Validation Methods

Fluent Validation Methods

Laravel Restify provides a fluent API for adding validation rules to fields, similar to Laravel Nova. This makes it easy to chain validation methods for cleaner and more readable code.

Basic Usage

Instead of using the traditional rules() method with string rules, you can now use fluent validation methods:

// Traditional approach
field('email')->rules('required', 'email', 'unique:users');

// Fluent approach
field('email')->required()->email()->unique('users');

Available Validation Methods

Common Validation Methods

Required and Nullable

field('name')->required();
field('bio')->nullable();

Type Validation

field('email')->email();
field('age')->integer();
field('price')->numeric();
field('is_active')->boolean();
field('tags')->array();
field('description')->string();
field('metadata')->json();
field('website')->url();
field('uuid')->uuid();
field('birthday')->date();
field('created_at')->datetime();

Numeric Constraints

field('age')->integer()->min(18)->max(100);
field('price')->numeric()->between(0, 99999.99);
field('quantity')->integer()->min(0);
field('rating')->numeric()->between(1, 5);

String Constraints

field('username')->string()->min(3)->max(20);
field('title')->string()->max(255);
field('code')->string()->size(6); // Exactly 6 characters

Password Validation

field('password')->required()->password()->confirmed();
field('password')->required()->password(10); // Minimum 10 characters

Unique and Exists Validation

// Basic unique validation
field('email')->unique('users');

// Unique with custom column
field('slug')->unique('posts', 'slug');

// Unique with ignore (useful for updates)
field('email')->unique('users', 'email', $userId);

// Exists validation
field('category_id')->exists('categories', 'id');
field('user_id')->required()->exists('users');

Date Validation

field('start_date')->date()->after('today');
field('end_date')->date()->afterOrEqual('start_date');
field('birth_date')->date()->before('today');
field('expired_at')->datetime()->beforeOrEqual('2024-12-31');
field('scheduled_at')->datetime()->dateFormat('Y-m-d H:i:s');

File Validation

field('document')->isFile()->max(5120); // 5MB
field('avatar')->isImage()->max(2048); // 2MB

Pattern Validation

field('phone')->regex('/^[0-9]{10}$/');
field('username')->alphaDash(); // Letters, numbers, dashes, underscores
field('name')->alpha(); // Letters only
field('code')->alphaNum(); // Letters and numbers only

IP Address Validation

field('ip')->ip();
field('ipv4')->ipv4();
field('ipv6')->ipv6();

Conditional Validation

// Required if another field has a specific value
field('phone')->requiredIf('contact_method', 'phone');

// Required unless another field has a specific value
field('reason')->requiredUnless('status', 'approved');

// Required with other fields
field('password_confirmation')->requiredWith('password');

// Required with all specified fields
field('state')->requiredWithAll(['country', 'city']);

// Required without other fields
field('email')->requiredWithout('phone');

In/Not In Validation

field('status')->in(['pending', 'approved', 'rejected']);
field('role')->notIn(['admin', 'super-admin']);

Other Useful Methods

// Field must be accepted (yes, on, 1, or true)
field('terms')->accepted();

// Field must be confirmed (field_confirmation must exist)
field('email')->confirmed();

// Field must be different from another field
field('new_password')->different('current_password');

// Field must be the same as another field
field('password_confirmation')->same('password');

// Field must match current user's password
field('current_password')->currentPassword();

// Field must be filled if present
field('description')->filled();

// Field must be present in request
field('token')->present();

// String must start/end with specific values
field('url')->startsWith(['http://', 'https://']);
field('filename')->endsWith(['.jpg', '.png', '.pdf']);

// Timezone validation
field('timezone')->timezone();

// MAC address validation
field('mac')->macAddress();

// Multiple of value
field('quantity')->integer()->multipleOf(5);

Complex Examples

User Registration Form

public function fields(RestifyRequest $request)
{
    return [
        field('name')->required()->string()->min(2)->max(100),
        
        field('email')->required()->email()->unique('users'),
        
        field('username')
            ->required()
            ->string()
            ->min(3)
            ->max(20)
            ->alphaDash()
            ->unique('users'),
        
        field('password')
            ->required()
            ->password()
            ->confirmed(),
        
        field('age')->nullable()->integer()->min(13)->max(120),
        
        field('terms_accepted')->required()->accepted(),
        
        field('notification_email')
            ->requiredIf('receive_notifications', true)
            ->email(),
    ];
}

Product Form

public function fields(RestifyRequest $request)
{
    return [
        field('name')->required()->string()->max(255),
        
        field('slug')->required()->string()->unique('products'),
        
        field('price')->required()->numeric()->min(0)->max(999999.99),
        
        field('sale_price')->nullable()->numeric()->between(0, 999999.99),
        
        field('sku')->required()->string()->size(8)->unique('products'),
        
        field('status')->required()->in(['draft', 'published', 'archived']),
        
        field('published_at')
            ->nullable()
            ->datetime()
            ->afterOrEqual('today'),
        
        field('category_id')->required()->exists('categories', 'id'),
        
        field('weight')->nullable()->numeric()->min(0),
        
        field('is_featured')->boolean(),
    ];
}

Article Form with Conditional Rules

public function fields(RestifyRequest $request)
{
    return [
        field('title')->required()->string()->max(200),
        
        field('content')->required()->string()->min(100),
        
        field('excerpt')
            ->requiredUnless('auto_excerpt', true)
            ->string()
            ->max(500),
        
        field('featured_image')
            ->requiredIf('is_featured', true)
            ->isImage()
            ->max(5120),
        
        field('publish_date')
            ->requiredIf('status', 'published')
            ->date()
            ->afterOrEqual('today'),
        
        field('tags')->nullable()->array(),
        
        field('meta_description')
            ->nullable()
            ->string()
            ->between(50, 160),
    ];
}

Combining with Traditional Rules

You can still combine fluent methods with the traditional rules() method when needed:

field('email')
    ->required()
    ->email()
    ->rules('unique:users,email,' . $userId)
    ->rules(new CustomEmailRule);

Custom Validation Messages

Validation methods can be combined with custom messages:

field('email')
    ->required()
    ->email()
    ->unique('users')
    ->messages([
        'required' => 'Email address is required.',
        'email' => 'Please provide a valid email address.',
        'unique' => 'This email is already registered.',
    ]);