CodeIgniter - Validate data outside submited form? - php

Question

How can i validate something i did not get from a form. I want to validate my variable and i want this rule to be is_uniqe() to check for duplicates.
I have tried setting a rule in the $rules array as array( 'field' => $this->characterNAME, 'rules' => 'is_unique[members.char_name]) yet no effect i tried calling the is_unique() on its own yet no effect and i tried to asign the variable to $_POST['charNAME'] = $this->characterNAME; and then pass that to set_rules() yet no effect.
How can i validate my variable ?
My code:
<?php if ( ! defined('BASEPATH')) exit('No direct script access allowed');
class Registration extends CI_Controller {
var $characterNAME = "";
var $characterCORP = "";
var $characterALLY = "";
var $characterJDAT = "";
function __construct() {
parent::__construct();
$this->load->helper('form');
$this->load->library('form_validation');
$this->load->model('Registration_model', 'reg');
}
public function index()
{
$this->load->view('registration_view');
}
function insert()
{
$rules = array(
array(
'field' => 'username',
'label' => 'Username',
'rules' => 'required|min_length[6]|max_length[250]|is_unique[members.username]'
),
array(
'field' => 'password',
'label' => 'Password',
'rules' => 'required|min_length[6]|max_length[250]|md5'
),
array(
'field' => 'apiid',
'label' => 'apiid',
'rules' => 'required|integer|min_length[6]|max_length[250]|callback_api_check[' . $this->input->post('apikey') . ']'
),
array(
'field' => 'apikey',
'label' => 'apikey',
'rules' => 'required|min_length[6]|max_length[255]'
),
);
$_POST['charNAME'] = $this->characterNAME;
$this->form_validation->set_rules('charNAME', 'CharacterName', 'is_unique[members.char_name]');
$this->form_validation->set_rules($rules);
if($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE)
{
$this->load->view('registration_view');
} else {
// PROCESS REGISTRATION
$this->reg->add_user($_POST['username'], $_POST['password'], $_POST['apiid'], $_POST['apikey'], $this->characterNAME, $this->characterCORP, $this->characterALLY, $this->characterJDAT);
// REDIRECT
$this->load->view('registration_done');
}
}
function api_check($apiid, $apikey)
{
$url = 'http://api.eveonline.com/account/Characters.xml.aspx?keyID='.$apiid.'&vCode='.$apikey;
$xml = new DOMDocument();
$xml->load($url);
$chars = $xml->getElementsByTagName('row');
foreach ($chars as $character)
{
$charid = $character->attributes;
$curl = 'http://api.eveonline.com/eve/CharacterInfo.xml.aspx?keyID='. $apiid . '&vCode='.$apikey . '&characterID=' . $charid->item(1)->nodeValue;
$cxml = new DOMDocument();
$cxml->load($curl);
$corp = $cxml->getElementsByTagName("corporation");
$ally = $cxml->getElementsByTagName("alliance");
$char = $cxml->getElementsByTagName("characterName");
$jdat = $cxml->getElementsByTagName("corporationDate");
// Check database instead
if($this->reg->validate_entity($corp->item(0)->nodeValue) || $this->reg->validate_entity($ally->item(0)->nodeValue))
{
$this->characterNAME = $char->item(0)->nodeValue;
$this->characterCORP = $corp->item(0)->nodeValue;
$this->characterALLY = $ally->item(0)->nodeValue;
$this->characterJDAT = $jdat->item(0)->nodeValue;
return true;
}
}
$this->form_validation->set_message('api_check','None of the characters on this account are allowed to join.');
return false;
}
}

Answer 1

You can validate that your form input isn't a duplicate by calling the is_unique function directly, via (example):
$this->form_validation->is_unique($email, 'users.email');
This will return a boolean true/false. True = Is Unique -- in this case
Therefore, you can put that in an if() and check it that way...
Hope this helps