Calling Remote method conditionally from view for validation in MVC4

Question

I am updating an MVC2 application so that it works in the new MVC4 paradigm. I am trying to figure out how one would call a method to validate an input field with unobtrusive ajax? I need to figure out if a certain value is unique in the database (wrapped by a service). I already have the service methods mapped out, I just need to be able to call it... Normally this is what I would do.

HospitalFinNumber: {
                    required: function (element) {
                        debugger;
                        return '@isFlagSet' != 'True'; //$('AddEnc').val() === 'AddEnc';
                    },
                    minlength: 6,
                    remote: function () {
                        //debugger;
                        return {
                            url: '@Url.Action("ValidateHosFin", "EditEncounter")',
                            data: { hospitalFin: $('#HospitalFinNumber').val(), encflag: '@encflag' }
                        };
                    }
                }

But how would I do this now? I know my other functions don't work with unobtrusive ajax and validation? Is there anyway that I can just call these functions that I knew worked in the past with this methodology? UPDATE

I just realized you could pepper a field with [Remote(MethodName, Controller, ErrorMessage)]. But I just remember that I call this remote method conditionally. I use the same view to either edit or add a new row into the database... If I am just editing the Row, I do not check to see if the field is unique. If I am adding I do check to see if the field is unique. I figure out whether or not I am adding or edditing by having the controller set a tempData variable on the view... You can see it in the above example... the field is only required if that variable is set. I then remote to check if the value entered was unique or not... How can I get similar functionality using unobtrusive ajax?

ENDUPDATE Thanks.

Answer 1

You need to use jQuery.validate.unobtrusive to hook your standard validation rules, for more complex, custom rules, you can create adapters that make the ajax calls or whatever your validation requires