Using setError for edit text input validation Android

Question

I'm checking for invalid input to a group of edit texts in an alert dialog, by checking for null input and calling setError. But in my current implementation the dialog still closes even though there has been invalid input.

A boolean check has been added to each edit text to prevent the dialog from being dismissed if any of the edit texts set the boolean to false like this:

      else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strColour)) {
        colourText.setError("Please enter a value");
        entriesValid = false;

` But the dialog is still dismissed despite the invalid input.

My question, whats the error here that allows the dialog to close on invalid input?

I set a break point on this line, if(entriesValid) to check if the condition is triggered but it doesn't break here meaning that the check is be skipped.

This is the complete custom dialog class:

public class MyMessageDialog  {

    public interface MyMessageDialogListener {
        public void onClosed(String ship, String scientist, String email, String volume, String color);
    }

@SuppressLint("NewApi") 
public static AlertDialog displayMessage(Context context, String title, String message, final MyMessageDialogListener listener){ 
    AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(context); 
    LayoutInflater inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
    builder.setTitle(title); 
    builder.setMessage(message); 
    final View layoutView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.custom_view, null);
    builder.setView(layoutView);
    builder.setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() { 
    @Override 
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) { 
        boolean entriesValid = true;
        // get the edit text values here and pass them back via the listener
        if(listener != null)
        {
        EditText shipText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.shipNameEditText);
        EditText scientistNameText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.scientistEditText);
        EditText scientistEmailText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.emailEditText);
        EditText volumeText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.volumeEditText);
        EditText colourText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.colourEditText);



        listener.onClosed(shipText.getText().toString(),
                scientistNameText.getText().toString(),
                scientistEmailText.getText().toString(),
                volumeText.getText().toString(),
                colourText.getText().toString());

        String strShipName = shipText.getText().toString();
        String strScientistName = scientistNameText.getText().toString();
        String strScientistEmail = scientistEmailText.getText().toString();
        String strVolume = volumeText.getText().toString();
        String strColour = colourText.getText().toString();
        if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strShipName)) {
            shipText.setError("Please enter a value");
            entriesValid = false;
         }
        else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strShipName)) {
            shipText.setError("Please enter a value");
            entriesValid = false;
         }
        else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strScientistName)) {
            scientistNameText.setError("Please enter a value");
            entriesValid = false;
         }
        else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strScientistEmail)) {
            scientistEmailText.setError("Please enter a value");
            entriesValid = false;
         }
        else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strVolume)) {
            volumeText.setError("Please enter a value");
            entriesValid = false;
         }
        else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strColour)) {
            colourText.setError("Please enter a value");
            entriesValid = false;
         }
        }
        if(entriesValid)
            dialog.dismiss(); 
        } 
        }); 
        builder.show(); 
        return builder.create();
    } 

}

possible duplicate of [How to validate edit text input in Android?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/27788043/how-to-validate-edit-text-input-in-android) — Rohit5k2, Jan 07 '15 at 00:53
@Rohit5k2 not exactly a duplicate, this code is different than the last question, its updated with the input validation, but the dialog is still being allowed to close despite the boolean check to prevent this. Could it perhaps be that the boolean is never triggered so the condition will never be met? — Brian Var, Jan 07 '15 at 01:23
I already answered about why you dialog is getting closed in last question only. Boolean is not going to help here. see your last question's comment. — Rohit5k2, Jan 07 '15 at 01:25
Looking at your code, i doubt if the IF block is getting executed, add a Log statement inside IF block to see if the code is executed. Better to get the value of editText and check if empty. It should work. — Prem, Jan 07 '15 at 01:31
@Prem so instead I should try, `TextUtils.isEmpty(shipNameEditText)` ? How does this differ from the above code for triggering the if block? @Rohit5k2 mentioned it may because I need to make the following change because of the default listener, but not sure how to make that change: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4016313/how-to-keep-an-alertdialog-open-after-button-onclick-is-fired — Brian Var, Jan 07 '15 at 01:37

Prem · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-07T15:20:27.063

Instead of checking listener to be null, add a try catch block. I have not tried this code. But my idea is to remove listener block with try catch and set the boolean flag accordingly. That way it becomes simple.

@SuppressLint("NewApi") 
        public static AlertDialog displayMessage(Context context, String title, String message, final MyMessageDialogListener listener){ 
            AlertDialog.Builder builder = new AlertDialog.Builder(context); 
            LayoutInflater inflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
            builder.setTitle(title); 
            builder.setMessage(message); 
            final View layoutView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.custom_view, null);
            builder.setView(layoutView);
            builder.setPositiveButton("Ok", new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() { 
            @Override 
            public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) { 
                boolean entriesValid = true;
                // get the edit text values here and pass them back via the listener
               try
                {
                EditText shipText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.shipNameEditText);
                EditText scientistNameText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.scientistEditText);
                EditText scientistEmailText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.emailEditText);
                EditText volumeText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.volumeEditText);
                EditText colourText = (EditText)layoutView.findViewById(R.id.colourEditText);

                String strShipName = shipText.getText().toString();
                String strScientistName = scientistNameText.getText().toString();
                String strScientistEmail = scientistEmailText.getText().toString();
                String strVolume = volumeText.getText().toString();
                String strColour = colourText.getText().toString();

                if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strShipName)) {
                    shipText.setError("Please enter a value");
                    entriesValid = false;
                 }
                else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strShipName)) {
                    shipText.setError("Please enter a value");
                    entriesValid = false;
                 }
                else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strScientistName)) {
                    scientistNameText.setError("Please enter a value");
                    entriesValid = false;
                 }
                else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strScientistEmail)) {
                    scientistEmailText.setError("Please enter a value");
                    entriesValid = false;
                 }
                else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strVolume)) {
                    volumeText.setError("Please enter a value");
                    entriesValid = false;
                 }
                else if(TextUtils.isEmpty(strColour)) {
                    colourText.setError("Please enter a value");
                    entriesValid = false;
                 }
                }
    catch(Exception e)
    {
    entriesValid = false;
    }
                if(entriesValid)
                    dialog.dismiss(); 
                } 
                }); 
                builder.show(); 
                return builder.create();
            }

update - New solution - Tried and worked for me

public class Help_DialogScreen extends Dialog implements OnClickListener{
 Context context;
    public Help_DialogScreen(Context context) {
        super(context);
        // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
        this.context=context;
    }

    @Override
      protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        requestWindowFeature(Window.FEATURE_NO_TITLE);
        setContentView(R.layout.help_homescreen);

        EditText tvGoToAddExpense = (EditText)findViewById(R.id.txtGoToAddExpense);

        Button btnTestCLick = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btnTestClick);

        btnTestCLick.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                // TODO Auto-generated method stub
                Toast.makeText(context, "Click fired", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                // I have used Toast to show that on click of button, dialog is not getting dismissed. You can add your code and do your logic here.
            }
        });


      }

    @Override
    public void onClick(DialogInterface dialog, int which) {

        dismiss();
    }

}

In the code where you should show the dialog, add this code

Help_DialogScreen cdd=new Help_DialogScreen(CURRENTACTIVITY.this);
                cdd.show();

The dialog still closes with the above fix, gonna try something along the lines of this,http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4016313/how-to-keep-an-alertdialog-open-after-button-onclick-is-fired — Brian Var, Jan 07 '15 at 10:27
based on the asynchronustask am showing one alertdailog for asking username without enter name show the edittext.setError message on dialogbox edittext field but when i click ok with out enter any data dialogbox closes please help me — Harsha, Jul 16 '16 at 09:36

Using setError for edit text input validation Android

1 Answers1