Question

Validation of dates in ColdFusion

Asked by: tport_rti

I want to validate a date submitted once the form has been submitted - not browser-side. The code I've written doesn't catch if a date is entered in this format: mm/yyy (missing the last 'y') and it breaks my SQL statement. This is the code I've written: 

<!--- first I try to format the date entered using dateformat --->
<cfset session.frmDate ="#trim(form.frmDate)#">
  <cfif Compare(session.frmDate,"")>
     <cfif IsDate(session.frmDate)> 
       <cfset session.frmDate = #dateformat(session.frmDate, "mm/dd/yyyy")#>
     </cfif>
      <cfset session.strQuery = ListAppend(session.strQuery,"session.frmDate="&URLEncodedFormat(session.frmDate),"&amp;")>
</cfif>
 
<!--- then I check if the formatted date is valid (and if not add to my list of error messages --->
<cfif NOT IsDate(session.frmDate)>
     <cfset session.msg = ListAppend(session.msg,"Please format your FROM date mm/dd/yyyy.<br>"&URLEncodedFormat(session.msg), " ")>
</cfif>

                                  
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Asked On
2009-09-09 at 03:02:23ID24717574
Tags

CFML

Topic

Cold Fusion Markup Language

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: Dain_AndersonPosted on 2009-09-09 at 05:53:13ID: 25290636

I'm not sure I understand what's wrong here. The date mask, mm/yyy, is perfectly valid, and so long as you format it to a more database-friendly format (which you are), you should be fine without the database erring. I'm guessing you're using the variable form.frmDate in your SQL statements, and if so, try the code attached.

HTH,
-Dain

<cfif len(trim(form.frmDate)) and isDate(form.frmDate)>
	<cfset form.frmDate = dateFormat(form.frmDate, "mm/dd/yyyy") />
	<cfset session.strQuery = ListAppend(session.strQuery,"session.frmDate="&URLEncodedFormat(form.frmDate),"&amp;") />
<cfelse>
	 <cfset session.msg = ListAppend(session.msg,"Please format your FROM date mm/dd/yyyy.<br>"&URLEncodedFormat(session.msg), " ")>
</cfif>

                                              
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by: Mr_NilPosted on 2009-09-09 at 06:23:10ID: 25290921

It would seem that isDate and dateFormat assume that 08/009 is 08/09/2009.

I did a quick search for some regex to check a date format and put together the test code below.

As a note :
 1) I'm sure you have your reasons, but there does seem to be an overuse of the session scope. Check your date and then put it into the session when you have a valid date.
 2) You most likely don't need the urlencodedformat() around your date in the strQuery (which might actually be what is breaking your SQL)
 3) You really should be protecting your application from SQL Injection at a minimum by using cfqueryparam in your SQL.  Rather than dynamically generating SQL statements try to write specific components/functions that you pass params into and call well built and protected SQL calls.

<cfoutput>
	IsDate("") : #IsDate("")#<br>
	IsDate(form.frmdate) : #IsDate(form.frmdate)#<br>
	ReMatch("(0[1-9]|1[012])[- /.](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[- /.](19|20)\d\d",form.frmDate) : <cfdump var="#ReMatch("(0[1-9]|1[012])[- /.](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[- /.](19|20)\d\d",form.frmDate)#" ><br/>
	dateformat(form.frmdate,"mm/dd/yyyy") : #dateformat(form.frmdate,"mm/dd/yyyy")#<br>
</cfoutput>
 
<cfif IsDate(form.frmdate) && ArrayLen(ReMatch("(0[1-9]|1[012])[- /.](0[1-9]|[12][0-9]|3[01])[- /.](19|20)\d\d",form.frmDate))>
	<!--- Is Valid date and in the form mm/dd/yyyy --->
<cfelse>
    <!--- Is not valid or not in the right format --->
</cfif>

                                              
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by: ZvonkoPosted on 2009-09-09 at 09:48:02ID: 25293107

Extend your check to this:

<cfif NOT IsDate(session.frmDate)  OR  Year(session.frmDate) LT 1900   >
 

<!--- then I check if the formatted date is valid (and if not add to my list of error messages --->
<cfif NOT IsDate(session.frmDate) OR Year(session.frmDate) LT 1900 >
     <cfset session.msg = ListAppend(session.msg,"Please format your FROM date mm/dd/yyyy.<br>"&URLEncodedFormat(session.msg), " ")>
</cfif>

                                              
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by: tport_rtiPosted on 2009-09-09 at 17:10:25ID: 31626516

Thanks all for the thoughtful (and helpful) responses.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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