jQuery Validate plugin not checking non dates

Question

I'm using the jQuery Validate plugin to validate a form date. I've set the rules up for the input element to validate as required and as a date. The only rule though that seems to be firing is the required one as I can put any thing in (text, numbers etc) and it passes validation. Only if the input field is blank does it show an error.

Here's my script:

 $(function() {
 $('#form1').validate({
 rules: {
 entryDate: {
 required: true,
 date: true
 }
 },
 messages: {
 entryDate:{
 required: "A Date is required",
 date: "Please enter a valid date"
 }
 }
 });
 });

which is inside a script tag.

Here's my test form:

 <form action="" method="POST" id="form1">
 <input id="entryDate" name="entryDate" class="date" type="text" />
 <input type="submit" name="submit" id="submit" />
 </form>

Can anyone point me in the right direction please? Why are non dates being accepted?

I've included the scripts in the file (jQuery and Validate) and both are loading ok.

• Andrew Whitaker: This is explained in the documentation: Return true, if the value is a valid date. Uses JavaScripts built-in Date to test if the date is valid, and does therefore no sanity checks. Only the format must be valid, not the actual date, eg 30/30/2008 is a valid date. Works with text inputs! This means that anaything that doesn't return "Invalid Date" when passed to the Date constructor will validate.
• Ray: As test input I tried "abc" and "123" both of these entries appear to have passed validation. Based on comment is this expected and normal behaviour for a date validation?

Answer 1

Quote OP: "Why are non dates being accepted?"

Quote OP comment: "As test input I tried 'abc' and '123' both of these entries appear to have passed validation. Based on comment is this expected and normal behaviour for a date validation?"

Your code, exactly as you've posted it, is working as expected. As you can see, abc and 123 do not pass validation...

http://jsfiddle.net/zsCM3/

You also do not need to use inline class="date" when you've already declared date: true within the rules option. Although this has no bearing on the issue, demo is working the same in both cases...

http://jsfiddle.net/TWEXJ/

---

EDIT:

Confirmed that in Chrome (24.0.1312.52), an entry of 123 is indeed passing validation. I tried the jsFiddle with both jQuery 1.8.3 and 1.9.0.

• Ray: Hi - thanks just reviewed - thank you. However in CHrome the script as still accepts 123 as a valid date. I retested it in firefox and everything works well and tested as expected. I know chrome only validated us dates but didnt know this could be a potential issue with chrome as well. Thank you
• Sparky: @Ray, Since the posted code is working, can you please clarify your question?
• Ray: @sparky- sorry always forget not to press the return key when adding a comment as it sends to early - completed comment as above. Appears a browser issue - Not sure how to resolve from here so will accept it works everywhere else and move on...thank you.
• Sparky: @Ray... that's really odd. In my Chrome, 123 passes validation but abc does not. This may be worthy of a bug report to the plugin's author.