Validators and IDs of other controls

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nathan Sokalski
  • Start date Start date
N

Nathan Sokalski

I have a validator control that I wrote by inheriting from the BaseValidator
class. One of the properties of my class is the id of another control which
will determine whether or not the ControlToValidate needs validated (this
property is named conditionid). When I attempt to access this control, I use
the following statement:

needsvalidated = CType(Me.Page.FindControl(Me.conditionid),
CheckBox).Checked

However, when I submit the form, I recieve the following error, which points
to the line in my code mentioned above:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

I know that the value for Me.conditionid is there, because I checked it
while debugging. I believe the control with that id is available, because it
is added declaratively in the *.aspx file. What could be the problem? (I
don't know if it makes a difference for this problem, but I would like to
note also that I am using a Master page, but none of the stuff I have
mentioned is in the Master page; the line of code I mentioned above is from
the validator that inherits BaseValidator, and the control that has the id
Me.conditionid is in the *.aspx page) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Page.FindControl only searches the pages Control collection. But a Control in
Page collection can have its own. If you use a Master Page, then the master
page control is in the Page collection. the master control has content
controls. In the content controls are collections of the control defined in
the content area. if you use server tables or repeators then you have more
control collection.

with validators the standard pattern is to require the controls and the
validators have the same naming container, so your code should be:

needsvalidated = CType(Me.FindControl(Me.conditionid), CheckBox).Checked

though you really should check if find returns a null.

-- bruce (sqlwork.com)
 
Thanks! That worked great! It' nice to have people like you that give quick,
yet complete, answers.
 
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