[Due for payment 2025-07-28] [$250] Profile - legal name is able to enter comma and semicolon

[mitarachim]

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Version Number: v9.1.73-0
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: Yes
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail: https://expensify.testrail.io/index.php?/tests/view/6408106
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): na
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Device used: chrome/win11
App Component: Other

Action Performed:

1.Open the link www.staging.expensify.com
2.Log in with a brand new account
3.Navigate to Settings -> Profile -> Personal details
4. Navigate to the Legal name page
5. enter the text "Tom, Jerry, mouse ; cat" / attempt to enter comma and semi comma in the field
6. Enter valid text in the Legal Last Name field, then Click Save (observe that only legal last name is saved )
7. Repeat step 4 and 5 then click "Save" (still no error displayed, and only legal last name is saved)
8. Repeat once more step 4 and step 5 then click Save (eventually, the Legal First Name with comma and semicolon characters is saved successfully—if not, continue until it is)

Expected Result:

According to the test case criteria, the Legal Name field should trigger a validation error when it contains special characters such as commas (,) or semicolons (;). These characters should not be accepted, and the field should display an appropriate error message.

Actual Result:

The legal name containing commas and semicolons is saved without any error or validation message.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Screenshots/Videos

Bug6874251_1751332228995.Recording__1486.mp4

Bug6874251_1751332229010.Recording__1484.mp4

View all open jobs on GitHub

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021942774466591710307
• Upwork Job ID: 1942774466591710307
• Last Price Increase: 2025-07-09
• Automatic offers:
• daledah | Contributor | 108033654

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @johncschuster

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @johncschuster (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[daledah]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

The legal name containing commas and semicolons is saved without any error or validation message.

What is the root cause of that problem?

We don't check the isValidLegalName condition in the validate function here

App/src/libs/ValidationUtils.ts

Lines 369 to 374 in 94658ba

	/**
	* Checks that the provided legal name doesn't contain special characters
	*/
	function isValidLegalName(name: string): boolean {
	return CONST.REGEX.ALPHABETIC_AND_LATIN_CHARS.test(name);
	}

App/src/pages/settings/Profile/PersonalDetails/LegalNamePage.tsx

Lines 37 to 73 in 94658ba

	const validate = useCallback(
	(values: FormOnyxValues<typeof ONYXKEYS.FORMS.LEGAL_NAME_FORM>) => {
	const errors: Errors = {};
	if (typeof values.legalFirstName === 'string') {
	if (!values.legalFirstName) {
	errors.legalFirstName = translate('common.error.fieldRequired');
	} else if (values.legalFirstName.length > CONST.LEGAL_NAME.MAX_LENGTH) {
	addErrorMessage(
	errors,
	'legalFirstName',
	translate('common.error.characterLimitExceedCounter', {length: values.legalFirstName.length, limit: CONST.LEGAL_NAME.MAX_LENGTH}),
	);
	}
	if (doesContainReservedWord(values.legalFirstName, CONST.DISPLAY_NAME.RESERVED_NAMES)) {
	addErrorMessage(errors, 'legalFirstName', translate('personalDetails.error.containsReservedWord'));
	}
	}
	if (typeof values.legalLastName === 'string') {
	if (!values.legalLastName) {
	errors.legalLastName = translate('common.error.fieldRequired');
	} else if (values.legalLastName.length > CONST.LEGAL_NAME.MAX_LENGTH) {
	addErrorMessage(
	errors,
	'legalLastName',
	translate('common.error.characterLimitExceedCounter', {length: values.legalLastName.length, limit: CONST.LEGAL_NAME.MAX_LENGTH}),
	);
	}
	if (doesContainReservedWord(values.legalLastName, CONST.DISPLAY_NAME.RESERVED_NAMES)) {
	addErrorMessage(errors, 'legalLastName', translate('personalDetails.error.containsReservedWord'));
	}
	}
	return errors;
	},
	[translate],

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

We should add the check of isValidLegalName from the Validate util, like we did here

              else if (!isValidLegalName(values.legalFirstName)) {
                    addErrorMessage(
                        errors,
                        'legalFirstName',
                        translate('privatePersonalDetails.error.hasInvalidCharacter'),
                    );
                }

App/src/pages/settings/Profile/PersonalDetails/LegalNamePage.tsx

Line 50 in 94658ba

}

App/src/components/SubStepForms/FullNameStep.tsx

Lines 79 to 82 in 94658ba

	} else if (!isValidLegalName(firstName)) {
	// @ts-expect-error type mismatch to be fixed
	errors[firstNameInputID] = translate('privatePersonalDetails.error.hasInvalidCharacter');
	} else if (firstName.length > CONST.LEGAL_NAME.MAX_LENGTH) {

Note: Do the same for the legal last name and other places that get the same error

OPTIONAL: We can update the ALPHABETIC_AND_LATIN_CHARS regex to be able to accept special characters that we may have in the name

What specific scenarios should we cover in automated tests to prevent reintroducing this issue in the future?

None

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

NA

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[melvin-bot]

@johncschuster Uh oh! This issue is overdue by 2 days. Don't forget to update your issues!

[melvin-bot]

@johncschuster 6 days overdue. This is scarier than being forced to listen to Vogon poetry!

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021942774466591710307

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @shubham1206agra (External)