Conditional validation

[fabian-dios]

Hey guys! I was thinking that it might be interesting to implement conditional validations. I'll explain it better with some example...
Given an object like:

const animal = z
  .object({
    type: z.nativeEnum(AnimalType),
    name: z.string(),
    wings: z.number().optional(), // required if type is bird
    legs: z.number().optional(), // required  if type is bird or mammal
  })
  .superRefine((schema, ctx) => {
    const { type, wings, legs } = schema;
    if (type === AnimalType.BIRD) {
      if (!wings) {
        //ctx.addIssue to say wings is required
      }
      if (!legs) {
        //ctx.addIssue to say legs is required
      }
    } else if (type === AnimalType.MAMMAL) {
      if (!legs) {
        //ctx.addIssue to say legs is required
      }
    }
  });

enum AnimalType {
  MAMMAL = 'MAMMAL',
  BIRD = 'BIRD',
  FISH = 'FISH',
}

When we have a small amount of conditions it might be ok, but once our logic grows it starts being a bit complex and "dirty". I was thinking that it could be simplified if we create some sort of conditional function that makes every further function dependant to that conditional check. For example:

const animal = z
  .object({
    type: z.nativeEnum(AnimalType),
    name: z.string(),
    wings: z.number().optional().conditional((schema) =>  schema.type === AnimalType.BIRD).required(), // required if type is bird
    legs: z.number().optional().conditional((schema) =>  schema.type === AnimalType.BIRD || schema.type === AnimalType.MAMMAL).required(), // required  if type is bird or mammal
  })

Everything after conditional(condition) only gets evaluated if that condition is true.

Hope you find this interesting, I am glad to answer any question if you need.
Kind regards!

[JacobWeisenburger]

Is this what you are looking for?

const props = {
    name: z.string(),
    wings: z.number(),
    legs: z.number(),
}

const typeEnum = z.enum( [ 'mammal', 'bird', 'fish' ] )

const mammalSchema = z.object( {
    type: z.literal( typeEnum.enum.mammal ),
    name: props.name,
    legs: props.legs,
} )

const birdSchema = z.object( {
    type: z.literal( typeEnum.enum.bird ),
    name: props.name,
    legs: props.legs,
    wings: props.wings,
} )

const fishSchema = z.object( {
    type: z.literal( typeEnum.enum.fish ),
    name: props.name,
} )

const animal = z.discriminatedUnion( 'type', [
    mammalSchema,
    birdSchema,
    fishSchema,
] )

Additional resources:
discriminated-unions
Why you should not use TypeScript Enums

If you found my answer satisfactory, please consider supporting me. Even a small amount is greatly appreciated. Thanks friend! 🙏
https://github.com/sponsors/JacobWeisenburger

[markomitranic]

Good answer by Jacob here - but have in mind that it seems like discriminated unions are being deprecated of somehow altered: #2106

[RobertaMelo]

Thank you for the perspective!

[gawsoftpl]

I think that you have the wrong way of thinking.
Zod is typescript first. You think that zod is like other simple nodejs vars validator. But No.

In a typescript project you have to declarate type and interface for objects. During write code you have to write an interface for object and rules for form validator. You make similar work twice.

Example: you have form for updating user address. User address has conditional attributes, depends from address is for personal or company. You have to write a interface of types for user address, and after that you have to write validator for html form. Could it only be done once?

Resolution: Zod

// Default props in personal address and company address
const defaultProps = z.object({
    is_company: z.boolean(),
    firstname: z.string().min(1),
    lastname: z.string().min(1),
    street: z.string().min(1),
    city: z.string().min(1),
    postalcode: z.string().min(3),
    country_id: z.number().min(1, 'Please select country')
})

// If user mark that this is a company adress, user have to write company name and tax_number
const companySchema =z.object({
    is_company: z.literal(true),
    company_name: z.string().min(1),
    tax_number: z.string().min(1),
});

// Personal address do not have to write company address and tax_number, because user mark is_company as false
const personalSchema = z.object({
    is_company: z.literal(false),
})

// We mark union depends of is_company attribute
const schemaCond = z.discriminatedUnion(
    'is_company', [
        companySchema,
        personalSchema
    ]);

// We intersection with default properties
const ValidatorSchema = z.intersection(schemaCond, defaultProps);

// Infer type for typescript
type AddressType = z.infer<typeof ValidatorSchema>;

// Validate
try {
     const addressCompany: AddressType = ValidatorSchema.parse({
        is_company: true,
        company_name: "g431",
        tax_number: "g143",
        firstname: "fdsfsd",
        lastname:"fds",
        street:"fsd",
        city:"Fds",
        postalcode:"fds",
        country_id:4
    })
    console.log(addressCompany);

    const addressPersonal: AddressType = ValidatorSchema.parse({
        is_company: false,
        // company_name: "g",
        // tax_number: "g",
        firstname: "fdsfsd",
        lastname:"fds",
        street:"fsd",
        city:"Fds",
        postalcode:"fds",
        country_id:4
    })
    console.log(addressPersonal);
}catch(err){
    console.log(err);
}

[blntgvn42]

This reply should be the accepted answer. Thank you for your effort to explain how to do it. I have been searching this for a week :).

