API Reference

API Reference

Everything lives on InitPHP\Validation\Validation. Every setter returns $this for chaining unless noted otherwise.

use InitPHP\Validation\Validation;

Contents

• Data: __construct · setData · mergeData · getData
• Rules: rule · extend · pattern
• Running: validation · isValid · clear
• Errors: getError · setError
• Localization: setLocale · setLocaleDir · setLocaleArray · labels
• Misc: version · VERSION

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Data

__construct

public function __construct(array $data = [])

Create a validator with an optional initial data set.

setData

public function setData(array $data = []): self

Replace the entire data set.

mergeData

public function mergeData(array $data = []): self

Merge values into the current data set. Existing keys are overwritten.

getData

public function getData(): array

Return the current data set.

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Rules

rule

public function rule(string|array $key, string|callable|array $rule, ?string $err = null): self

Queue one or more rules for one or more fields.

• $key — a field name, a pipe-separated list ("a|b"), or an array of names.
• $rule — a pipe-separated DSL string, a callable, or an array mixing both. The pseudo-rule optional marks the field(s) as allowed to be absent.
• $err — an optional custom message template for these rules.

Throws InvalidArgumentException if a key or rule entry has an unsupported type.

extend

public function extend(string $name, callable $callback, ?string $message = null): self

Register a custom named rule usable from the DSL string. The callback receives the value followed by any rule arguments and returns a boolean. Registered rules persist across runs. See Callable & Custom Rules.

pattern

public function pattern(string $name, string $pattern = '[\w]+'): self

Register or override a named pattern for the regex rule. Names are case-insensitive; the body has no delimiters and is matched as ^(...)$. See Patterns & Regex.

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Running

validation

public function validation(): bool

Evaluate every queued rule. Clears the error list, runs each rule (skipping optional absent fields), then empties the rule and optional queues. Returns true when nothing failed.

Throws UndefinedRuleException if a string rule names a rule that is neither built-in nor registered with extend().

isValid

public function isValid(): bool

Return whether the most recent validation() run had no errors, without re-running.

clear

public function clear(): self

Drop queued rules, optional flags and errors. Registered rules, patterns and the loaded locale are kept.

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Errors

getError

public function getError(): array

Return the list of messages from the most recent validation() run.

setError

public function setError(string $error, array $context = []): self

Append an interpolated message to the current error list. Note validation() resets the list at the start of each run.

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Localization

setLocale

public function setLocale(string $locale = 'en'): self

Load <locale>.php from the locale directory and merge it over the active messages. Throws LocaleException if the file is missing or does not return an array.

setLocaleDir

public function setLocaleDir(string $dir = __DIR__ . '/languages/'): self

Set the directory language files are loaded from. Throws LocaleException if the directory does not exist.

setLocaleArray

public function setLocaleArray(array $assoc): self

Merge a partial set of message templates over the active locale.

labels

public function labels(array $assoc): self

Register display labels that replace raw field names in messages.

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Misc

version

public function version(): string

Return the library version.

VERSION constant

public const VERSION = '2.0.0';

The library version as a constant.

Next

• Exceptions — the types thrown above.
• Rules Reference — what goes inside rule().