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Upgrade Validations

Library Documentation

What has been changed

  • If you want to change validation error display, you have to set CI4 validation View templates.
  • CI4 validation has no Callbacks as in CI3. Use Callable Rules (since v4.5.0) or Closure Rules (since v4.3.0) or Rule Classes instead.
  • In CI3, Callbacks/Callable rules were prioritized, but in CI4, Closure/Callable Rules are not prioritized, and are checked in the order in which they are listed.
  • Since v4.5.0, Callable Rules have been introduced, but it is a bit different from CI3's Callable.
  • CI4 validation format rules do not permit an empty string.
  • CI4 validation never changes your data.
  • Since v4.3.0, validation_errors() has been introduced, but the API is different from CI3's.

Upgrade Guide

  1. Within the view which contains the form, you have to change:

    • <?php echo validation_errors(); ?> to <?= validation_list_errors() ?>

  2. Within the controller, you have to change the following:

    • $this->load->helper(array('form', 'url')); to helper('form');
    • remove the line $this->load->library('form_validation');
    • if ($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE) to if (! $this->validateData($data, $rules)) where $data is the data to validate, typically, the POST data $this->request->getPost().
    • $this->load->view('myform'); to return view('myform', ['validation' => $this->validator,]);

  3. You have to change the validation rules. The new syntax is to set the rules as an array in the controller:

    <?php

$isValid = $this->validateData($data, [
    'name'  => 'required|min_length[3]',
    'email' => 'required|valid_email',
    'phone' => 'required|numeric|max_length[10]',
]);

Code Example

CodeIgniter Version 3.x

Path: application/views:

<html>
<head>
    <title>My Form</title>
</head>
<body>

    <?php echo validation_errors(); ?>

    <?php echo form_open('form'); ?>

    <h5>Username</h5>
    <input type="text" name="username" value="" size="50" />

    <h5>Password</h5>
    <input type="text" name="password" value="" size="50" />

    <h5>Password Confirm</h5>
    <input type="text" name="passconf" value="" size="50" />

    <h5>Email Address</h5>
    <input type="text" name="email" value="" size="50" />

    <div><input type="submit" value="Submit" /></div>

    </form>

</body>
</html>

Path: application/controllers:

<?php

class Form extends CI_Controller {

    public function index()
    {
        $this->load->helper(array('form', 'url'));

        $this->load->library('form_validation');

        // Set validation rules

        if ($this->form_validation->run() == FALSE) {
                $this->load->view('myform');
        } else {
                $this->load->view('formsuccess');
        }
    }
}

CodeIgniter Version 4.x

Path: app/Views:

<html>
<head>
    <title>My Form</title>
</head>
<body>

    <?= validation_list_errors() ?>

    <?= form_open('form') ?>

    <h5>Username</h5>
    <input type="text" name="username" value="" size="50" />

    <h5>Password</h5>
    <input type="text" name="password" value="" size="50" />

    <h5>Password Confirm</h5>
    <input type="text" name="passconf" value="" size="50" />

    <h5>Email Address</h5>
    <input type="text" name="email" value="" size="50" />

    <div><input type="submit" value="Submit" /></div>

    </form>

</body>
</html>

Path: app/Controllers:

<?php

namespace App\Controllers;

use CodeIgniter\Controller;

class Form extends Controller
{
    public function index()
    {
        helper('form');

        $data = $this->request->getPost();

        if (! $this->validateData($data, [
            // Validation rules
        ])) {
            return view('myform');
        }

        return view('formsuccess');
    }
}