# Feature Guide

## Namespace import

Respect\Validation is namespaced, but you can make your life easier by importing
a single class into your context:

```php
use Respect\Validation\Validator as v;
```

## Simple validation

The Hello World validator is something like this:

```php
$number = 123;
v::numericVal()->validate($number); // true
```

## Chained validation

It is possible to use validators in a chain. Sample below validates a string
containing numbers and letters, no whitespace and length between 1 and 15.

```php
$usernameValidator = v::alnum()->noWhitespace()->length(1, 15);
$usernameValidator->validate('alganet'); // true
```

## Validating object attributes

Given this simple object:

```php
$user = new stdClass;
$user->name = 'Alexandre';
$user->birthdate = '1987-07-01';
```

Is possible to validate its attributes in a single chain:

```php
$userValidator = v::attribute('name', v::stringType()->length(1,32))
                  ->attribute('birthdate', v::dateTime()->age(18));

$userValidator->validate($user); // true
```

Validating array keys is also possible using `v::key()`

Note that we used `v::stringType()` and `v::dateTime()` in the beginning of the validator.
Although is not mandatory, it is a good practice to use the type of the
validated object as the first node in the chain.

## Input optional

On oldest versions of Respect\Validation all validators treat input as optional
and accept an empty string input as valid. Even though a useful feature that
caused a lot of troubles for our team and neither was an obvious behavior. Also
there was some people who likes to accept `null` as optional value, not only an
empty string.

For that reason all rules are mandatory now but if you want to treat a value as
optional you can use `v::optional()` rule:

```php
v::alpha()->validate(''); // false input required
v::alpha()->validate(null); // false input required

v::optional(v::alpha())->validate(''); // true
v::optional(v::alpha())->validate(null); // true
```

By _optional_ we consider `null` or an empty string (`''`).

See more on [Optional](Optional.md).

## Negating rules

You can use the `v::not()` to negate any rule:

```php
v::not(v::intVal())->validate(10); // false, input must not be integer
```

## Validator reuse

Once created, you can reuse your validator anywhere. Remember `$usernameValidator`?

```php
$usernameValidator->validate('respect');            //true
$usernameValidator->validate('alexandre gaigalas'); // false
$usernameValidator->validate('#$%');                //false
```

## Exception types

- `Respect\Validation\Exceptions\ExceptionInterface`:
  - All exceptions implement this interface;
- `Respect\Validation\Exceptions\ValidationException`:
  - Implements the `Respect\Validation\Exceptions\ExceptionInterface` interface
  - Thrown when the `check()` fails
  - All validation exceptions extend this class
  - Available methods:
    - `getMainMessage()`;
    - `setMode($mode)`;
    - `setName($name)`;
    - `setParam($name, $value)`;
    - `setTemplate($template)`;
    - more...
- `Respect\Validation\Exceptions\NestedValidationException`:
  - Extends the `Respect\Validation\Exceptions\ValidationException` class
  - Usually thrown when the `assert()` fails
  - Available methods:
    - `findMessages()`;
    - `getFullMessage()`;
    - `getMessages()`;
    - more...

## Informative exceptions

When something goes wrong, Validation can tell you exactly what's going on. For this,
we use the `assert()` method instead of `validate()`:

```php
use Respect\Validation\Exceptions\NestedValidationException;

try {
    $usernameValidator->assert('really messed up screen#name');
} catch(NestedValidationException $exception) {
   echo $exception->getFullMessage();
}
```

The printed message is exactly this, as a nested Markdown list:

```no-highlight
- All of the required rules must pass for "really messed up screen#name"
  - "really messed up screen#name" must contain only letters (a-z) and digits (0-9)
  - "really messed up screen#name" must not contain whitespace
  - "really messed up screen#name" must have a length between 1 and 15
```

## Getting all messages as an array

The Markdown list is fine, but unusable on a HTML form or something more custom.
For that you can use `getMessages()`.

