Isemail Laravel Package

Getting Started

Install via Composer: composer require dominicsayers/isemail. Start by validating a single email address using the simplest method: (new isEmail())->isEmail('user@example.com'); — this returns a boolean based on default strictness (RFC-compliant, but allows common real-world formats). For detailed diagnostics (e.g., warnings about deprecated syntax), call isEmail('user@example.com', true) — it returns an array with result (boolean), errors (array), and warnings (array). Check the v3.0.7 release notes for changelog context and the README for initial usage examples.

Implementation Patterns

• Inline validation in forms: Use in Laravel FormRequests or controllers to validate email fields before persisting or sending. Example:

  if ((new isEmail())->isEmail($request->email)) { /* proceed */ }
  

• Custom validation rule: Wrap it in a Laravel custom rule for reuse:

  Rule::exists(function ($attribute, $value) {
      return (new isEmail())->isEmail($value);
  })->message('Invalid email format.');
  

• Progressive validation: Combine with DNS/MX record checks:
  1. Use isEmail() for syntactic validity.
  2. If valid, run dns_get_record($domain, DNS_MX) to confirm deliverability potential.
• Bulk processing: Use in console commands or jobs to validate email lists (e.g., user import), logging warnings/errors for auditing.

Gotchas and Tips

• ⚠️ Stale but reliable: Last release in 2016; though RFC validation is stable, it may not reflect new TLDs or email provider quirks (e.g., @gmail.com subaddressing with +tag). Use only for syntax validation — not for confirming address existence.
• ⚠️ Strict vs. lenient mode: Default behavior (without the second true arg) tolerates minor RFC deviations (e.g., quoted local parts without quotes in some cases). Enable strict mode only if you enforce RFC-strict compliance.
• 🛠️ Extensibility: The class is final — cannot extend, but you can wrap it. Add custom logic (e.g., block free email domains like @gmail.com) in your own wrapper.
• 🔧 Debugging failed emails: Use verbose mode (true) to surface warnings like 'rfc5321_domain' (DNS not mandatory per RFC, but often expected) or 'rfc5322_cfws' (whitespace handling). Log these to refine validation thresholds.
• 📦 Composer autoloading: Works out of the box — no Laravel service provider or config needed. Just use isEmail; at the top.