Laravel Verbose Validator Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require alikhosravidev/laravel-verbose-validator
   

   Publish the config (optional):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="AliKhosravi\VerboseValidator\VerboseValidatorServiceProvider"
   

2. Basic Usage: Replace default Laravel validation with verbose output:

   use AliKhosravi\VerboseValidator\Facades\VerboseValidator;
   
   $validator = VerboseValidator::make($data, [
       'email' => 'required|email',
       'password' => 'required|min:8'
   ]);
   
   if ($validator->fails()) {
       // Returns detailed error messages with field paths
       dd($validator->errors()->all());
   }
   

3. First Use Case: Replace a standard Validator::make() call in a form request or controller:

   // Before:
   $validator = Validator::make($request->all(), $rules);
   
   // After:
   $validator = VerboseValidator::make($request->all(), $rules);
   

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Form Request Integration: Extend Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest and override failedValidation():

   public function failedValidation(Validator $validator)
   {
       return response()->json([
           'success' => false,
           'errors' => VerboseValidator::make($this->all(), $this->rules())->errors()
       ], 422);
   }
   

2. API Response Standardization: Create a base controller to wrap responses:

   public function respondWithValidation($validator)
   {
       return response()->json([
           'data' => null,
           'errors' => $validator->errors(),
           'status' => 'error'
       ], 422);
   }
   

3. Dynamic Rule Generation: Combine with Laravel's Validator::extend() for custom rules while maintaining verbose output:

   Validator::extend('custom_rule', function ($attribute, $value, $parameters, $validator) {
       // Custom logic
       return true;
   });
   
   $validator = VerboseValidator::make($data, ['field' => 'custom_rule']);
   

4. Nested Resource Validation: Leverage nested arrays with dot notation:

   $rules = [
       'user.address.city' => 'required|string',
       'user.address.postal_code' => 'required|digits:5'
   ];
   

Integration Tips

• Middleware: Use App\Http\Middleware\ValidateVerbose to enforce verbose validation globally.
• Testing: Mock VerboseValidator in unit tests:

  $validator = $this->partialMock(VerboseValidator::class, ['make']);
  $validator->shouldReceive('make')->andReturn($mockValidator);
  

• Localization: Override error messages in resources/lang/en/validation.php while keeping verbose paths intact.

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Rule Order Sensitivity:

   • Verbose paths are generated based on rule evaluation order. Reorder rules to match expected field paths:

     // May output: "user.address" instead of "user.address.city"
     $rules = ['user' => 'required', 'user.address.city' => 'required'];
     

2. Custom Rule Paths:

   • Custom rules (Validator::extend()) may not inherit path context. Use Validator::replacer() to adjust:

     Validator::replacer('custom_rule', function ($message, $attribute, $rule, $parameters) {
         return str_replace(':attribute', 'custom_field', $message);
     });
     

3. Nested Array Quirks:

   • Empty arrays in nested structures may break path generation. Use present rules to filter:

     $rules = ['user.*' => 'present|array', 'user.*.name' => 'required'];
     

4. Performance Overhead:

   • Verbose validation adds minimal overhead (~5-10% in benchmarks), but avoid in bulk operations (e.g., CSV imports).

Debugging

• Enable Debug Mode: Set VERBOSE_VALIDATOR_DEBUG=true in .env to log raw validation data to storage/logs/verbose-validator.log.

• Path Resolution Issues: Check config/verbose-validator.php for path_resolver options. Customize with:

  'path_resolver' => \AliKhosravi\VerboseValidator\Resolvers\CustomPathResolver::class,
  

Extension Points

1. Custom Path Resolvers: Implement AliKhosravi\VerboseValidator\Contracts\PathResolver to modify path generation:

   class CustomPathResolver implements PathResolver {
       public function resolve($attribute, $rules) {
           return str_replace('.', '_', $attribute);
       }
   }
   

2. Error Formatter: Override the default formatter:

   'error_formatter' => \App\Services\CustomVerboseFormatter::class,
   

3. Rule Presets: Create reusable rule sets with VerboseValidator::presets():

   VerboseValidator::preset('user', [
       'name' => 'required|string|max:255',
       'email' => 'required|email'
   ]);
   
   $validator = VerboseValidator::make($data, ['user' => VerboseValidator::preset('user')]);
   

4. Conditional Rules: Use when/unless with verbose paths:

   $validator = VerboseValidator::make($data, [
       'password' => ['required', 'min:8', 'confirmed'],
       'password_confirmation' => ['required_with:password', 'same:password']
   ]);