Placing error message for a checkbox array

Question

I am using the Validation Plugin for jQuery and it works wonders. Except when I have a group of checkboxes...the error messages will display right after the first checkbox..

Answer 1

Why not use a custom validation method ? Something like this:

jQuery:

// The custom validation method, returns FALSE (invalid) if there are
// no checkboxes (with a .one_required class) checked
$.validator.addMethod("one_required", function() {
    return $("#myform").find(".one_required:checked").length > 0;
}, 'Please select at least one vehicle.');

$("#myform").validate({
    // Use the built-in errorPlacement function to place the error message
    // outside the table holding the checkboxes if they are the ones that
    // didn't validate, otherwise use the default placement.
    errorPlacement: function(error, element) {
        if ($(element).hasClass("one_required")) {
            error.insertAfter($(element).closest("table"));
        } else {
            error.insertAfter(element);
        }
    }
});

HTML:

<form id="myform">
    <!-- table, rows, etc -->
    <td align="center"><input type="checkbox" class="one_required" name="selectItems[]" value="NA245852" /></td>
    <td>NA245852</td>
    <!-- more rows, end table, etc -->
    <br/>
    <input type="submit" value="Go, baby !">
</form>

Since the jQuery Validate plugin can also validate an element if the method name is present as a class, simply output the .one_required class on all checkboxes.

See a working demo on JSFiddle with multiple checkboxes.

EDIT:

Here's your own code with the above solution implemented.

Hope this helps !

Answer 2

You can use errorLabelContainer configuration option.. define a div with an id like errorMessages and then change your validate method call as follows:

$("form").validate({
   errorLabelContainer: $("#errorMessages"),
     rules: ..... your rules

Now all the error messages will be displayed in the div. Edit: Updated the answer below to reflect the updates to the question: To change the location of error messages displayed, I can think of using the errorPlacement config parameter. You can use something like: Define a div or a p and keep appending the messages for the checkboxes to this element.

$("form").validate({
errorPlacement:function(error,element) {
    if (element.attr("name") == "selectItems") {
        //Add Code to append the error message to a predefined element
        $("#errorDiv").html("");
        $("#errorDiv").append("<YOUR_CUSTOM_MESSAGE>");
    } else { 
        error.insertAfter(element);
    }
  },
  rules: ..... your rules
});

jsFiddle URL: http://jsfiddle.net/Z8hWg/28/

EDIT: Change your javascript to as follows:

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function(){        
                var formValidator = {};
                $("#Date").datepicker();       
                formValidator = $("#form1").validate({
                        errorPlacement:function(error,element) {
                                if (element.attr("name") == "selectedItems") {
                                                //Add Code to append the error message to a predefined element
                                        $("#errorDiv").html("Select at least one vehicle");
                                } else {
                                        error.insertAfter(element);
                                }
                        },

                        rules: {
                                avgTime:{
                                        required:true,
                                        number:true
                                },

                                selectedItems:
                                {
                                        required:true
                                },
                                Date:{
                                        required:true,
                                        date:true
                                }

                        },    
                        //onclick: true,
                        submitHandler: function(form) {
                                $("#errorDiv").html("");
                                form.submit();
                        }

                });       
                $("input[name=selectedItems]").bind("change", function() {
                        var me = $(this);
                        var scoper = me.parent().parent();
                        var otherInputs = $("input[name^=mileage]", scoper);
                        otherInputs.attr("disabled", !this.checked);
                        otherInputs.attr("value","");
                        if (this.checked)
                        {
                                otherInputs.addClass('required number');
                                $("#errorDiv").html("");
                        }
                        else
                        {
                                otherInputs.removeClass("required number");
                        }
                        formValidator.element("input[name=selectedItems]");
                });


        });  
</script>