Use anything as a rule and $this->some_model issue

I'm trying to perform form validation from within a specific method ('my_user_model', in fact I'm extending on Lonnie Ezell's MY_Model using 'in model' validation), but I'm getting issues with custom validation rules. Callbacks didn't work because the callback could not be found in 'my_user_model'...
So I've gone through the new user guide, where I read about 'use-anything-as-a-rule'
in the form_validation user guide.
But when I try to validate a field in my controller in this way:

PHP Code:

$this->form_validation->set_rules('birthdate', 'Birthdate', 
array('required', array('birthdate_callable', array($this->my_user_model, 'checkdateformat'))); 


I'm getting a parse error on '$this' : "syntax error, unexpected '$this' (T_VARIABLE), expecting ')'"

Does somebody has experience with this new extension ('Use anything as a rule')?

Thanks!

You forget last ')'

Any attempt at formatting/indenting your code would have shown you the problem.

PHP Code:

$this->form_validation->set_rules( 'birthdate', 'Birthdate', [
    'required', 
    [
        'birthdate_callable', 
        [
            $this->my_user_model, 
            'checkdateformat'
        ]
    ]
]); 


Expert Website Development - Temecula, CA
Community Auth For CodeIgniter 3

Hi guys,

Many thanks for your attentiveness and help, but this thread really helped me out: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4263...bership-nu I hope this thread can save time to others who struggle with this new option in the CI form_validation library.

So, now my (complete) model code looks like this (and works!):

PHP Code:

<?php defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');
    
class User_model extends CI_Model
{    
    protected $table_name = 'test_table';
    
    protected $primary_key = 'id';
    
    protected $protected_attributes = array('submit');
    
    public function __construct()
    {
        //parent::__construct();
        $this->load->database();
    }
    
    public function insert($data)
    {
        $data = $this->protect_attributes($data);

        $data = $this->validate($data);
        
        if($data)
        {
            $this->db->insert($this->table_name, $data);
            $id = $this->db->insert_id();
        
            return $id; // false or id value
        }
        return false;
    }
    
    public function update($id, $data)
    {
        $data = $this->protect_attributes($data);

        $data = $this->validate($data);
        
        $this->db->where($this->primary_key, $id);
        $this->db->set($data);
        
        $result = $this->update($this->table_name);
        
        return $result; // bool
    }
    
    public function validate($data, $type='update')
    {
        foreach($data as $key => $val)
        {
            $_POST[$key] = $val; // To let form validation library use them
        }
        $this->load->library('form_validation');
        
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('cn', 'Common name', 'required');
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('birthdate', 'Birth Date', [
                                                                    'required', 
                                                                    [
                                                                        'whatever_you_name_it', [ $this->usermodel, 'checkdateformat' ]
                                                                    ]
                                                                ]);
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('remark', 'Remark', 'required');
        
        
        if($this->form_validation->run() === true)
        {
            return $data;
            
        }
        else
        {
            return false;
        }
        
    }
    
    public function protect_attributes($row)
    {
        foreach($this->protected_attributes as $attr)
        {
            if(is_object($row))
            {
                unset($row->$attr);
            }
            else
            {
                unset($row[$attr]);
            }
        }
        
        return $row;
    }
    
    public function checkdateformat($date)
    {
        $this->form_validation->set_message('whatever_you_name_it', 'Not a valid date');

        if (preg_match("/^[0-9]{4}-(0[1-9]|1[0-2])-(0[1-9]|[1-2][0-9]|3[0-1])$/",$date)) {
            return true;
        } else {
            return false;
        }
    }
} 


UPDATE:

I tested again an it seems to be working perfectly if you call a validation array too.  
The only difference with my live example (which throws 'T_VARIABLE' parse error on $this) is that I assign my validation array (cfr. MY_Model - L. Ezell) as the property $validation_rules at the beginning of my extending child class.

PHP Code:

// eg.
Class User_model extends MY_Model
{
    protected $table_name = 'test_table';
    protected $primary_key = 'id';
    protected $skip_validation = false;
    protected $protected_attributes = array('submit');

    protected $validation_rules  =  
    array(
        array(
            'field' => 'cn',
            'label' => 'Common name',
            'rules' => 'required'
        ),
        array(
            'field' => 'birthdate',
            'label' => 'Birth Date',
            'rules' => [
                           'required',
                           [
                           'birthdate_callable', [ $this, 'checkdateformat' ]
                           ]
                       ]
        ),
        array(
            'field' => 'remark',
            'label' => 'Remark',
            'rules' => 'required'
        )
    );
    }


    public function __construct()
    {
        //parent::__construct();
        $this->load->database();

    }

...
} 


Now I found this thread: 'Can't concatenate on an array' and the proposed solution was that you have to assign such arrays (containing concanations and even methods starting with $this->) in a method...

So I changed my code (assigned the array in the constructor) to:

PHP Code:

Class User_model extends MY_Model
{
   protected $table_name = 'test_table';
   protected $primary_key = 'id';
   protected $skip_validation = false;
   protected $protected_attributes = array('submit');

   protected $validation_rules = array();

   
   public function __construct()
   {
       $this->load->database();
       $this->validation_rules = 
           array(
               array(
                  'field' => 'cn',
                   'label' => 'Common name',
                   'rules' => 'required'
               ),
               array(
                   'field' => 'birthdate',
                   'label' => 'Birth Date',
                   'rules' => [
                                  'required',
                                  ['birthdate_callable', 
                                      [ $this, 'checkdateformat' ]
                                  ]
                              ]
              ),
              array(
                   'field' => 'remark',
                   'label' => 'Remark',
                   'rules' => 'required'
             )

          );
   }

...
} 


 And YES: the problem was solved ...

Does anyone has an explanation for this?

Best regards,

Zeff

$this only get's populated/generated after a class have been initiated. And therefor you get an error message when PHP tries to parse your class. It's looking for $this before it exists.

Of course... I was dull searching for an explanation, I missed that one. Many thanks jreklund!

How do you proceed if you have to send two parameters to your callable?
I am trying since hours and I don't get any solution, since I need to compare two dates (start <= end).

In your example, how would you proceed to call checkdateformat(date1,date2)?

Thank you

Send the two parameters in an array.

What did you Try? What did you Get? What did you Expect?

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