How to validate empty textbox with jquery validate method

[tshah09]

Hi,
I am using textext.js in my file.
My textarea name and id is "searchInput".
I want to validate and throw empty div error by using jquery validation.

My jquery validation code is -
$("#createUser").validate({

rules: {
  username: {
    required: true
  },
  useremail: {
    required: true,
    email: true
  },
  password: {
    required: true
  },
  searchInput: {
   required:{
    depends : function(element){
      console.log($('#searchInput').textext()[0].tags());
    }
   }
  },
  userrole: {
    valueNotEquals: "0"
  }
},

messages: {
username: "Please specify user name",
useremail: "Please specify email",
password: "Please specify password",
searchInput: "Please assign service center",
userrole: "Please specify user role"
},

submitHandler: function(form) {
  form.submit();
}

});

Please provide solution