[QUESTION] How to manipulate row values before validation?

[hafezd]

Prerequisites

• Have read and understood: https://github.com/Maatwebsite/Laravel-Excel/blob/3.1/.github/SUPPORT.md
• Checked if your Laravel Excel version is still supported: https://docs.laravel-excel.com/3.1/getting-started/support.html#supported-versions
• Checked that your question isn't already asked before.
• Filled in the entire issue template

Versions

• PHP version: 7.3.6
• Laravel version: 5.8.33
• Package version: 3.1.15

Description

Is there any way to manipulate data before validation? I have to trim strings and convert empty strings to null before validation.

Laravel has \Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\TrimStrings and \Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\ConvertEmptyStringsToNull middlewares.

I think we should add something like prepareForValidation function on withValidation trait or define a new trait with a function to be invoked after reading the row and before validation.

/**
* Prepare row value for validation.
* 
* @param array          $rows
* @return array
*/
public function manipulateRow(array $row): array
{
    return array_map('trim', $row);
}

[hafezd]

I found WithMapping concern which has map function with the same purpose, but it's not documented on Imports section.

use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithMapping;

class UsersImport implements ToModel, WithMapping
{
    /**
     * @param mixed $row
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function map($row): array
    {
        return array_map('trim', $row);
    }

    public function model(array $row)
    {
        return new User([
            'name' => $row['name'],
            'email' => $row['email'],
        ]);
    }
}