May 2020 23:31:11 GMT

So now I tried setting Validation.Error="Validation_Error" in my XAML.

Then I put the handler Validation_Error in the code behind the XAML but that's not where I want it correct?

The handler should go in the ViewModel right?

How would I then reference that in my XAML?

Private Sub Validation_Error(sender As Object, e As ValidationErrorEventArgs)
Debug.Print("there was an error")
End Sub

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

GKmieliauskas — Thu, 07 May 2020 05:47:48 GMT

Hi Abel,

You need to implement IDataErrorInfo to your viewmodel

internal class ProjectSettingsViewModel : Page, IDataErrorInfo.

More info here:

https://codeblitz.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/wpf-validation-made-easy-with-idataerrorinfo/

You just need to modify content of

public string this[string columnName]

to store each control state and set base.IsValid value.

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Fri, 08 May 2020 00:30:42 GMT

Well I gave it a shot. I spent half a day trying to get this to work and just couldn't. I think I am missing something. The source code in your link is a dead link. Tried other sources but just couldn't get it to work.

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

GKmieliauskas — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:58:23 GMT

I have attached bundle of ProjectSettingsView mvvm code of BackStage_PropertyPage sample from Esri ArcGIS Pro samples. It works

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Fri, 08 May 2020 15:46:07 GMT

Gintautas Kmieliauskas‌ this sample is what I needed. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Looking over the sample i realized my main mistake. I didn't know you could Inherits Page AND ALSO Implements IDataErrorInfo on the same class. It just never dawned on me. That is why I was having trouble determining where I put the logic and properties.

Once I did that everything fell into place.

Again thank you for sticking with my learning curve.

Re: Validate user inputs in PropertySheet

AbelPerez — Fri, 08 May 2020 19:30:33 GMT

I've now spent a few minutes tweaking the XAML to get a error template that I like. Took me a while but I think I learned something new today.

The one thing I have noticed is when the path is not valid then I get the red border and tooltip. All that works great. But now I click on another section of the Options, say "Layout". My options property sheet still has an invalid entry so the node has a red dashed underline to notify me that something is still wrong in that pane. Cool! I click back on my options node and the red border is now gone. Tootip is still there and the OK button is still grayed out. So I'm gonna go and see why the textbox reset.