Validation Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation

   composer require antkowiak/validation-bundle dev-master
   

   Add the bundle to config/bundles.php:

   Antkowiak\ValidationBundle\AntkowiakValidationBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   

2. First Use Case Define a class with validation rules (e.g., using annotations or YAML/XML constraints). Example:

   use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;
   
   class User {
       /**
        * @Assert\NotBlank(message="Ta wartość nie powinna być pusta.")
        * @Assert\Email(message="Ta wartość nie jest prawidłowym adresem email.")
        */
       public $email;
   
       /**
        * @Assert\Length(min=3, minMessage="Ta wartość jest zbyt krótka.")
        */
       public $name;
   }
   

3. Validate an Object Inject the validator service (via dependency injection or container):

   $validator = $this->container->get('antkowiak.validator');
   $user = new User();
   $user->email = 'invalid';
   $user->name = 'ab';
   
   $isValid = $validator->isValid($user); // false
   $errors = $validator->getMessages($user); // Array of error messages
   

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. Form Validation Use the validator in controllers or form handlers:

   public function handleSubmit(Request $request) {
       $user = new User();
       $user->email = $request->get('email');
       $user->name = $request->get('name');
   
       $validator = $this->get('antkowiak.validator');
       if (!$validator->isValid($user)) {
           $errors = $validator->getMessages($user);
           // Flash errors or render form with errors
       }
       // Proceed on success
   }
   

2. API Validation Return structured error responses:

   $response = [
       'success' => $validator->isValid($data),
       'errors' => $validator->getMessages($data)
   ];
   return new JsonResponse($response);
   

3. Custom Validation Logic Extend the validator or create custom constraints:

   use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraint;
   
   class CustomConstraint extends Constraint {
       public $message = 'Custom validation failed.';
   }
   

Integration Tips

• Symfony Forms: Integrate with Symfony\Component\Form\FormError for seamless form handling.
• Event Listeners: Validate objects during lifecycle events (e.g., PRE_PERSIST in Doctrine).
• Dependency Injection: Prefer constructor injection for the validator service:

  public function __construct(private ValidatorInterface $validator) {}
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Bundle Maturity

   • The package is in dev-master and lacks stars/dependents. Test thoroughly in staging.
   • No official Symfony 6+ support (PHP 7.0+ only; Symfony 5+ may require adjustments).

2. Error Message Localization

   • Messages are hardcoded in Polish. Override them via constraints or use Symfony’s translator:

     $constraint = new NotBlank(['message' => $this->translator->trans('validation.not_blank')]);
     

3. Constraint Loading

   • Ensure constraints (annotations/YAML/XML) are properly loaded. For annotations, add:

     # config/packages/antkowiak_validation.yaml
     antkowiak_validation:
       validation:
           enabled_annotations: true
     

Debugging

• Validator Not Found: Verify the bundle is enabled and the service antkowiak.validator exists.

  php bin/console debug:container antkowiak.validator
  

• Constraint Not Applied: Check for typos in constraint names or missing annotations.

Extension Points

1. Custom Validators Implement Symfony\Component\Validator\Validator\ValidatorInterface and register as a service:

   services:
       app.custom_validator:
           class: App\Validator\CustomValidator
           tags: [validator.constraint_validator]
   

2. Override Default Validator Replace the default validator in config/packages/antkowiak_validation.yaml:

   antkowiak_validation:
       validator: app.custom_validator
   

3. Group Validation Use Symfony’s validation groups (e.g., Default, Create) via constraints:

   /**
    * @Assert\NotBlank(groups={"Create"})
    */
   public $field;
   

   Then validate with:

   $validator->validate($object, ['Create']);