C# add validation on a setter method
If you want to validate when the property is set, you need to use non-auto properties (i.e., manually defined get
and set
methods).
But another way to validate is to have the validation logic separate from the domain object.
class Customer {
public string FirstName { get; set; }
public string LastName { get; set; }
public string Organization { get; set; }
}
interface IValidator<T> {
bool Validate(T t);
}
class CustomerValidator : IValidator<Customer> {
public bool Validate(Customer t) {
// validation logic
}
}
Then, you could say:
Customer customer = // populate customer
var validator = new CustomerValidator();
if(!validator.Validate(customer)) {
// head splode
}
This is the approach I prefer:
- A
Customer
should not responsible for validating its own data, that is another responsibility and therefore should live elsewhere. - Different situations call for different validation logic for the same domain object.
What you have now are called "auto-properties," and only perform a simple "get/set". In order to customize the behavior of the get
or set
, you will need to convert the properties to field-backed properties:
private string _firstName;
public string FirstName
{
get {return _firstName;}
set
{
Validate(value); _firstName = value;
}
}
Note that I changed String
to string
and capitalized the property name, in following accepted C# naming best practices.
I wouldn't add validation in the setter
at all. Rather, I would create a function called validate
instead...that way all your validation code is in one spot rather scattered throughout your setters
.