How to validate array of inputs using validate plugin jquery

Am new to jquery validation plugin but i would like to know how do we validate array of input boxes using validation plugin..

Below is html code.

<form id="transport-form">
  <input type="text" name="qty[]" id="qty1">
  <input type="text" name="qty[]" id="qty2" >
  <input type="text" name="qty[]" id="qty3">
  <input type="text" name="qty[]" id="qty4">
  <input type="submit value="submit">
</form>

and jquery code is below

jQuery("#transport-form").validate({
        rules: {
            'qty[]': {
                required: true
            }
        },
    });

But everytime i click submit it is validating only the first value. rest all the values of same name are not validated. Please help.

Sometimes we need to validate an array of input elements: For example –

<form name="signupForm" class="cmxform" id="signupForm" method="get" action="">
    <select name="category[]" id="cat_1">
    <option value="">Select One</option>
    <option value="1">aa</option>
    <option value="2">bb</option>
    <option value="3">cc</option>
    <option value="4">dd</option>
    </select>

    <select name="category[]" id="cat_2">
    <option value="">Select One</option>
    <option value="5">ee</option>
    <option value="6">ff</option>
    <option value="7">gg</option>
    <option value="8">hh</option>
    </select>

    <select name="category[]" id="cat_3">
    <option value="">Select One</option>
    <option value="9">ii</option>
    <option value="10">jj</option>
    <option value="11">kk</option>
    <option value="12">ll</option>
    </select>

    <input class="submit" type="submit" value="Submit">
    </form>

Now we will use jquery validation plugin jquery.validate.js for validating the form. The condition will be that user will have to choose category from each dropdown. The script for validation will be as below -

<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.validate.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function() {
    // validate the comment form when it is submitted
    $("#signupForm").validate({
        rules: {
            "category[]": "required"
        },
        messages: {
            "category[]": "Please select category",
        }
    });
});
</script>

Now the problem is that the readymade jquery.validate.js only validates the first element of category[]. So, we need to modify it a little bit.

In jquery.validate.js, we can find a function named checkForm, we have to modify it as below:

checkForm: function() {
    this.prepareForm();
    for (var i = 0, elements = (this.currentElements = this.elements()); elements[i]; i++) {
        if (this.findByName(elements[i].name).length != undefined && this.findByName(elements[i].name).length > 1) {
            for (var cnt = 0; cnt < this.findByName(elements[i].name).length; cnt++) {
                this.check(this.findByName(elements[i].name)[cnt]);
            }
        } else {
            this.check(elements[i]);
        }
    }
    return this.valid();
}

I just got this solution from http://www.codeboss.in/web-funda/2009/05/27/jquery-validation-for-array-of-input-elements/ hope this helps someone..

You can pass an option in to ignore part of a field name; As for the original posts comments, there are plenty of use-cases for having a name[] style name in HTML, especially using PHP.

$("#my-form").validate({
  submitHandler: function(form) {
    form.submit();
  },
  ignore: [],
  rules: {
    'category[]': {
      required: true
    }
  }
});

I noticed that the jQuery validate plugin i use will only detect the first element with a specific name.

Another way to make the jQuery validate plugin also detect all the inputs beyond the first could be by making the names unique. So you could replace:

<input type="text" name="qty[]" />
<input type="text" name="qty[]" />
<input type="text" name="qty[]" />
<input type="text" name="qty[]" />

with:

<input type="text" name="qty[0]" />
<input type="text" name="qty[1]" />
<input type="text" name="qty[2]" />
<input type="text" name="qty[3]" />

This is the Best solution I found and I'am currently using in my project:

// Adding rule to each item in qtyi list 
jQuery('[id^=qty]').each(function(e) {
    jQuery(this).rules('add', {
        minlength: 2,
        required: true
    });
});