Validation is not working in codeigniter - php

Question

Validation is not working. All the form fields are coming dynamically. It depends on the user how many fields he chooses.If he chooses 2 and it will display 2 fields in the view. If select 3 then it will display 3 fields and so on.I have more than 30 fields
I set 3 arrays(for testing purpose I set only 3. It will be total no of fields ) in my form validation page. If I remove the last array than validation is working because I am getting only 2 fields in the view. I am not able to use the more than 2 array in my form validation page.
Is it mandatory to require the number of fields in view is equal to a number of sets of rules array in form validation?
View
This is my dynamic view page
<?php
echo form_open('formbuilder_control/enxample_from_view');
foreach ($data as $key) {// I am getting output
$exp_fields_name=$key->fields_name;
$exp_fields_type=$key->fields_type;
$exp_form_elements=$key->form_elements;
$abc=explode(',',$exp_form_elements);
foreach ($abc as $value) {
if ($exp_fields_name == $value) {?>
<div class="form-group row label-capitals">
<label class="col-sm-5 col-form-label"><?php echo $exp_fields_name;?></label>
<div class="col-sm-7">
<input type="<?php echo $exp_fields_type;?>" name="<?php echo $exp_fields_name;?>" placeholder="<?php echo $value;?>" class="form-control" />
<?php echo form_error($exp_fields_name); ?>
</div>
</div>
<?php
}}}?>
<div class="form-buttons-w btn_strip">
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Save" class="btn btn-primary margin-10">
</div>
<?php echo form_close(); ?>
Form_validation.php
$config = array(
'test'=>array(
array('field' =>'firstname',
'label' => 'First Name',
'rules' => 'required'
),
array('field' => 'lastname',
'label' => 'lastname',
'rules' => 'required'
),
array('field' => 'middlename',
'label' => 'middlename',
'rules' => 'required'
)
),
);
Controller
public function test()
{
if($this->form_validation->run('test') == TRUE)
{
echo "working";
}
$this->load->view('test1');
}

Answer 1

Of course it will fail. Your validation rules define a 'middlename' field as required, and that field doesn't even exist in the form.
A missing field cannot satisfy a required rule.

Answer 2

It is possible to have flexible sets of rules with a minimum of code. Consider this form_validation.php example
<?php
$first_last = array(
array('field' => 'firstname',
'label' => 'First Name',
'rules' => 'required'
),
array('field' => 'lastname',
'label' => 'lastname',
'rules' => 'required'
),
);
$middle_name = array(
array('field' => 'middlename',
'label' => 'middlename',
'rules' => 'required'
)
);
$config = array(
'fullname' => array_merge($first_last, $middle_name), //first, middle and last name fields
'shortname' => $first_last, //only first and last name fields
);
This provides two different sets of fields for use with form_validation->run().
For example: On a form using first, middle and last name fields
if($this->form_validation->run('fullname'))
{
...
Or, when the form contains only the first and last name fields
if($this->form_validation->run('shortname'))
{
...

Answer 3

As others have mentioned, you are requiring a field that does not exist. You either need to:
Add a field in your view with the name middlename
Remove the validation rule that requires a field middlename to exist
Not contributing to your issue, but in a usability aspect, you likely want to change the label in your lastname and middlename rules to make them more user friendly.
$config = array('test'=>array(
array('field' =>'firstname',
'label' => 'First Name',
'rules' => 'required'
),
array('field' => 'lastname',
'label' => 'lastname',
'rules' => 'required'
),
array('field' => 'middlename',
'label' => 'middlename',
'rules' => 'required'
)
),
);
Also, the documentation has other helpful tips for different custom rules if you're not trying to require the middlename but want to sanitize or validate its format prior to insertion into a database.
https://www.codeigniter.com/userguide3/libraries/form_validation.html#form-validation-tutorial

Answer 4

Well, as you want to have one set of validation rules and you have two different forms to validate, you can do it using very nice option with Codeigniter's validation callback function.
I am going to post a simple example here:
Your view file:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
<?php echo form_open('formbuilder_control/test');?>
<input type="text" name="firstname">
<input type="hidden" name="which_form" value="first_form">
<?php echo form_error('firstname'); ?>
<input type="text" name="lastname">
<?php echo form_error('lastname'); ?>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
<?php echo form_close(); ?>
<?php echo form_open('formbuilder_control/test');?>
<input type="text" name="firstname">
<input type="hidden" name="which_form" value="second_form">
<?php echo form_error('firstname'); ?>
<input type="text" name="lastname">
<?php echo form_error('lastname'); ?>
<input type="text" name="middlename">
<?php echo form_error('middlename'); ?>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
<?php echo form_close(); ?>
</body>
</html>
<?php if ( ! defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed');
class YourController extends CI_Controller {
public function save()
{
//.... Your controller method called on submit
$this->load->library('form_validation');
// Build validation rules array
$validation_rules = array(
array(
'field' => 'A',
'label' => 'Field A',
'rules' => 'trim|xss_clean'
),
array(
'field' => 'B',
'label' => 'Field B',
'rules' => 'trim|xss_clean'
),
array(
'field' => 'C',
'label' => 'Field C',
'rules' => 'trim|xss_clean|callback_required_inputs'
)
);
$this->form_validation->set_rules($validation_rules);
$valid = $this->form_validation->run();
// Handle $valid success (true) or failure (false)
}
public function required_inputs()
{
if( $this->input->post('which_form') == "second_form" && !$this->input->post('middlename'))
{
$this->form_validation->set_message('middlename', 'Middle name is required!');
return FALSE;
}
return TRUE;
}
}
From above example you can see required_inputs function is just like a normal function, where you can write any php code.
So what I would advice is, have one hidden field in both of the forms, jus to check which form got submitted, and then set callback function for middlename validation rule and in that function, check which form is submitted by user, and based on it, return TRUE or FALSE.
I hope this will get you the whole idea what you can do.
You just need to add a hidden field with different value in each the forms and check the value in callback function to decide whether you should apply the third validation rule or not.