Is IDataErrorInfo ignored during model validation in MVC 2?

Question

I currently migrated my project to MVC 2 and IDataErrorInfo doesn't seem to work when using default model binding and validation. Is it cut out?

Answer 1

It's certainly in MVC 2 Preview 2. Look at DefaultModelBinder.OnPropertyValidating and OnModelUpdated.

Answer 2

SUMMARY

I posted this error to MVC 2 issue tracker: http://aspnet.codeplex.com/WorkItem/View.aspx?WorkItemId=4891

It will be resolved in next preview release.

---

DefaultModelBinder in MVC 1.0:

protected virtual void OnPropertyValidated(ControllerContext controllerContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext, PropertyDescriptor propertyDescriptor, object value)
{
    IDataErrorInfo model = bindingContext.Model as IDataErrorInfo;
    if (model != null)
    {
        string str = model[propertyDescriptor.Name];
        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(str))
        {
            string key = CreateSubPropertyName(bindingContext.ModelName, propertyDescriptor.Name);
            bindingContext.ModelState.AddModelError(key, str);
        }
    }
}

DefaultModelBinder in MVC 2.0 beta:

protected virtual void OnPropertyValidated(ControllerContext controllerContext, ModelBindingContext bindingContext, PropertyDescriptor propertyDescriptor, object value)
{
    ModelMetadata metadata = bindingContext.PropertyMetadata[propertyDescriptor.Name];
    metadata.Model = value;
    string prefix = CreateSubPropertyName(bindingContext.ModelName, metadata.PropertyName);
    foreach (ModelValidator validator in metadata.GetValidators(controllerContext))
    {
        foreach (ModelValidationResult result in validator.Validate(bindingContext.Model))
        {
            bindingContext.ModelState.AddModelError(CreateSubPropertyName(prefix, result.MemberName), result.Message);
        }
    }
    if ((bindingContext.ModelState.IsValidField(prefix) && (value == null)) && !TypeHelpers.TypeAllowsNullValue(propertyDescriptor.PropertyType))
    {
        bindingContext.ModelState.AddModelError(prefix, GetValueRequiredResource(controllerContext));
    }
}

It doesn't use IDataErrorInfo this[string columnName] property... Seems like a bug, because DefaultModelBinder still uses Error property. It is inconsistency at least.

EDIT

I used reflector and noticed that DataErrorInfoPropertyModelValidator doesn't seem to be used, so I created my own class:

public class DataErrorInfoModelPropertyValidatorProvider : ModelValidatorProvider
{
    // Methods
    public override IEnumerable<ModelValidator> GetValidators(ModelMetadata metadata, ControllerContext context)
    {
        if (metadata == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("metadata");
        }
        if (context == null)
        {
            throw new ArgumentNullException("context");
        }

        var validators = new List<ModelValidator>();
        validators.Add(new DataErrorInfoPropertyModelValidator(metadata, context));
        return validators;
    }

    internal sealed class DataErrorInfoPropertyModelValidator : ModelValidator
    {
        // Methods
        public DataErrorInfoPropertyModelValidator(ModelMetadata metadata, ControllerContext controllerContext)
            : base(metadata, controllerContext)
        {
        }

        public override IEnumerable<ModelValidationResult> Validate(object container)
        {
            if (container != null)
            {
                IDataErrorInfo info = container as IDataErrorInfo;
                if (info != null)
                {
                    string str = info[Metadata.PropertyName];
                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(str))
                    {
                        ModelValidationResult[] resultArray = new ModelValidationResult[1];
                        ModelValidationResult result = new ModelValidationResult();
                        result.Message = str;
                        resultArray[0] = result;
                        return resultArray;
                    }
                }
            }
            return Enumerable.Empty<ModelValidationResult>();
        }
    }
}

Then I used:

ModelValidatorProviders.Providers.Add(new DataErrorInfoModelPropertyValidatorProvider());

And it works:) This is just temporary solution. Will have to be corrected in final MVC 2.

EDIT

I also changed if (base.Metadata.Model != null) to if (container != null) in Validate() method of DataErrorInfoPropertyModelValidator.