Angular JS: Validate form fields before submit

Question

I'm building an Angular JS app with a 2-step form. It's really just one form, but uses JavaScript to hide the first panel and show the second when the user clicks the 'next' button and moves on to step 2. I have set 'required' validations on some of the fields in step 1, but obviously, they do not get validated when the user clicks the 'next' button...they get validated when the 'submit' button is clicked at the end of step 2.

Is there any way I can tell angular to validate those fields in the form when the 'next' button is clicked?

Answer 1

I suggest to use sub-forms. AngularJS supports putting one form inside another, and validity is propagated form lower form to upper;

Here is example: http://plnkr.co/edit/SruBmlGZZtbwiU8cktAp?p=preview

Here is some code so you can grasp the idea:

  <form name='myform' ng-init="step = 1">
    <div ng-show="step==1">
      <h3>Step 1: Enter some general info</h3>
      <div ng-form='step1form'>
        Name: <input ng-model="name" required>
      </div>
      <button ng-disabled="!step1form.$valid" ng-click="step = 2">Next</button>
    </div>

    <div ng-show="step==2">
      <h3>Step 2: Final info</h3>
      <div ng-form="step2form">
          Phone: <input ng-model="phone" required>
      </div>
      <button  ng-click="step = 1">Prev</button>
      <button ng-disabled="!myform.$valid" ng-click="submit()">Submit</button>
    </div>
    <div>
      Validation status:
      <div> Whole form valid? {{myform.$valid}} </div>
      <div> Step1 valid? {{step1form.$valid}} </div>
      <div> Step2 valid? {{step2form.$valid}} </div>
    </div>
  </form>