Error messages for model validation using data annotations

Question

Given the following classes:

using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;

public class Book{
   public Contact PrimaryContact{get; set;}
   public Contact SecondaryContact{get; set;}

   [Required(ErrorMessage="Book name is required")]
   public string Name{get; set;}
}
public class Contact{
    [Required(ErrorMessage="Name is required")]
    public string Name{get; set;}
}

Is there a clean way I can give a distinct error message for each instance of Contact in Book using DataAnnotations? For example, if the name was missing from the PrimaryContact instance the error would read "primary contact name is required".

My current solution is to create a validation service that checks the model state for field errors, then remove said errors and add them back using the specific language I'd like.

Answer 1

This is the only way I know of that, but it's far from clean. It involves using subclassing and MetaData classes to "override" the error message.

public class Book
{
    public PrimaryContact PrimaryContact { get; set; }
    public SecondaryContact SecondaryContact { get; set; }

    [Required(ErrorMessage = "Book name is required")]
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

public class Contact
{
    [Required(ErrorMessage = "Name is required")]
    public string Name { get; set; }
}

[MetadataType(typeof(PrimaryContactMD))]
public class PrimaryContact : Contact
{
    class PrimaryContactMD
    {
        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Primary Contact Name is required")]
        public string Name { get; set; }
    }
}

[MetadataType(typeof(SecondaryContactMD))]
public class SecondaryContact : Contact
{
    class SecondaryContactMD
    {
        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Secondary Contact Name is required")]
        public string Name { get; set; }
    }
}