Using Error Provider Control in Windows Forms and C#

In this example we will see how to use the ErrorProvider control in Windows forms to
provide validations in Windows Forms and display user-friendly error messages to the user
if the validation fails.

Figure 1: Error Provider Sample

The complete code listing is provided at the end of the sample.

Create a new Visual C# Windows Forms application. The project will create a default form Form1.cs. Add controls
as shown in the figure below and set the properties of the controls as indicated in the table.

Figure 2: Sample Form Layout

Control Property Name Property Value

Label Text "Setup Driving Test Appointment"
Label Text "Name"
TextBox Text ""
Label Text "Age"
TextBox Text "" 
Label Text "Test Date"
DateTimePicker  Text "Create Appointment"
Button Text

Table 1: Properties for Sample Form Layout Controls

Now add a ErrorProvider control to the Form. In Visual Studio.Net, you can drag and drop
the control from the toolbox. The control is added to the form and displayed in the control
tray in the Windows form in Design view. If you are not using Visual Studio.Net, then you
can add the control in the code. Please refer to the code listing provided at the end of the
article.

Now create an event handler for the "Validating"event of the textBox1 control. We will
validate the TextBox to ensure that the user has entered a value.

private void textBox1_Validating(object sender,System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs

e)
{
ValidateName();
}
private bool ValidateName()
{
bool bStatus = true;
if (textBox1.Text == "")
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox1,"Please enter your Name");
bStatus = false;
}
else
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox1,"");
return bStatus;
}

Code Snippet: Validate the Name TextBox

Next we will add the validations for the textBox2 control which accepts Age as the data
input. We will ensure that the Age is mandatory, is in numeric format and the user is 18
years or older.

private void textBox2_Validating(object sender,System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs

e)
{
ValidateAge();
}
private bool ValidateAge()
{
bool bStatus = true;
if (textBox2.Text == "")
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"Please enter your Age");
bStatus = false;
}
else
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"");
try
{
int temp = int.Parse(textBox2.Text);
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"");
if (temp < 18)
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"You must be atleast 18 years old to setup a test");
bStatus = false;
}
else
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"");
}
}
catch
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"Please enter your age as a number");
bStatus = false;
}
}
return bStatus;
}

Code Snippet: Validate the Age TextBox

Now we will add the validations for the DateTimePicker controls which collects the Test Date
information. We will implement the business rule to allow test appointments to be setup on
weekdays only using validation on the form.

private void dateTimePicker1_Validating(object

sender,System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
{
ValidateTestDate();
}
private bool ValidateTestDate()
{
bool bStatus = true;
if ((dateTimePicker1.Value.DayOfWeek ==DayOfWeek.Sunday) ||
dateTimePicker1.Value.DayOfWeek ==DayOfWeek.Saturday))
{
errorProvider1.SetError (dateTimePicker1, "Appointment cannot be scheduled in the
weekend. Please select a weekday");
bStatus = false;
}
else
errorProvider1.SetError (dateTimePicker1, "");
return bStatus;
}
Code Snippet: Validate the Date Selection

Invoking the SetError method of the ErrorProvider control displays an error indicator image
next to the control specified as the first argument to the the SetError method. The string
specified in the second argument in the function invocation is displayed as the tooltip when
the mouse is moved over the Error indicator.

When the user enters data in the controls which fails validation, a blinking error image is
displayed on the form next to the control and the error message is displayed as a tooltip to
the error image.

You can display multiple error indications on a form at the same time using the same
ErrorProvider control. You can also display errors that occur in DataSets. You need to set
the DataSource, DataMember and ContainerControl properties of the ErrorProvider control
to set the error for a databound control. To display the dataset column error, invoke the
SetColumnError method of the ErrorProvider.
You can customize the ErrorProvider control to set the BlinkRate and BlinkStyle. You can
also display a custom error image instead of the default image.

Now we will add code in our sample to validate the complete form when the "Create
Appointment"button is clicked.

private void ValidateForm( )

{
bool bValidName = ValidateName();
bool bValidAge = ValidateAge();
bool bValidTestDate = ValidateTestDate();
if (bValidName && bValidAge && bValidTestDate )
MessageBox.Show("Appointment will be created now");
else
MessageBox.Show("Please enter valid data");
}

Code Snippet : Validate all form controls when the Create Appointment button is
clicked

If the user clicks the Create Appointment button and the data is not valid, error indicators
are displayed next to the controls with invalid data.

Validation in Action
Figure 3: Validation Form

Figure 4: Validation Errors

Figure 5: Error message displayed in addition to the form error indicators.

