Laravel "Serialization of 'Closure' is not allowed" - php

Question

When I go to store a dataset in Laravel, I sometimes get this error and haven't found a solution to it.
Serialization of 'Closure' is not allowed
Open: ./vendor/laravel/framework/src/Illuminate/Session/Store.php
*/
public function save()
{
$this->addBagDataToSession();
$this->ageFlashData();
$this->handler->write($this->getId(), serialize($this->attributes));
$this->started = false;
Here is the function being called when the error occurs:
public function store()
{
$data = Input::all();
$validator = array('first_name' =>'required', 'last_name' => 'required', 'email' => 'email|required_without:phone', 'phone' => 'numeric|size:10|required_without:email', 'address' => 'required');
$validate = Validator::make($data, $validator);
if($validate->fails()){
return Redirect::back()->with('message', $validate);
} else {
$customer = new Customer;
foreach (Input::all() as $field => $value) {
if($field == '_token') continue;
$customer->$field = $value;
}
$customer->save();
return View::make('admin/customers/show')->withcustomer($customer);
}
}
What is causing this serialization error?

Answer 1

Just replace following line:
return Redirect::back()->with('message', $validate);
with this:
return Redirect::back()->withErrors($validate);
Also, you may use something like this (To repopulate the form with old values):
return Redirect::back()->withErrors($validate)->withInput();
In the view you can use $errors variable to get the error messages, so if you use $errors->all() then you'll get an array of error messages and to get a specific error you may try something like this:
{{ $errors->first('email') }} // Print (echo) the first error message for email field
Also, in the following line:
return View::make('admin/customers/show')->withcustomer($customer);
You need to change the dynamic method to withCustomer not withcustomer, so you'll be able to access $customer variable in your view.

Answer 2

return Redirect::back()->with('message', $validate);
You are telling Laravel to serialize the entire validator object into session. To redirect with errors, use the withErrors method:
return Redirect::back()->withErrors($validate);
This will take the error messages out of the validator and flash those to session prior to redirecting. The way you're doing it now you're trying to store the entire class in Session which is causing your error.
Another issue I see is that I don't think there's a withcustomer method on the View class:
return View::make('admin/customers/show')->withcustomer($customer);
Try changing that to either just with:
return View::make('admin/customers/show')->with('customer', $customer);
or make sure to capitalize the Customer portion:
return View::make('admin/customers/show')->withCustomer($customer);
See also this question.