Jquery Validate custom error message location

Question

This looks very simply, but I can't figure it out. I'm using the jquery validate plugin. I'm trying to validate <input name=first> and <input name=second> to output the error messages into:

<span id="errNm2"></span> <span id="errNm1"></span>

I already started writing the errorPlacement: which is where you customize your error message location.

How can I put the errors message in those <span>?

$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#form').validate({
        errorPlacement: function(error, element) {
            error.append($('.errorTxt span'));
        },
        rules,
});

<input type="text" name="first"/>
<input type="text" name="second"/>

<div class="errorTxt">
   <span id="errNm2"></span>
   <span id="errNm1"></span>
</div>

Answer 1

What you should use is the errorLabelContainer

jQuery(function($) {
  var validator = $('#form').validate({
    rules: {
      first: {
        required: true
      },
      second: {
        required: true
      }
    },
    messages: {},
    errorElement : 'div',
    errorLabelContainer: '.errorTxt'
  });
});

.errorTxt{
  border: 1px solid red;
  min-height: 20px;
}

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.1.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery-validate/1.12.0/jquery.validate.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery-validate/1.12.0/additional-methods.js"></script>

<form id="form" method="post" action="">
  <input type="text" name="first" />
  <input type="text" name="second" />
  <div class="errorTxt"></div>
  <input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit" />
</form>

---

If you want to retain your structure then

jQuery(function($) {
  var validator = $('#form').validate({
    rules: {
      first: {
        required: true
      },
      second: {
        required: true
      }
    },
    messages: {},
    errorPlacement: function(error, element) {
      var placement = $(element).data('error');
      if (placement) {
        $(placement).append(error)
      } else {
        error.insertAfter(element);
      }
    }
  });
});

#errNm1 {
  border: 1px solid red;
}
#errNm2 {
  border: 1px solid green;
}

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.1.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery-validate/1.12.0/jquery.validate.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery-validate/1.12.0/additional-methods.js"></script>

<form id="form" method="post" action="">
  <input type="text" name="first" data-error="#errNm1" />
  <input type="text" name="second" data-error="#errNm2" />
  <div class="errorTxt">
    <span id="errNm2"></span>
    <span id="errNm1"></span>
  </div>
  <input type="submit" class="button" value="Submit" />
</form>