All tests passing

openassessment/xblock/static/js/spec/studio/oa_edit.js

@@ -219,9 +219,6 @@ describe("OpenAssessment.StudioView", function() {
         // Also expect that an error is displayed
         expect(server.receivedData).toBe(null);
         expect(view.validationAlert.isVisible()).toBe(true);
-        expect(runtime.notify).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-            "error", {msg: "The problem could not be saved."}
-        );
 
         // Expect that individual fields were highlighted
         expect(view.validationErrors()).toContain(
@@ -230,6 +227,7 @@ describe("OpenAssessment.StudioView", function() {
 
         // Fix the error and try to save again
         view.settingsView.submissionStart("2014-04-01", "00:00");
+        view.save();
 
         // Expect that the validation errors were cleared
         // and that data was successfully sent to the server.

openassessment/xblock/static/js/src/studio/oa_edit.js

@@ -124,20 +124,32 @@ OpenAssessment.StudioView.prototype = {
     save: function () {
         var view = this;
         this.saveTabState();
-        // Check whether the problem has been released; if not,
-        // warn the user and allow them to cancel.
-        this.server.checkReleased().done(
-            function (isReleased) {
-                if (isReleased) {
-                    view.confirmPostReleaseUpdate($.proxy(view.updateEditorContext, view));
-                }
-                else {
-                    view.updateEditorContext();
+
+        // Perform client-side validation
+        // TODO -- more explanation
+        this.validationAlert.hide();
+        this.clearValidationErrors();
+        if (!this.validate()) {
+            this.validationAlert.setMessage(
+                gettext("Validation errors! [TODO Sylvia please help!]")
+            ).show();
+        }
+        else {
+            // Check whether the problem has been released; if not,
+            // warn the user and allow them to cancel.
+            this.server.checkReleased().done(
+                function (isReleased) {
+                    if (isReleased) {
+                        view.confirmPostReleaseUpdate($.proxy(view.updateEditorContext, view));
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        view.updateEditorContext();
+                    }
                 }
-            }
-        ).fail(function (errMsg) {
-            view.showError(errMsg);
-        });
+            ).fail(function (errMsg) {
+                view.showError(errMsg);
+            });
+        }
     },
 
     /**

openassessment/xblock/static/js/src/studio/oa_edit_validation_alert.js

@@ -28,32 +28,44 @@ OpenAssessment.ValidationAlert.prototype = {
     },
 
     /**
-     Hides the alert.
-     */
+    Hides the alert.
+
+    Returns:
+        TODO
+    */
     hide: function() {
         this.element.addClass('is--hidden');
         this.rubricContentElement.removeClass('openassessment_alert_shown');
+        return this;
     },
 
     /**
-     Displays the alert.
-     */
+    Displays the alert.
+
+    Returns:
+        TODO
+    */
     show : function() {
         this.element.removeClass('is--hidden');
         this.rubricContentElement.addClass('openassessment_alert_shown');
+        return this;
     },
 
     /**
-     Sets the message of the alert.
-     How will this work with internationalization?
+    Sets the message of the alert.
+    How will this work with internationalization?
+
+    Args:
+        newTitle (str): the new title that the message will have
+        newMessage (str): the new text that the message's body will contain
 
-     Args:
-         newTitle (str): the new title that the message will have
-         newMessage (str): the new text that the message's body will contain
-     */
+    Returns:
+        TODO
+    */
     setMessage: function(newTitle, newMessage) {
         this.title.text(newTitle);
         this.message.text(newMessage);
+        return this;
     },
 
     /**