It will return all messages from the rules that did not pass the validation.

```php
try {
    $usernameValidator->assert('really messed up screen#name');
} catch(NestedValidationException $exception) {
    print_r($exception->getMessages());
}
```

The code above may display something like:

```no-highlight
Array
(
    [0] => "really messed up screen#name" must contain only letters (a-z) and digits (0-9)
    [1] => "really messed up screen#name" must not contain whitespace
    [2] => "really messed up screen#name" must have a length between 1 and 15
)
```

## Getting messages as an array by name

If you want to get specific message by name you can use `findMessages()` passing
the names of the rules you want:

```php
try {
    $usernameValidator->assert('really messed up screen#name');
} catch(NestedValidationException $exception) {
    print_r($exception->findMessages(['alnum', 'noWhitespace']));
}
```

The `findMessages()` returns an array with messages from the requested validators,
like this:

```no-highlight
Array
(
    [alnum] => "really messed up screen#name" must contain only letters (a-z) and digits (0-9)
    [noWhitespace] => "really messed up screen#name" must not contain whitespace
)
```

## Custom messages

Getting messages as an array is fine, but sometimes you need to customize them in order
to present them to the user. This is possible using the `findMessages()` method as well:

```php
$errors = $exception->findMessages([
    'alnum' => '{{name}} must contain only letters and digits',
    'length' => '{{name}} must not have more than 15 chars',
    'noWhitespace' => '{{name}} cannot contain spaces'
]);
```

For all messages, the `{{name}}` variable is available for templates. If you
do not define a name it uses the input to replace this placeholder.

## Message localization

You're also able to translate your message to another language with Validation.
The only thing one must do is to define the param `translator` as a callable that
will handle the translation:

```php
$exception->setParam('translator', 'gettext');
```

The example above uses `gettext()` but you can use any other callable value, like
`[$translator, 'trans']` or `you_custom_function()`.

After that, if you call `getMainMessage()` or `getFullMessage()` (for nested),
the message will be translated.

Note that `getMessage()` will keep the original message.

## Custom rules

You can also create and use your own rules. To do this, you will need to create
a rule and an exception to go with the rule.

To create a rule, you need to create a class that extends the AbstractRule class
and is within the Rules `namespace`. When the rule is called the logic inside the
validate method will be executed. Here's how the class should look:
```php
namespace My\Validation\Rules;

use Respect\Validation\Rules\AbstractRule;

class MyRule extends AbstractRule
{
    public function validate($input)
    {
        // Do something here with the $input and return a boolean value
    }
}
```

Each rule must have an Exception to go with it. Exceptions should be named
with the name of the rule followed by the word Exception. The process of creating
an Exception is similar to creating a rule but there are no methods in the
Exception class. Instead, you create one static property that includes an
array with the information below:
```php
namespace My\Validation\Exceptions;

use \Respect\Validation\Exceptions\ValidationException;

class MyRuleException extends ValidationException
{
    public static $defaultTemplates = [
        self::MODE_DEFAULT => [
            self::STANDARD => 'Validation message if MyRule fails validation.',
        ],
        self::MODE_NEGATIVE => [
            self::STANDARD => 'Validation message if the negative of MyRule is called and fails validation.',
        ],
    ];
}
```

So in the end, the folder structure for your Rules and Exceptions should look
something like the structure below. Note that the folders (and namespaces) are
plural but the actual Rules and Exceptions are singular.
```
My
 +-- Validation
     +-- Exceptions
         +-- MyRuleException.php
     +-- Rules
         +-- MyRule.php
```

If you want Validation to execute your rule (or rules) in the chain, you must
use `v::with()` passing your rule's namespace as an argument:

```php
v::with('My\\Validation\\Rules\\');
v::myRule(); // Try to load "My\Validation\Rules\MyRule" if any
```

By default `with()` appends the given prefix, but you can change this behavior
in order to overwrite default rules:

```php
v::with('My\\Validation\\Rules', true);
v::alnum(); // Try to use "My\Validation\Rules\Alnum" if any
```

## Validator name

On `v::attribute()` and `v::key()`, `{{name}}` is the attribute/key name. For others,
is the same as the input. You can customize a validator name using:

```php
v::dateTime('Y-m-d')->between('1980-02-02', 'now')->setName('Member Since');
```

## Zend/Symfony validators

It is also possible to reuse validators from other frameworks if they are installed:

```php
$hostnameValidator = v::zend('Hostname')->assert('google.com');
$timeValidator     = v::sf('Time')->assert('22:00:01');
```

## Validation methods

We've seen `validate()` that returns true or false and `assert()` that throws a complete
validation report. There is also a `check()` method that returns an Exception
only with the first error found:

```php
use Respect\Validation\Exceptions\ValidationException;

try {
    $usernameValidator->check('really messed up screen#name');
} catch(ValidationException $exception) {
    echo $exception->getMainMessage();
}
```

Message:

```no-highlight
"really messed up screen#name" must contain only letters (a-z) and digits (0-9)
```

***
See also:

- [Contributing](../CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [Installation](INSTALL.md)
- [License](../LICENSE.md)
- [Validators](VALIDATORS.md)
- [Changelog](../CHANGELOG.md)