Rails-like Data Validation
Validate your data like in rails: http://rails.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Validations/ClassMethods.html
Now you can validate your data (almost) like in rails (see http://rails.rubyonrails.com/classes/ActiveRecord/Validations/ClassMethods.html)!
Note: this has not been fully tested yet, so please submit bugs and suggestions...
Functions and parameters are almost exactly the same as the rails functions and parameters. As of right now, there is no validates_agreement_of() or validates_confirmation_of().
In your users model, you might have:
Place the following code in app/app_model.php:
Place the following code in app/views/helpers/error.php:
In your controller, put
In your views, put
In your model, put:
Please comment!
Note: this has not been fully tested yet, so please submit bugs and suggestions...
Example Usage
Functions and parameters are almost exactly the same as the rails functions and parameters. As of right now, there is no validates_agreement_of() or validates_confirmation_of().
In your users model, you might have:
Model Class:
Download code
<?php
class User extends AppModel {
function validates() {
$this->setAction();
#always validate presence of username
$this->validates_presence_of('username');
#validate uniqueness of username when creating a new user
$this->validates_uniqueness_of('username',array('on'=>'create'));
#validate length of username (minimum)
$this->validates_length_of('username',array('min'=>3));
#validate length of username (maximum)
$this->validates_length_of('username',array('max'=>50));
#validate presence of password
$this->validates_presence_of('password');
#validate presence of email
$this->validates_presence_of('email');
#validate uniqueness of email when creating a new user
$this->validates_uniqueness_of('email',array('on'=>'create'));
#validate format of email
$this->validates_format_of('email',VALID_EMAIL);
#if there were errors, return false
$errors = $this->invalidFields();
return (count($errors) == 0);
}
}
?>
The Code
Place the following code in app/app_model.php:
Model Class:
Download code
<?php
class AppModel extends Model {
var $action;
function setAction() {
if (empty($this->id)) {
$this->action = 'create';
} else {
$this->action = 'update';
}
return true;
}
function invalidFields($data = array()) {
if ( empty($data) ) {
$data = $this->data;
}
if ( !$this->beforeValidate() ) {
return $this->validationErrors;
}
return $this->validationErrors;
}
function validates_presence_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' is required.';
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if ( empty($this->data[$this->name][$fieldName]) ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
function validates_exclusion_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if ( @$options['allow_null'] && ($fieldValue == null) ) {
return true;
}
if ( !isset($options['in']) ) {
$options['in'] = array();
}
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' should be one of the following: ' . join(',',$options['in']) . '.';
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if ( in_array($fieldValue,$options['in']) ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
function validates_format_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if ( @$options['allow_null'] && ($fieldValue == null) ) {
return true;
}
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' has an invalid format.';
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( !isset($options['with']) ) {
$options['with'] = '//';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if ( !preg_match($options['with'],$fieldValue) ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
function validates_inclusion_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if ( @$options['allow_null'] && ($fieldValue == null) ) {
return true;
}
if ( !isset($options['in']) ) {
$options['in'] = array();
}
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' should be one of the following: ' . join(',',$options['in']) . '.';
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if ( !in_array($fieldValue,$options['in']) ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
function validates_length_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if ( @$options['allow_null'] && ($fieldValue == null) ) {
return true;
}
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' has the wrong length.';
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if ( isset($options['max']) ) {
if ( strlen($fieldValue) > $options['max'] ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
} elseif ( isset($options['min']) ) {
if ( strlen($fieldValue) < $options['min'] ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
} elseif ( isset($options['in']) ) {
if ( !in_array($fieldValue,$options['in']) ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
} elseif ( isset($options['is']) ) {
if ( $fieldValue != $options['is'] ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
}
function validates_numericality_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if ( @$options['allow_null'] && ($fieldValue == null) ) {
return true;
}
if ( !isset($options['only_integer']) ) {
$options['only_integer'] = false;
}
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
if ( $options['only_integer'] ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' should be an integer.';
} else {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' should be a number.';
}
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if (
!is_numeric($fieldValue)
|| ( $options['only_integer'] && !is_int($fieldValue) )
) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
function validates_uniqueness_of($fieldName,$options=array()) {
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if ( @$options['allow_null'] && ($fieldValue == null) ) {
return true;
}
if ( !isset($options['message']) ) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' is already taken.';
}
if ( !isset($options['on']) ) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if ( (($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action)) ) {
if ( $this->hasAny(array("{$this->name}.{$fieldName}" => $fieldValue)) ) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
}
?>
Place the following code in app/views/helpers/error.php:
Helper Class:
Download code
<?php
class ErrorHelper extends Helper {
function forField($field) {
list($model,$fieldName) = explode('/',$field);
if ( isset($this->validationErrors($model,$fieldName) ) {
return '<div class="error">' . $this->validationErrors[$model][$fieldName] . '</div>';
} else {
return '';
}
}
}
?>
In your controller, put
Controller Class:
Download code
<?php
class BananasController extends AppController {
/* ... */
var $helpers = array('Html','Error');
/* ... */
}
?>
In your views, put
View Template:
Download code
<label for="quantity">Quantity:
<input type="text" name="data[Banana][quantity]" id="quantity" />
</label><?php print $error->forField('Banana/quantity'); ?>
In your model, put:
Model Class:
Download code
<?php
class Banana extends AppModel {
function validates() {
#make sure quantity is an integer
$this->validates_numericality_of('quantity',array('only_integer'=>true));
#if there were errors, return false
$errors = $this->invalidFields();
return (count($errors) == 0);
}
}
?>
Please comment!
