Disable Whole Form by Error Provider

Question

In a Windows form I've some controls and a UserControl. I've a ErrorProvider in the UserControl. I want to stop editing all the controls in the Form if there is an error in the userControl. Is there any way to do that?

I am using errorProvider.BindToCustomDataAndErrors(..)

Answer 1

1. Expose a property on the user control to indicate whether it has any errors (such as by iterating the control collection and checking errorProvider.GetError(control)

2. Check your property and disable whatever you need to

   if (!myUserControl.IsValid) { someContainerControl.Enabled = false; }

3. If you need to be notified in 'real time', declare an event on the user control IsValidChanged, attach to it and disable your controls when it fires and IsValid is false.

Answer 2

You can prevent the user from moving the focus out of the UserControl with the Validating event. For example:

    protected override void OnValidating(CancelEventArgs e) {
        foreach (Control ctl in this.Controls) {
            if (errorProvider1.GetError(ctl) != "") e.Cancel = true;
        }
        base.OnValidating(e);
    }

Using ErrorProvider.GetError() like this is not ideal although it can work. You might want to keep your own list of validation errors.