Laravel 5 - validate array as required, but allow an empty array to be passed

31
votes

I'm validating a request in Laravel 5.4 with the validator, see the documentation: https://laravel.com/docs/5.4/validation#validating-arrays

Basically, it's this code in the Controller:

public function createSomeResource(Request $request)
{
    $this->validate($request, [
        'items' => 'required',
    ];
    ...
}

I would like to require the presence of the field "items" and this code does it, but the problem is that the validation fails when the "items" field is an empty array, i.e. 

{
    "fields": []
}

, which is an undesired behavior. I know that's the documented behavior of the "required" parameter but I don't see any "clean" workaround. I tried also:

public function createSomeResource(Request $request)
{
    $this->validate($request, [
        'items' => 'required_unless:items,[]',
    ];
    ...
}

but it fails as well, probably because the documentation says that it works with a different field after the "required_unless" clause, but I'm not totally sure about it.

Could you suggest me a way to require the presence of the field "items" without forbidding the empty array?

EDIT: another "obvious" approach that has come to my mind is to use the "present|array" rule and it almost does what I want, but unfortunately, an empty string passes that validation rule as well, which is maybe a bug in Laravel, maybe not - I opened an issue for it on the Laravel github repository: https://github.com/laravel/framework/issues/18948

7
phplaravelvalidationlaravel-5laravel-5.4
Skip to the next section in the documentation after the one you linked to maybe? “Custom Validation Rules” - you can write your own custom validation logic if needed. – CBroe
ok, that would be one solution, but I see it as too cumbersome since you have to create a custom validator by modifying the Validator Facade, if I'm not missing anything. I see this requirement as quite a basic one, so I hope for an easier solution, or I'm just missing how to write the custom validation logic nicely, maybe you could give me a code snippet explaining how would you do it in this specific case, ideally by extending the existing "required" validation rule. – Rafael K.
Maybe use $this->validate($request, [ 'items' => 'array', ]; – Vahe Galstyan
@VaheGalstyan that does not work in my case because it does not require the presence of the field "items", it just expects an array, i.e. an object without the key "items" would be a valid input, which is wrong. – Rafael K.

7 Answers

51
votes

Try this:

public function createSomeResource(Request $request)
{
    $this->validate($request, [
        'items' => 'present|array',
    ];
    ...
}
16
votes

Try:

public function createSomeResource(Request $request)
{
    $this->validate($request, [
        'items' => 'required|array|min:1',
    ];
    ...
}

From Laravel doc:

min:value The field under validation must have a minimum value. Strings, numerics, arrays, and files are evaluated in the same fashion as the size rule.

6
votes

1) Array is required

2) Value of all array is not null or empty

public static $rules = [
   'category' => 'required|array|min:1',
   'category.*' => 'required',
];
3
votes

probably this should work

public function rules()
{
   return [
    "items"    => "required|array|min:0",
    "items.*"  => "required|string|distinct|min:0",
  ];
}
2
votes

Here we go buddy...

public function createSomeResource(Request $request)
{
    $validate_us_pls = [
        'title' => 'required|unique:posts|max:255',
        'body' => 'required',
    ];


    if( !empty($request->get('items')) ){
        $validate_us_pls['items'] = 'required';
    }

    $this->validate($request, $validate_us_pls);

}
1
votes

Maybe this will be usefull?

size in array uses count 

 'ids'=>'present|array|size:1'

or this

'users' => 'required|array|between:2,4'
1
votes

Your problem is because you are not sending the request as JSON. Make sure that you have the settings on POSTMAN to send your request as JSON.