In Angular, how to add Validator to FormControl after control is created?

Question

We have a component that has a dynamically built form. The code to add a control with validators might look like this:

var c = new FormControl('', Validators.required);

But let's say that I want to add 2nd Validator later. How can we accomplish this? We cannot find any documentation on this online. I did find though in the form controls there is setValidators

this.form.controls["firstName"].setValidators 

but it is not clear how to add a new or custom validator.

Answer 1

You simply pass the FormControl an array of validators.

Here's an example showing how you can add validators to an existing FormControl:

this.form.controls["firstName"].setValidators([Validators.minLength(1), Validators.maxLength(30)]);

Note, this will reset any existing validators you added when you created the FormControl.

Answer 2

To add onto what @Delosdos has posted.

Set a validator for a control in the FormGroup: this.myForm.controls['controlName'].setValidators([Validators.required])

Remove the validator from the control in the FormGroup: this.myForm.controls['controlName'].clearValidators()

Update the FormGroup once you have run either of the above lines. this.myForm.controls['controlName'].updateValueAndValidity()

This is an amazing way to programmatically set your form validation.

Answer 3

If you are using reactiveFormModule and have formGroup defined like this:

public exampleForm = new FormGroup({
        name: new FormControl('Test name', [Validators.required, Validators.minLength(3)]),
        email: new FormControl('test@example.com', [Validators.required, Validators.maxLength(50)]),
        age: new FormControl(45, [Validators.min(18), Validators.max(65)])
});

than you are able to add a new validator (and keep old ones) to FormControl with this approach:

this.exampleForm.get('age').setValidators([
        Validators.pattern('^[0-9]*$'),
        this.exampleForm.get('age').validator
]);
this.exampleForm.get('email').setValidators([
        Validators.email,
        this.exampleForm.get('email').validator
]);

FormControl.validator returns a compose validator containing all previously defined validators.

Answer 4

I think the selected answer is not correct, as the original question is "how to add a new validator after create the formControl".

As far as I know, that's not possible. The only thing you can do, is create the array of validators dynamicaly.

But what we miss is to have a function addValidator() to not override the validators already added to the formControl. If anybody has an answer for that requirement, would be nice to be posted here.