Available validation rules in Laravel - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Using Available Validation Rules in Laravel

📖 Scenario: You are building a simple Laravel form to register users. You need to ensure the data entered is valid before saving it.

🎯 Goal: Create a Laravel validation array using common validation rules to check user input.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an array called $rules with specific validation rules

Include rules for required fields, email format, minimum length, and numeric values

Use Laravel's built-in validation rule names exactly as specified

Add a custom rule for a password confirmation field

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Validating user input is essential in web applications to ensure data integrity and security before saving to a database.

💼 Career

Understanding Laravel validation rules and how to apply them is a key skill for backend developers working with Laravel frameworks.

1

Create the validation rules array

Create a PHP array called $rules with these exact keys and rules: 'name' => 'required', 'email' => 'required|email', 'age' => 'nullable|numeric'.

Laravel

<?php

// Create the $rules array with name, email, and age validation
// Your code here

Hint

Use Laravel's validation rule strings separated by pipes (|) for multiple rules.

2

Add password validation rules

Add to the $rules array the keys 'password' with rules 'required|min:8' and 'password_confirmation' with rule 'required|same:password'.

Laravel

 'required',
    'email' => 'required|email',
    'age' => 'nullable|numeric',
    // Add password and password_confirmation rules here
];

Hint

Use min:8 to require at least 8 characters and same:password to confirm the password.

3

Use the validation rules in a controller method

Inside a Laravel controller method, write the line $validatedData = $request->validate($rules); to apply the validation rules.

Laravel

 'required',
    'email' => 'required|email',
    'age' => 'nullable|numeric',
    'password' => 'required|min:8',
    'password_confirmation' => 'required|same:password',
];

// Inside a controller method
public function store(Request $request)
{
    // Validate the request data
    // Your code here
}

Hint

Use the validate method on the $request object with the $rules array.

4

Complete the controller method with data saving

Add the line User::create($validatedData); after validation to save the user data, assuming the User model is imported.

Laravel

 'required',
    'email' => 'required|email',
    'age' => 'nullable|numeric',
    'password' => 'required|min:8',
    'password_confirmation' => 'required|same:password',
];

// Inside a controller method
public function store(Request $request)
{
    $validatedData = $request->validate($rules);
    // Save the validated data
    // Your code here
}

Hint

Use the User::create() method to save the validated data to the database.

Practice

1. Which Laravel validation rule ensures a field is not empty and must be present in the input data?

easy

A. required

B. nullable

C. sometimes

D. filled

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the required rule

   The required rule means the field must be present and not empty in the input data.

2. Step 2: Compare with other rules

   nullable allows empty values, sometimes means the field is optional, and filled means if present, it cannot be empty.

3. Final Answer:

   required -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Field must be present and not empty = required [OK]

Hint: Remember: required means must be there and not empty [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing 'nullable' with 'required'
• Thinking 'sometimes' means required
• Using 'filled' expecting it to require presence

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to validate that a field named email must be a valid email address in Laravel?

easy

A. 'email' => 'required|email_address'

B. 'email' => 'required|valid_email'

C. 'email' => 'required|mail'

D. 'email' => 'required|email'

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the correct Laravel email validation rule

   Laravel uses email as the rule to check valid email format.

2. Step 2: Check syntax correctness

   The syntax uses pipe | to separate rules, so 'required|email' is correct.

3. Final Answer:

   'email' => 'required|email' -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Email validation rule is 'email' [OK]

Hint: Use 'email' rule for email validation, no extra words [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'email_address' instead of 'email'
• Using 'mail' or 'valid_email' which are invalid
• Forgetting to separate rules with pipe

3. Given the validation rule 'age' => 'required|integer|min:18', what happens if the input is age = 16?

medium

A. Validation passes because 16 is an integer

B. Validation passes because 'min' only applies to strings

C. Validation fails because 16 is less than the minimum 18

D. Validation fails because 16 is not required

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the rules applied

   The rules require the field to be present, an integer, and at least 18.

2. Step 2: Check the input value against rules

   Input 16 is an integer and present, but less than 18, so it fails the min:18 rule.

3. Final Answer:

   Validation fails because 16 is less than the minimum 18 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Integer less than min fails validation [OK]

Hint: min applies to numbers too, not just strings [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking min only applies to string length
• Ignoring the min rule when integer is less
• Assuming integer rule alone is enough

4. What is wrong with this validation rule? 'username' => 'required|min:3|max'

medium

A. The max rule is missing a value

B. The min rule should be min:3,5

C. The required rule cannot be combined with min

D. The pipe separator | is missing

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the max rule syntax

   The max rule requires a value like max:10 to specify the maximum length or number.

2. Step 2: Identify the error in the rule string

   Here, max is used without a value, which is invalid syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   The max rule is missing a value -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Rules like max need a value after colon [OK]

Hint: Rules like max and min always need a number after colon [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting the value after max or min
• Using commas inside min rule incorrectly
• Thinking required conflicts with min or max

5. You want to validate a password field that must be at least 8 characters and be confirmed by a matching password_confirmation field. Which validation rule set is correct?

hard

A. 'password' => 'required|string|min:8|regex:/[a-zA-Z]+[0-9]+/|confirmed'

B. 'password' => 'required|string|min:8|confirmed'

C. 'password' => 'required|min:8|alpha_num|confirmed'

D. 'password' => 'required|string|min:8|confirmed|same:password_confirmation'

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the confirmed rule

   The confirmed rule automatically checks for a matching password_confirmation field.

2. Step 2: Check the rules for password complexity

   required|string|min:8 ensures presence, text type, and minimum length. The confirmed rule handles confirmation.

3. Step 3: Evaluate other options

   alpha_num restricts to letters and numbers but may exclude symbols; regex is complex and not required here; same is redundant with confirmed.

4. Final Answer:

   'password' => 'required|string|min:8|confirmed' -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Use confirmed for matching password fields [OK]

Hint: Use 'confirmed' to check matching confirmation field [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'same' instead of 'confirmed' for confirmation
• Overcomplicating with regex when not needed
• Forgetting to include 'required' or 'min:8'