How To: Apply Real-time Data Validation

Applies To:

GroupID 10 – Self-Service

Business Scenario:

In traditional systems, data validation checks are applied as a last step in data entry. Once the user has entered all data and clicks the Save button, the application runs data validation checks and marks the fields with unverified data in red, along with a message that directs the users to redo the entry.

Problem is, the error shows up right at the end, after the monotonous exercise of filling up pages with data. To move back through pages and work with the same data again is not a welcoming proposition.

So, an application that performs data validation on a field the minute users enter data is a definite advantage.

More Details:

The GroupID Self-Service portal is infused with the ability to validate data in real time.

Data is validated according to the set rules for uniqueness and syntax, and a message is displayed as soon as a user makes an invalid entry.

The GroupID administrator can add input fields to a portal and apply the following checks:

• Specify a default value for a field.
• Use a regular expression to validate the data entered in a field.
• Enforce the user to enter a unique value for a field.

Apply Real-time Data Validation to a Portal Field:

You can enable real-time data validation for an existing field in the portal or apply it to new fields.

For the sake of convenience, let’s create a new textbox display type and use it to define a field (with real-time data validation checks) in a Self-Service portal.

Create a textbox display type with real-time data validation:

1. In GroupID Management Console, select Self-Service > Portals > [required portal] > Designs.
2. Select an identity store to apply real-time data validation.
3. On the Custom Display Types tab, click Add in the Simple Types area.
   
   
    
4. Enter a name for the display type in the Name box.
5. From the Type list, select Textbox and click OK.
   
   
    
6. Specify a value in the Default Value box to set it as the default value for the text box.
   Users can modify this value in the portal.
7. In the Regular Expression box, type a regular expression to use for validating data that would be entered in the text box using the portal.
   Leave this box blank if you do not want to apply any validation rule to the data.
8. In the Error Message box, type the text that would be displayed as an error message when a portal user enters data that does not conform to the regular expression.
9. Click Test to check if the regular expression is valid.
   In the Regular Expression Example box, type an example that satisfies the regular expression and click Test.
10. You can place a real-time validation check to ensure that users enter a unique value for the field. GroupID can look up the value for uniqueness in the directory or an external data source.
    The portal would prevent the user from proceeding unless a unique value is provided.
    • Select the Unique check box to enforce the user to enter a value that is unique for the field (attribute) in the directory.

      OR

    • You can also use an external data source, such as an Excel file, to validate the uniqueness of the value in real time. An API is provided to link to that data source.
      Select the External Validation URL check box and enter the URL of the API in the box below.
11. Click OK to close the Text Display Type dialog box.
12. On the toolbar, click Save.

Apply the textbox display type to a portal field:

Let's assume you apply this text box display type to the group name field on the group creation wizard. When a user enters a name for the group in the wizard, the portal will (a) validate it according to the regular expression, and (b) look up this name for uniqueness in the directory/external data source, and display an error message if it does not pass any of these checks in real time.

Reference:

GroupID Online Help topic: Text box display type