Programmatically triggering events in Javascript for IE using jQuery

Question

When an Event is triggered by a user in IE, it is set to the window.event object. The only way to see what triggered the event is by accessing the window.

Answer 1

This is an endemic problem with jQuery datepickers and ASP validation controls. As you are saying, the wrong element cross-triggers an ASP NET javascript validation routine, and then the M$ code throws an error because the triggering element in the routine is undefined.

I solved this one differently from anyone else I have seen - by deciding that M$ should have written their code more robustly, and hence redeclaring some of the M$ validator code to cope with the undefined element. Everything else I have seen is essentially a workaround on the jQuery side, and cuts possible functionality out (eg. using the click event instead of change).

The bit that fails is

   for (i = 0; i < vals.length; i++) {
        ValidatorValidate(vals[i], null, event);
    }

which throws an error when it tries to get a length for the undefined 'vals'.

I just added

if (vals) {
    for (i = 0; i < vals.length; i++) {
        ValidatorValidate(vals[i], null, event);
    }
}

and she's good to go. Final code, which redeclares the entire offending function, is below. I put it as a script include at the bottom of my master page or page.

Yes, this does break upwards compatibility if M$ decide to change their validator code in the future. But one would hope they'll fix it and then we can get rid of this patch altogether.

//  Fix issue with datepicker and ASPNET validators: redeclare MS validator code with fix
 function ValidatorOnChange(event) {
    if (!event) {
        event = window.event;
    }
    Page_InvalidControlToBeFocused = null;
    var targetedControl;
    if ((typeof (event.srcElement) != "undefined") && (event.srcElement != null)) {
        targetedControl = event.srcElement;
    }
    else {
        targetedControl = event.target;
    }
    var vals;
    if (typeof (targetedControl.Validators) != "undefined") {
        vals = targetedControl.Validators;
    }
    else {
        if (targetedControl.tagName.toLowerCase() == "label") {
            targetedControl = document.getElementById(targetedControl.htmlFor);
            vals = targetedControl.Validators;
        }
    }
    var i;
    if (vals) {
        for (i = 0; i < vals.length; i++) {
            ValidatorValidate(vals[i], null, event);
        }
    }
    ValidatorUpdateIsValid();
}