[dnsndrvsk]

And here is how you can easily make a form with steps validation using zod

enum FormStepEnum {
  FIRST = 1,
  SECOND = 2,
  THIRD = 3,
}

const defaultSchema = z.object({
  _step: z.nativeEnum(FormStepEnum),
});

const firstStepSchema = z.object({
  _step: z.literal(FormStepEnum.FIRST),
  name: z.string().nonempty(),
  last_name: z.string().nonempty(),
});

const secondStepSchema = z.object({
  _step: z.literal(FormStepEnum.SECOND),
  mom_name: z.string().nonempty(),
  dad_name: z.string().nonempty(),
});

const thirdStepSchema = z.object({
  _step: z.literal(FormStepEnum.THIRD),
  grandpa_name: z.string().nonempty(),
  grandma_name: z.string().nonempty(),
});

const schemaConditions = z.discriminatedUnion('_step', [
  firstStepSchema,
  secondStepSchema,
  thirdStepSchema,
]);

const validationSchema = z.intersection(schemaConditions, defaultSchema);

type FormValidationSchema = z.infer<typeof validationSchema>;


const form = useForm<FormValidationSchema>({
      resolver: zodResolver(validationSchema),
      mode: 'onChange',
      defaultValues: { _step: FormStepEnum.FIRST },
    });

and then just manually set form step when you want

form.setValue('_step', FormStepEnum.SECOND)

[blntgvn42]

Hi, my form consists of password and password confirmation. How can i check the match password validation? I have tried this;

const fourthStepSchema = z.object({
        step: z.literal(FormStep.FOURTH),
        password: z.string().nonempty(),
        passwordConfirm: z.string().nonempty()
    })
    .refine(data => data.password === data.passwordConfirm, {
        message: "Passwords don't match",
        path: ["passwordConfirm"]
    });

[zeekrey]

This is fantastic! Thank you so much!

How can I set a default value for a variable like mom_name? TypeScript will give an error in this situation, right? There are times when I need to assign a default value, like for a date input, to prevent React from complaining about changing a component from uncontrolled to controlled.

[gianhunn]

@blntgvn42
You can use refine at schemaCond step. For example:

const defaultProps = z.object({
  id: z.string().optional(),
  email: z.string().optional(),
  name: z.string().nonempty(),
  isPassword: z.boolean().default(false),
});

const passwordProps = z.object({
  isPassword: z.literal(true),
  password: z
    .string()
    .nonempty()
    .min(8, "Password must have more than 8 characters"),
  confirm: z.string().nonempty(),
});

const nonePasswordProps = z.object({
  isPassword: z.literal(false),
});

const schemaCond = z
  .discriminatedUnion("isPassword", [passwordProps, nonePasswordProps])
  .refine((data) => (data.isPassword ? data.password == data.confirm : true), {
    path: ["confirm"],
    message: "Passwords do not match",
  });

const formSchema = z.intersection(schemaCond, defaultProps);
type FormValues = z.infer<typeof formSchema>;

It works for me

[danilomsilva]

Hi there,
I just wanted to know if doing like this is a bad idea ?

const genericSchema = {
    car_name: z.string(),
    color: z.string(),
  };

  const validationSchema = z.object(
    editingCar
      ? {
          ...genericSchema,
          currentMilleage: z.number(), 
        }
      : {
          ...genericSchema,
          initialMilleage: z.number(), 
        }
  );

This would be useful when the same form is doing two different operations, such as create and edit.
So when creating, I can validate the field initialMilleage.
When editing I can validate the field currentMilleage.

Thanks :)

[rommelmamedov]

One example using superRefine:

export const jobPostFormSchema = z
  .object({
    applyOption: z.string(),
    companyDescription: z.string(),
    companyName: z.string().min(1, { message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.companyName') }),
    department: z.string().min(1, { message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.department') }),
    description: z.string().min(1, { message: 'Description is required' }),
    employmentType: z.string().min(1, { message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.employmentType') }),
    location: z.string().min(1, { message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.location') }),
    salary: z.number().optional(),
    status: z.boolean(),
    url: z.string(),
    email: z.string(),
    title: z.string().min(1, { message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.title') }),
    workplacePolicy: z.string().min(1, { message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.workplacePolicy') }),
  })
  // Perform conditional validation to ensure either a valid email or url is provided.
  .superRefine(({ email, url, applyOption }, refinementContext) => {
    if (applyOption === 'url') {
      if (url === '') {
        return refinementContext.addIssue({
          code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
          message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.url'),
          path: ['url'],
        });
      }

      if (!getIsValidUrl(url)) {
        return refinementContext.addIssue({
          code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
          message: i18n.t('forms.validations.invalid.url'),
          path: ['url'],
        });
      }
    }

    if (applyOption === 'email') {
      if (email === '') {
        return refinementContext.addIssue({
          code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
          message: i18n.t('forms.validations.required.email'),
          path: ['email'],
        });
      }

      if (!getIsValidEmail(email)) {
        return refinementContext.addIssue({
          code: z.ZodIssueCode.custom,
          message: i18n.t('forms.validations.invalid.email'),
          path: ['email'],
        });
      }
    }

    return refinementContext;
  });