laravel validate with user function - php

Question

blade.php
......
<tr>
<td>{{ Form::label('cameraMac', 'Mac: ') }}</td>
<td>{{ Form::text('cameraMac')}}</td>
</tr>
......
controller.php
$data = Input::all();
function transform($cameraMac) {
return strtoupper($cameraMac);
}
//validation here
$user = User::find($data['user_id']);
if($data["cameraMac"])
{
$user->camera_id = transform($data["cameraMac"]);
Cloud_camera::create(['id' => transform($data["cameraMac"]), 'user_id' => $user->id]);
}
$user->save();
I need to transform the cameraMac to primary key to store in db. How can I use function transform() in the validation rule 'nullable|unique:cloud_cameras,id|size:6'. That's to say, how can I call this function in the validation process.

Answer 1

If you need to somehow transform the input data you can use the merge method:
Input::merge(['cameraMac' => transform(Input::get('cameraMac')]);
$this->validate(Input::getFacadeRoot(), [
'cameraMac' => 'nullable|unique:cloud_cameras,id|size:6'
]);
As a personal preference I would instead type-hint Illuminate\Http\Request $request in the controller method and then
$request->merge(['cameraMac' => transform($request->cameraMac)]);
$this->validate($request, ['cameraMac' => 'nullable|unique:cloud_cameras,id|size:6'
]);

Answer 2

I'd consider defining a middleware.
The middleware will perform the transformation and merge the result back to the request before hitting the controller.
class TransformId {
public function handle(Request $request, Closure $next) {
// shout out to #alepeino
$request->merge(['cameraMac' => transform($request->cameraMac)]);
return $next($request);
}
}

Answer 3

Are you shure, that you want the field cameraMac be nullable as a (more or less) primary key?
You should also use the int validation for using the size validation.
The third parameter of unique validation is the except which will ignore the given ID.
Your validation in the controller could look like this
$except_id = $request->input('cameraMac', null);
$this->validate($request, [
'cameraMac' => 'nullable|unique:cloud_cameras,id,'.$except_id.'|int|size:6'
]);
One example how you can show errors of your validation in the views will be this
#if (count($errors) > 0)
<div class="alert alert-danger">
<ul>
#foreach ($errors->all() as $error)
<li>{{ $error }}</li>
#endforeach
</ul>
</div>
#endif

Answer 4

For now I trans the input data first, then validate it in the below way.
But I'm looking a way to call this funciton in the validation.
$data = Input::all();
$data['cameraMac'] = transform($data['cameraMac']);
$rules = array(
'id' => 'required|unique:cloud_printers,id|size:6',
'cameraMac' => 'unique:cloud_cameras,id|size:6',
);
$validator = Validator::make($data, $rules);
if ($validator->fails())
return Redirect::back()->withInput()->withErrors($validator);

Answer 5

You can define a custom validation rule:
Validator::extend('transformUpper', function ($attribute, $value, $parameters, $validator) {
return strtoupper($value);
});
Then use the new rule in the Request as usual:
$this->validate($request, [
'cameraMac' => 'required|transformUpper'
]);