jQuery validation trigger error message

Question

I have a kinda wierd problem. I want to trigger a jquery-valdation errormessage on an element even thou it's valid.

Scenario: I have a large form. One of the inputs is for PersonalId. It's optional to enter that PersonalId. Beside that input i have a normal button (not the submit-button). If you click on that (fetching information from ajax) and the PersonalId field is empty i want to trigger that Error-message.

Is that possible with jQuery Validate or do i need to create my own function?

Answer 1

Is that possible with jQuery Validate or do i need to create my own function?

Both, sort of. You can use the showErrors function to display errors on the form manually, but since you don't want this to be a rule that is enabled when you submit the form, you'll have to do your own checking for the value in the input.

Something like:

var $validator = $("#myform").validate(); $("#checkid").click(function() {     var errors;      if (!$("#personalid").val()) {         /* Build up errors object, name of input and error message: */         errors = { personalid: "Please enter an ID to check" };         /* Show errors on the form */         $validator.showErrors(errors);                 }         }); 

Example: http://jsfiddle.net/andrewwhitaker/XjZer/

Note that the form will still submit if there is nothing in the personalid field.