Help! I need a validation control that will catch when users enter a social security number pattern in a textbox (with or without other content) and display its error message. Anyone have one or know how to use the standard controls to this effect? I've looked at RegExLibrary.com and have tinkered a little with the RegularExpressionValidator, but obviously don't understand them enough to figure this one out.

 A million thanks to whomever helps!!!!

 
Jules
 

From our hero Scott 4 Guys.

 <input type="text" id="txtSSN" runat="server"/>
  </TD><TD>
    <asp:RequiredFieldValidator runat="server"
      id="reqSSN" ControlToValidate="txtSSN"
      ErrorMessage = "You must provide your Social Security Number."
      display="Dynamic" />
    <asp:RegularExpressionValidator runat="server"
      id="regexpSSN" ControlToValidate="txtSSN"
      ValidationExpression="^\d{3}\-\d{2}\-\d{4}$"
      ErrorMessage = "Your Social Seucrity Number must be in the format: XXX-XX-XXXX"
      Display="Dynamic" />
  </TD></TR>

http://www.4guysfromrolla.com/webtech/090200-1.3.shtml

The challenge here is that you want to EXCLUDE the ssn. Regular expressions tend to require the pattern to be matched. You need a kind of "NOT" operator on the validator's result. That doesn't exist in the native RegularExpressionValidator.

It means you have to go a different direction:

1. Use a CustomValidator. You can still use the regular expression object from .net and javascript (http://www.synchro.net/docs/js/ref/regexp.html#1193136). After evaluating the SSN pattern (previously given as \W\d{3}-\d{3}-\d{4}\W), if its a match, set the IsValid value to false.

2. My replacement to the native validators, Professional Validation And More, has a NOT operator on every validator, including its RegexValidator. So you can just do this:

<vam:RegexValidator id="RV1" runat="server" ControlIDToEvaluate="TextBox1" ErrorMessage="No SSN"
   Expression="\W\d{3}-\d{3}-\d{4}\W" NotCondition="true" />

Thank you!!!! You're suggestion was exactly what I needed. It's taken me an hour or two, but now I have a CustomValidator that works. Thanks!

 I've looked at your controls before. They're fabulous!

Thanks again to all of you!

Jules