How to use sometimes rule in Laravel 5 request class - php

Question

I have the following request class:
<?php namespace App\Http\Requests\User;
use App\Http\Requests\Request;
use Validator;
use Session;
use Auth;
use App\User;
class RegisterStep1Request extends Request {
/**
* Determine if the user is authorized to make this request.
*
* #return bool
*/
public function authorize()
{
return true;
}
/**
* Set up the validation rules
*/
public function rules()
{
Validator::extend('valid_date', function($attribute, $value, $parameters)
{
$pieces = explode('/', $value);
if(strpos($value, '/')===FALSE) {
return false;
} else {
if(checkdate($pieces[1], $pieces[0], $pieces[2])) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
});
return [
'first_name' => 'required',
'last_name' => 'required',
'email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email',
'dob' => 'required|regex:/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{4}/|valid_date',
'mobile' => 'required',
'password' => 'required|confirmed'
];
}
public function messages()
{
return [
'first_name.required' => 'The first name field is required.',
'last_name.required' => 'The last name field is required.',
'email.required' => 'The email address field is required.',
'email.email' => 'The email address specified is not a valid email address.',
'email.unique' => 'The email address is already registered with this website.',
'dob.required' => 'The date of birth field is required.',
'dob.regex' => 'The date of birth is invalid. Please use the following format: DD/MM/YYYY.',
'dob.valid_date' => 'The date of birth is invalid. Please check and try again.',
'mobile.required' => 'The mobile number field is required.',
'password.required' => 'The password field is required.',
'password.confirmed' => 'The confirm password field does not match the password field.'
];
}
}
I want to add the following sometimes rule:
Validator::sometimes('dob', 'valid_date', function($input)
{
return apply_regex($input->dob) === true;
});
How would I add this to my request class?
I have amended my rules method to the following:
public function rules()
{
Validator::extend('valid_date', function($attribute, $value, $parameters)
{
$pieces = explode('/', $value);
if(strpos($value, '/')===FALSE) {
return false;
} else {
if(checkdate($pieces[1], $pieces[0], $pieces[2])) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
});
Validator::sometimes('dob', 'valid_date', function($input)
{
return apply_regex($input->dob) === true;
});
return [
'first_name' => 'required',
'last_name' => 'required',
'email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email',
'dob' => 'sometimes|required|regex:/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{4}/|valid_date',
'mobile' => 'required',
'password' => 'required|confirmed'
];
}
But I now get the following error when I submit the form:
FatalErrorException in Facade.php line 216:
Call to undefined method Illuminate\Validation\Factory::sometimes()

Answer 1

There is a documented way to make changes to the request's validator instance in Laravel 5.4. You should implement the withValidator method for that.
Based on the example from #lukasgeiter's answer, you may add the following to your request class:
/**
* Configure the validator instance.
*
* #param \Illuminate\Validation\Validator $validator
* #return void
*/
public function withValidator($validator)
{
$validator->sometimes('dob', 'valid_date', function ($input) {
return apply_regex($input->dob) === true;
});
}
By doing this you don't have to worry about overriding internal methods. Besides, this seems to be the official way for configuring the validator.

Answer 2

You can attach a sometimes() rule by overriding the getValidatorInstance() function in your form request:
protected function getValidatorInstance(){
$validator = parent::getValidatorInstance();
$validator->sometimes('dob', 'valid_date', function($input)
{
return apply_regex($input->dob) === true;
});
return $validator;
}

Answer 3

You just need to add the dob key to the array you are returning, along with the validation ruleset to follow, including sometimes.
In this case:
'dob' : 'sometimes|required|regex:/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{4}/|valid_date'

Answer 4

According to your comment
I want the rule valid_date to only run if the regex rule returns true. Otherwise
the valid_date rule errors if the date isnt in the right format.
Validator::extend('valid_date', function($attribute, $value, $parameters)
{
\\use the regex here instead
if (!preg_match('/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{2}\/[0-9]{4}/', $value)) return false;
$pieces = explode('/', $value);
if(strpos($value, '/')===FALSE) {
return false;
} else {
if(checkdate($pieces[1], $pieces[0], $pieces[2])) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
});
$validator = Validator::make($data, [
'first_name' => 'required',
'last_name' => 'required',
'email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email',
'dob' => 'required|valid_date',
'mobile' => 'required',
'password' => 'required|confirmed'
]);