Asp.Net MVC3: Set custom IServiceProvider in ValidationContext so validators can resolve services

Question

Update 18th December 2012

Since this question seems to be getting quite a few views, I should point out that the accepted answer is not

Answer 1

On MVC 5.2, you can leveragesteal @Andras's answer and the MVC source and:

1. Derive a DataAnnotationsModelValidatorEx from DataAnnotationsModelValidator

namespace System.Web.Mvc
{
    // From https://aspnetwebstack.codeplex.com/SourceControl/latest#src/System.Web.Mvc/DataAnnotationsModelValidator.cs
    // commit 5fa60ca38b58, Apr 02, 2015
    // Only diff is adding of secton guarded by THERE_IS_A_BETTER_EXTENSION_POINT
    public class DataAnnotationsModelValidatorEx : DataAnnotationsModelValidator
    {
        readonly bool _shouldHotwireValidationContextServiceProviderToDependencyResolver;

        public DataAnnotationsModelValidatorEx(
            ModelMetadata metadata, ControllerContext context, ValidationAttribute attribute,
            bool shouldHotwireValidationContextServiceProviderToDependencyResolver=false)
            : base(metadata, context, attribute)
        {
           _shouldHotwireValidationContextServiceProviderToDependencyResolver =
                shouldHotwireValidationContextServiceProviderToDependencyResolver;
        }
    }
}

2. Clone the base impl of public override IEnumerable Validate(object container)

3. Apply the hack Render the elegant incision after Validate creates the context:-

public override IEnumerable Validate(object container) { // Per the WCF RIA Services team, instance can never be null (if you have // no parent, you pass yourself for the "instance" parameter). string memberName = Metadata.PropertyName ?? Metadata.ModelType.Name; ValidationContext context = new ValidationContext(container ?? Metadata.Model) { DisplayName = Metadata.GetDisplayName(), MemberName = memberName };

#if !THERE_IS_A_BETTER_EXTENSION_POINT
   if(_shouldHotwireValidationContextServiceProviderToDependencyResolver 
       && Attribute.RequiresValidationContext)
       context.InitializeServiceProvider(DependencyResolver.Current.GetService);
#endif

   ValidationResult result = Attribute.GetValidationResult(Metadata.Model, context);
    if (result != ValidationResult.Success)
    {
        // ModelValidationResult.MemberName is used by invoking validators (such as ModelValidator) to
        // construct the ModelKey for ModelStateDictionary. When validating at type level we want to append the
        // returned MemberNames if specified (e.g. person.Address.FirstName). For property validation, the
        // ModelKey can be constructed using the ModelMetadata and we should ignore MemberName (we don't want
        // (person.Name.Name). However the invoking validator does not have a way to distinguish between these two
        // cases. Consequently we'll only set MemberName if this validation returns a MemberName that is different
        // from the property being validated.

       string errorMemberName = result.MemberNames.FirstOrDefault();
        if (String.Equals(errorMemberName, memberName, StringComparison.Ordinal))
        {
            errorMemberName = null;
        }

       var validationResult = new ModelValidationResult
        {
            Message = result.ErrorMessage,
            MemberName = errorMemberName
        };

       return new ModelValidationResult[] { validationResult };
    }

   return Enumerable.Empty();
}

4. Tell MVC about the new DataAnnotationsModelValidatorProvider in town

after your Global.asax does DependencyResolver.SetResolver(new AutofacDependencyResolver(container)) :-

DataAnnotationsModelValidatorProvider.RegisterAdapterFactory(
    typeof(ValidatorServiceAttribute),
    (metadata, context, attribute) => new DataAnnotationsModelValidatorEx(metadata, context, attribute, true));

5. Use your imagination to abuse your new Service Locator consume using ctor injection via GetService in your ValidationAttribute, for example:

public class ValidatorServiceAttribute : ValidationAttribute
{
    readonly Type _serviceType;

    public ValidatorServiceAttribute(Type serviceType)
    {
        _serviceType = serviceType;
    }

    protected override ValidationResult IsValid(
        object value, 
        ValidationContext validationContext)
    {
        var validator = CreateValidatorService(validationContext);
        var instance = validationContext.ObjectInstance;
        var resultOrValidationResultEmpty = validator.Validate(instance, value);
        if (resultOrValidationResultEmpty == ValidationResult.Success)
            return resultOrValidationResultEmpty;
        if (resultOrValidationResultEmpty.ErrorMessage == string.Empty)
            return new ValidationResult(ErrorMessage);
        return resultOrValidationResultEmpty;
    }

    IModelValidator CreateValidatorService(ValidationContext validationContext)
    {
        return (IModelValidator)validationContext.GetService(_serviceType);
    }
}

Allows you to slap it on your model:-

class MyModel 
{
    ...
    [Required, StringLength(42)]
    [ValidatorService(typeof(MyDiDependentValidator), 
        ErrorMessage = "It's simply unacceptable")]
    public string MyProperty { get; set; }
    ....
}

which wires it to a:

public class MyDiDependentValidator : Validator
{
    readonly IUnitOfWork _iLoveWrappingStuff;

    public MyDiDependentValidator(IUnitOfWork iLoveWrappingStuff)
    {
        _iLoveWrappingStuff = iLoveWrappingStuff;
    }

    protected override bool IsValid(MyModel instance, object value)
    {
        var attempted = (string)value;
        return _iLoveWrappingStuff.SaysCanHazCheez(instance, attempted);
    }
}

The preceding two are connected by:

interface IModelValidator
{
    ValidationResult Validate(object instance, object value);
}

public abstract class Validator : IModelValidator
{
    protected virtual bool IsValid(T instance, object value)
    {
        throw new NotImplementedException(
            "TODO: implement bool IsValid(T instance, object value)" +
            " or ValidationResult Validate(T instance, object value)");
    }

    protected virtual ValidationResult Validate(T instance, object value)
    {
        return IsValid(instance, value) 
            ? ValidationResult.Success 
            : new ValidationResult("");
    }

    ValidationResult IModelValidator.Validate(object instance, object value)
    {
        return Validate((T)instance, value);
    }
}

I'm open to corrections, but most of all, ASP.NET team, would you be open to a PR to add a constructor with this facility to DataAnnotationsModelValidator?