RE: FLASH: How to validate forms in action script????

[Eric Dunham]

I'm not too familiar with ActionScript, but you could easily use a

JavaScript function to do what you are talking about.

Maybe something like:

---------------------------------------------------

function validate(DownPayment)

{

	if (DownPayment.value.indexOf(',') != -1)

	{

		alert('Please check to make sure the DOWN PAYMENT field contains no

symbols or commas.');

		//you could use the following code to go back to the form

		//I'm not sure exactly how Flash handles forms as

		//opposed to JavaScript because I'm relatively new

		//to Flash, but if it's the same, then you can

		//access the form field by

		//document.forms[index].elements[index] or

		//(this is what I prefer)

		//document.myform.myelement

		//but in that case you have to set the "name="

		//attribute for the form and the elements

		DownPayment.focus();

		return false;

	}

	else

	{

		return true;

	}

}

---------------------------------------------------

Seeing as how I don't know a whole helluva lot about forms and Flash, I

can't really help you there. But you can easily pass the value of the Flash

form field to a javascript function that checks to see if there is a comma

in the string. If you don't know what the JavaScript above does, I'll break

it down for you.

<explanation>

DownPayment.value.indexOf : the indexOf() method checks to see if the

character that is passed to the method exists within the string. So in this

case it checks to see if DownPayment.value has a comma in it. If the string

does not have a comma, it returns the value -1, and if it does contain the

specified character, it returns the position of the offending character in

the string. Now if you're already passing the value to the function you

don't have to use the .value property, I was just using that based on my

knowledge of HTML forms and the hierarchy of objects. In your case you could

just use DownPayment.indexOf(',');

DownPayment.focus() : if this is a supported method (the way that it is in

HTML), you simply put the cursor focus back in the DownPayment field for

them to enter a proper number. And if you find that it does support the

.focus() method then the form field probably also supports the "onBlur="

event handler, in which case you could call the validating code right after

they leave the box instead of having to wait until the user submits the

form.

return true/false : even though you probably already know what this means,

the return false; statement passes the boolean false value back to the

caller, in this case it would be your original if() statement. And the

return true; statement does the same thing :)

Additionally, you don't have to have the code all separated like that. In

fact, you don't even need the braces on the else statement. I just did that

for readability :)

</explanation>


Hope that helps,

Eric Dunham


<snip>

Ive spent five hours on this and I just cant find the answer. =(

Does anyone out there know this one?


Im trying to validate a field in a flash form at the "submit" button.

The number in the field can be any number, including zero, so long as

the number contains no commas.  (Id really like to rule out all foreign

symbols but I wont press my luck).


Please note the "Else If (DownPayment)" line in the action script below.


On (Press)

      If (DownPayment eq Chr(44))

            Get URL ("javascript:AlertMsg("Please check to make sure

		the DOWN PAYMENT field contains no symbols or

commas.")")

      Else . . . . . blah blah {complete computation}

	End If

End On

</snip>




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