Merge pull request #5639 from kenjis/add-validateData

feat: add Controller::validateData()

Author: kenjis

system/Controller.php

@@ -128,13 +128,37 @@ protected function loadHelpers()
     }
 
     /**
-     * A shortcut to performing validation on input data. If validation
-     * is not successful, a $errors property will be set on this class.
+     * A shortcut to performing validation on Request data.
      *
      * @param array|string $rules
      * @param array        $messages An array of custom error messages
      */
     protected function validate($rules, array $messages = []): bool
+    {
+        $this->setValidator($rules, $messages);
+
+        return $this->validator->withRequest($this->request)->run();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A shortcut to performing validation on any input data.
+     *
+     * @param array        $data     The data to validate
+     * @param array|string $rules
+     * @param array        $messages An array of custom error messages
+     * @param string|null  $dbGroup  The database group to use
+     */
+    protected function validateData(array $data, $rules, array $messages = [], ?string $dbGroup = null): bool
+    {
+        $this->setValidator($rules, $messages);
+
+        return $this->validator->run($data, null, $dbGroup);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array|string $rules
+     */
+    private function setValidator($rules, array $messages): void
     {
         $this->validator = Services::validation();
 
@@ -157,6 +181,6 @@ protected function validate($rules, array $messages = []): bool
             $rules = $validation->{$rules};
         }
 
-        return $this->validator->withRequest($this->request)->setRules($rules, $messages)->run();
+        $this->validator->setRules($rules, $messages);
     }
 }

tests/system/ControllerTest.php

@@ -168,6 +168,29 @@ public function testValidateWithStringRulesFoundUseMessagesParameter()
         $this->assertSame('You must choose a username.', Services::validation()->getError());
     }
 
+    public function testValidateData()
+    {
+        // make sure we can instantiate one
+        $this->controller = new Controller();
+        $this->controller->initController($this->request, $this->response, $this->logger);
+
+        $method = $this->getPrivateMethodInvoker($this->controller, 'validateData');
+
+        $data = [
+            'username' => 'mike',
+            'password' => '123',
+        ];
+        $rule = [
+            'username' => 'required',
+            'password' => 'required|min_length[10]',
+        ];
+        $this->assertFalse($method($data, $rule));
+        $this->assertSame(
+            'The password field must be at least 10 characters in length.',
+            Services::validation()->getError('password')
+        );
+    }
+
     public function testHelpers()
     {
         $this->controller      = new class () extends Controller {

user_guide_src/source/incoming/controllers.rst

@@ -350,8 +350,13 @@ inside the controller::
         protected $helpers = ['url', 'form'];
     }
 
+.. _controllers-validating-data:
+
 Validating data
-======================
+===============
+
+$this->validate()
+-----------------
 
 To simplify data checking, the controller also provides the convenience method ``validate()``.
 The method accepts an array of rules in the first parameter,
@@ -391,6 +396,31 @@ the ``$rules`` array with the name of the group as defined in ``Config\Validatio
 
 .. note:: Validation can also be handled automatically in the model, but sometimes it's easier to do it in the controller. Where is up to you.
 
+$this->validateData()
+---------------------
+
+Sometimes you may want to check the controller method parameters or other custom data.
+In that case, you can use the ``$this->validateData()`` method.
+The method accepts an array of data to validate in the first parameter::
+
+    public function product(int $id)
+    {
+        $data = [
+            'id'   => $id,
+            'name' => $this->request->getVar('name'),
+        ];
+        $rule = [
+            'id'   => 'integer',
+            'name' => 'required|max_length[255]',
+        ];
+
+        if (! $this->validateData($data, $rule) {
+            // ...
+        }
+
+        // ...
+    }
+
 That's it!
 ==========
 

user_guide_src/source/libraries/validation.rst

@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ If you submit the form you should simply see the form reload. That's
 because you haven't set up any validation rules in ``$this->validate()`` yet.
 
 The ``validate()`` method is a method in the Controller. It uses
-the **Validation class** inside. See *Validating data* in :doc:`/incoming/controllers`.
+the **Validation class** inside. See :ref:`controllers-validating-data`.
 
 .. note:: Since you haven't told the ``validate()`` method to validate anything
     yet, it **returns false** (boolean false) **by default**. The ``validate()``