Laravel Spanish Validator Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Steps

1. Installation

   composer require joepc74/laravel-spanish-validator
   

   Publish the config (if needed):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Joepc74\SpanishValidator\SpanishValidatorServiceProvider"
   

2. Basic Usage Validate a Spanish NIF (Tax ID):

   use Joepc74\SpanishValidator\Facades\SpanishValidator;
   
   $isValid = SpanishValidator::validateNIF('12345678A');
   

3. First Use Case Add validation rules to a Laravel form request:

   use Illuminate\Validation\Rule;
   
   public function rules()
   {
       return [
           'nif' => ['required', Rule::unique('users')->ignore($this->user),
                     function ($attribute, $value, $fail) {
                         if (!SpanishValidator::validateNIF($value)) {
                             $fail('El NIF no es válido.');
                         }
                     }]
       ];
   }
   

Implementation Patterns

Validation Workflows

1. Form Requests Reuse the validator in multiple requests:

   public function rules()
   {
       return [
           'nie' => ['required', function ($value) {
               return SpanishValidator::validateNIE($value);
           }],
           'cif' => ['required', function ($value) {
               return SpanishValidator::validateCIF($value);
           }],
       ];
   }
   

2. API Responses Return structured validation errors:

   try {
       SpanishValidator::validateIBAN($request->iban);
   } catch (\InvalidArgumentException $e) {
       return response()->json(['error' => 'IBAN inválido'], 422);
   }
   

3. Custom Rules Extend Laravel’s Rule class for reusable validation:

   use Joepc74\SpanishValidator\Facades\SpanishValidator;
   
   class ValidSpanishNSS extends Rule
   {
       public function passes($attribute, $value)
       {
           return SpanishValidator::validateNSS($value);
       }
   }
   

Integration Tips

• Localization: Use Laravel’s trans() helper for multilingual error messages.
• Testing: Mock the validator in unit tests:

  $validator = Mockery::mock('alias:SpanishValidator');
  $validator->shouldReceive('validateNIF')->once()->andReturn(true);
  

• Frontend Validation: Return validation rules via API for frontend frameworks (e.g., Vue/React).

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Case Sensitivity

   • NIF/NIE letters are case-sensitive (e.g., '12345678A' is valid, '12345678a' may fail).
   • Fix: Normalize input:

     $nif = strtoupper($request->nif);
     

2. IBAN Validation Quirks

   • Some IBANs (e.g., from older banks) may fail due to strict formatting.
   • Tip: Use SpanishValidator::validateIBAN($iban, false) to skip strict checks.

3. Phone Number Formats

   • Spanish numbers can include spaces, hyphens, or + prefixes.
   • Tip: Sanitize input:

     $cleanPhone = preg_replace('/[^0-9]/', '', $request->phone);
     

Debugging

• Invalid NIF/NIE: Check the letter against the control digit algorithm.
• CIF Errors: Ensure the format matches ABC1234567 or 12345678 (legal entities vs. individuals).
• Postal Code: Validate with SpanishValidator::validatePostalCode(); Spanish codes are 5 digits (e.g., 28001).

Extension Points

1. Custom Validation Logic Override the service provider to add business rules:

   SpanishValidator::extend('customNIF', function ($nif) {
       return SpanishValidator::validateNIF($nif) && str_starts_with($nif, '123');
   });
   

2. Configuration Modify published config (config/spanish-validator.php) to adjust:

   • Allowed NIE prefixes (e.g., X, Y, Z for foreigners).
   • Phone number regex patterns.

3. Performance For bulk validation (e.g., CSV imports), cache results:

   $cacheKey = 'nif_'.$nif;
   if (!cache()->has($cacheKey)) {
       cache()->put($cacheKey, SpanishValidator::validateNIF($nif), 60);
   }