How to make optional validadable field?

[tomislav12]

How to make optional rule for some field?
Example pseudo rules:
"name" "new NotNull()","new Alphanumeric()"
"icon_url" optional (can be empty string ie "") but if present, then validate with "new Alphanumeric()"
I think new Custom() would not help so much, because it would fail at other rule.

Thank you

[tomislav12]

Ofc, I can do this before the rules: foreach($_POST as $key => $val) if($val == '') { unset($_POST[$key]); }
but it would be nice if the library has this rule.

[michelphp]

You need to remove the NotNull validator to make the field optional. But if the value is "" the Alphanumeric validator will fail so you should filter the data before and convert empty strings to NULL.
$data = array_map(fn($v) => $v === "" ? null : $v, $_POST);

[tomislav12]

Yes, sure, but can't you make a new rule, something like this: new Optional(["", null, "(empty)"]) that would do this, or it would need too much changes in your lib?

[michelphp]

I can’t add Optional([...]) because in my library all rules use null as the “absent” sentinel. but I can add a validator option (ex - convertEmptyToNull: true) that normalize “empty” values ("", "(empty)", etc.) to null before running the rules. This optional fields are only validated when non-empty.

[tomislav12]

@phpdevcommunity Sounds good. I think it would be nice to have, because empty html inputs are sending empty strings by default.

[michelphp]

I Just released a new version with the feature. Empty strings are now converted to null (automatically with validate(ServerRequestInterface $request), or manually by calling $validation->convertEmptyToNull(); before validateArray(array $data)).

[tomislav12]

Ok thx. But just asking, wouldn't be better to make this with optional configuration array: ->validateArray($rules, ['convertEmptyToNull' => true]); , as you suggested in the first place? Separate method is more clean or?