== Generating Client-Side Validations ==

There are two methods that you'll use when generating client-side validations:

=== The getInitializationScript() Method ===
Use the ''getInitializationScript()'' method to return JavaScript code to set up client-side validations. You only need to generate this script once per page, and can include links for the JavaScript libraries required by the framework.

==== Arguments ====
It accepts the following arguments:
* ''JSLib (optional)'' The name of the JavaScript implementation to be used to generate the script.
** If not passed in the JSLib that is specified in the ''DefaultJSLib'' key of the [[ValidateThisConfig Struct]] will be used.
** Note that as there is currently only one JS implementation available, it is currently unnecessary to pass this argument into this method.
* ''JSIncludes (optional)'' A boolean indicating whether to return the JS statements that include the libraries required by the framework.
** This exists to allow a developer to generate the setup script, but still manually add their own <script> tags for the libraries. This can be helpful when one is already including some of the libraries (e.g., jQuery) in their document.
* ''locale (optional)'' The locale to be used for translating validation failure messages.
** Unless you are supporting multiple languages this argument can be ignored.

==== Return Value ====
The ''getInitializationScript()'' method returns a string that contains an entire block of JavaScript which can then be inserted into your page. This includes the opening and closing <script> tags.

==== Examples ====
<source lang="coldfusion">
<cfset theScript = application.ValidateThis.getInitializationScript() />
<cfhtmlhead text="#theScript#" />
</source>

This would ask the framework to generate the JavaScript required to setup the client-side validations. That script is then being loaded into the document via the <cfhtmlhead> tag.

If one does not want the framework to include the <script> tag to load the required libraries, one would call it like this:

<source lang="coldfusion">
<cfset theScript = application.ValidateThis.getInitializationScript(JSIncludes=false) />
</source>

=== The getValidationScript() Method ===
Use the ''getValidationScript()'' method to return JavaScript code for all of the rules that you've defined.

==== Arguments ====
It accepts the following arguments:
* ''theObject (optional)'' The actual object for which to generate client-side validations.
* ''objectType (optional)'' The name of the object type as defined to the framework.
** One of either ''theObject'' or ''objectType'' must be specified, so the framework can identify for which object the script should be returned.
** For more information on why both are optional but at least one is required, see the section on [[Specifying the objectType on a Method Call]].
* ''context (optional)'' The name of a context used in the object's rules definition file.
** If passed, the object will be validated using the specified context. Only rules assigned to that context will be evaluated.
* ''formName (optional)'' The name of the form in the html document to which validations are to be attached.
** If not passed in the framework will use one of two values:
*** If a formName is associated with the given ''context'' in your [[Rules Definition File]] via the ''<contexts>'' element, that formName will be used.
*** Otherwise the formName that is specified in the ''defaultFormName'' key of the [[ValidateThisConfig Struct]] will be used.
* ''JSLib (optional)'' The name of the JavaScript implementation to be used to generate the script.
** If not passed in the JSLib that is specified in the ''DefaultJSLib'' key of the [[ValidateThisConfig Struct]] will be used.
** Note that as there is currently only one JS implementation available, it is currently unnecessary to pass this argument into this method.
* ''locale (optional)'' The locale to be used for translating validation failure messages.
** Unless you are supporting multiple languages this argument can be ignored.

==== Return Value ====
The ''getValidationScript()'' method returns a string that contains an entire block of JavaScript which can then be inserted into your page. This includes the opening and closing <script> tags.

==== Example ====
<source lang="coldfusion">
<cfset theScript = application.ValidateThis.getValidationScript(objectType='User',context='Register') />
<cfhtmlhead text="#theScript#" />
</source>

This would ask the framework to generate the JavaScript required to perform the client-side validations defined in the rules definition file called ''User.xml'' for the context of ''Register''. That script is then being loaded into the document via the <cfhtmlhead> tag.

For more information on interacting with the ValidateThis.cfc facade object, see the section on [[ValidateThis Facade Object | Using the ValidateThis Facade Object]].