Complete Code Listing: Save as ValidatingForm.cs

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Data;
namespace SampleApp
{
public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
{
private System.Windows.Forms.Label label1;
private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox textBox1;
private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox textBox2;
private System.Windows.Forms.Label label2;
private System.Windows.Forms.Label label3;
private System.Windows.Forms.DateTimePicker dateTimePicker1;
private System.Windows.Forms.Label label4;
private System.Windows.Forms.Button button1;
private System.Windows.Forms.ErrorProvider errorProvider1;
public Form1()
{
this.label1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
this.textBox1 = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
this.textBox2 = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
this.label2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
this.label3 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
this.dateTimePicker1 = new System.Windows.Forms.DateTimePicker();
this.label4 = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
this.button1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
this.errorProvider1 = new System.Windows.Forms.ErrorProvider();
this.SuspendLayout();
this.label1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 40);
this.label1.Name = "label1";
this.label1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(80, 16);
this.label1.TabIndex = 0;
this.label1.Text = "Name";
this.label1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.label1_Click);
this.textBox1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(96, 40);
this.textBox1.Name = "textBox1";
this.textBox1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(104, 20);
this.textBox1.TabIndex = 1;
this.textBox1.Text = "";
this.textBox1.Validating += new System.ComponentModel.CancelEventHandler
this.textBox1_Validating);
this.label2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 64);
this.label2.Name = "label2";
this.label2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(80, 16);
this.label2.TabIndex = 3;
this.label2.Text = "Age";
this.textBox2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(96, 64);
this.textBox2.Name = "textBox2";
this.textBox2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(104, 20);
this.textBox2.TabIndex = 4;
this.textBox2.Text = "";
this.textBox2.Validating += new System.ComponentModel.CancelEventHandler
this.textBox2_Validating);
this.label3.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 88);
this.label3.Name = "label3";
this.label3.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(80, 16);
this.label3.TabIndex = 5;
this.label3.Text = "Test Date";
this.dateTimePicker1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(96, 88);
this.dateTimePicker1.Name = "dateTimePicker1";
this.dateTimePicker1.TabIndex = 6;
this.dateTimePicker1.Validating += new
System.ComponentModel.CancelEventHandler(this.dateTimePicker1_Validating);
this.label4.Font = new System.Drawing.Font("Microsoft Sans Serif",
8.25F,System.Drawing.FontStyle.Bold,
System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, ((System.Byte)(0)));
this.label4.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(16, 8);
this.label4.Name = "label4";
this.label4.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(184, 23);
this.label4.TabIndex = 7;
this.label4.Text = "Setup Driving Test Appointment";
this.button1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(80, 128);
this.button1.Name = "button1";
this.button1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(120, 23);
this.button1.TabIndex = 8;
this.button1.Text = "Create Appointment";
this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);
this.errorProvider1.DataMember = null;
this.AutoScaleBaseSize = new System.Drawing.Size(5, 13);
this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(320, 173);
this.Controls.AddRange(new System.Windows.Forms.Control[] {this.button1,this.label4,
this.dateTimePicker1, this.label3, this.label2, this.textBox2, this.textBox1, this.label1});
this.Name = "Form1";
this.Text = "Form1";
this.Load += new System.EventHandler(this.Form1_Load);
this.ResumeLayout(false);
}
[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.Run(new Form1());
}
private void label1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
}
private void Form1_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
errorProvider1.ContainerControl = this;
}
private void textBox1_Validating(object sender,System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs
e)
{
ValidateName();
}
private void textBox2_Validating(object sender,System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs
e)
{
ValidateAge();
}
private void dateTimePicker1_Validating(object
sender,System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
{
ValidateTestDate();
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
ValidateForm();
}
private void ValidateForm( )
{
bool bValidName = ValidateName();
bool bValidAge = ValidateAge();
bool bValidTestDate = ValidateTestDate();
if (bValidName && bValidAge && bValidTestDate )
MessageBox.Show("Appointment will be created now");
else
MessageBox.Show("Please enter valid data");
}
private bool ValidateName()
{
bool bStatus = true;
if (textBox1.Text == "")
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox1,"Please enter your Name");
bStatus = false;
}
else
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox1,"");
return bStatus;
}
private bool ValidateAge()
{
bool bStatus = true;
if (textBox2.Text == "")
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"Please enter your Age");
bStatus = false;
}
else
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"");
try
{
int temp = int.Parse(textBox2.Text);
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"");
if (temp < 18)
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"You must be atleast 18 years old to setup a test");
bStatus = false;
}
else
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"");
}
}
catch
{
errorProvider1.SetError (textBox2,"Please enter your age as a number");
bStatus = false;
}
}
return bStatus;
}
private bool ValidateTestDate()
{
bool bStatus = true;
if ((dateTimePicker1.Value.DayOfWeek ==DayOfWeek.Sunday)||
(dateTimePicker1.Value.DayOfWeek ==DayOfWeek.Saturday))
{
errorProvider1.SetError (dateTimePicker1, "Appointment cannot be scheduled in the
weekend. Please select a weekday");
bStatus = false;
}
else
errorProvider1.SetError (dateTimePicker1, "");
return bStatus;
}
}
}

NOTE: This article is purely for demonstration. This article should not be construed as a
best practices white paper. This article is entirely original, unless specified. Any resemblance
to other material is an un-intentional coincidence and should not be misconstrued as
malicious, slanderous, or any anything else hereof.

Conclusion

In this example we learnt how to invoke validate input to Windows Forms controls and
display a user-friendly informative error messages.