Comments
Bug
1 Great feature
I had to correct the Error Helper, after a copy/paste from screen...
Maybe that was because i used 1.1.15.XXX version.
<?php
class ErrorHelper extends Helper {
function forField($field) {
list($model,$fieldName) = explode('/',$field);
if ( isset($this->validationErrors[$model][$fieldName]) ) ) {
return '<div class="error">' . $this->validationErrors[$model][$fieldName] . '</div>';
} else {
return '';
}
}
}
?>
Question
2 please ignore
This works great !
PS: It would be good if one could delete one's comments, at least if they are the last reply.
Comment
3 Good Job
Question
4 how does this work
Comment
5 im using cakephp version
Comment
6 please help
Helper Class:
<?phpclass ErrorHelper extends Helper {
function forField($field) {
list($model,$fieldName) = explode('/',$field);
if ( isset($this->validationErrors[$model][$fieldName]) ) ) {
return '<div class="error">' . $this->validationErrors[$model][$fieldName] . '</div>';
} else {
return '';
}
}
}
?>
the statement does not returning any result. That's why the error message is not displaying.
can anyone help me? i switch back to version 1.1.15.XXXX. would that be an issue?
Comment
7 One little mistake
$this->validates_format_of('email',array('with'=>VALID_EMAIL));
instead
$this->validates_format_of('email',array(VALID_EMAIL);
this is a small error.
Thank you for write this validation, it's very useful
Comment
8 validates confirmation of function
Hi Chess64,
first of all, I'd like to say thanks for submitting this article. After coding in Rails for quite sometime, I got used to certain things there and coding in other ways seems a bit difficult. So again, thanks.
I needed a function that worked like validates_confirmation_of. I made one based on the templates of the functions in your code. The function looks as follows:
validates_confirmation_of function
/**
* function to run a validates_confirmation_of on CakePHP model. This is an addition to
* rails-like-validations for CakePHP. Originally inpired by Adeel Khan. More details
* about setting it up here: http://bakery.cakephp.org/articles/view/rails-like-data-validation
*
* @author Jean-Paul Hounkanrin
* @version 21-October-2007, 8:55 Pm.
*/
public function validates_confirmation_of($fieldName, $options=array()) {
$varToConfirm = $fieldName . "_confirmation";
$varToConfirmValue = null;
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if(!isset($options['on'])) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if(isset($this->data[$this->name][$varToConfirm])) {
$varToConfirmValue = $this->data[$this->name][$varToConfirm];
}
if(!isset($options['message'])) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($varToConfirm) . ' and ' . Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' are not equivalent.';
}
if ((($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action))) {
if ($fieldValue !== $varToConfirmValue) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
You might want to test the code above. I've written a small test class for it. The code is as follows:
Test validates_confirmation_of function
<?php
require_once('inflector.php');
$test = new TestConfirmValidation();
$test->testValidatesConfirmationOf();
class TestConfirmValidation {
var $data = null;
var $validationErrors = null;
var $name = null;
/** test class constructor */
public function __construct() {
$this->name = 'TestConfirmValidation';
$this->validationErrors = array(
'password' => 'valid',
'other_var' => 'valid' // this should contain error msg after validation call
);
$this->data = array(
'TestConfirmValidation' => array(
// supposed to pass test
'password' => 'c0nfirm_pa55w0rd',
'password_confirmation' => 'c0nfirm_pa55w0rd',
// supposed to fail test
'other_var' => 'hell0',
'other_var_confirmation' => 'hello'
)
);
}
/** validates the validates_confirmation_of(...) function */
public function testValidatesConfirmationOf() {
$this->validates_confirmation_of('password');
$this->validates_confirmation_of('other_var');
// This should show that password passed the validation while other_var failed it.
// As follows: Array ( [password] => valid [other_var] => Other Var Confirmation and Other Var are not equivalent. )
print_r($this->validationErrors);
}
/**
* function to run a validates_confirmation_of on CakePHP model. This is an addition to
* rails-like-validations for CakePHP. Originally inpired by Adeel Khan. More details
* about setting it up here: http://bakery.cakephp.org/articles/view/rails-like-data-validation
*
* @author Jean-Paul Hounkanrin
* @version 21-October-2007, 8:55 Pm.
*/
public function validates_confirmation_of($fieldName, $options=array()) {
$varToConfirm = $fieldName . "_confirmation";
$varToConfirmValue = null;
$fieldValue = $this->data[$this->name][$fieldName];
if(!isset($options['on'])) {
$options['on'] = 'save';
}
if(isset($this->data[$this->name][$varToConfirm])) {
$varToConfirmValue = $this->data[$this->name][$varToConfirm];
}
if(!isset($options['message'])) {
$options['message'] = Inflector::humanize($varToConfirm) . ' and ' . Inflector::humanize($fieldName) . ' are not equivalent.';
}
if ((($options['on'] == 'save') || ($options['on'] == $this->action))) {
if ($fieldValue !== $varToConfirmValue) {
$this->validationErrors[$fieldName] = $options['message'];
}
}
}
}
?>
I hope this helps someone out there.
Cheers,
Jean-Paul H.
Question
9 Validates method
It works well with $this->Model->save($data) but for some reason it doesn't work with $this->Model->validates($data)