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DOC Use FieldValidators for FormFieldValidation
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emteknetnz committed Dec 1, 2024
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80 changes: 52 additions & 28 deletions en/02_Developer_Guides/03_Forms/01_Validation.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -71,71 +71,95 @@ In this example we will be required to input a value for `Name` and a valid emai

> [!NOTE]
> Each individual [FormField](api:SilverStripe\Forms\FormField) instance is responsible for validating the submitted content through the
> [FormField::validate()](api:SilverStripe\Forms\FormField::validate()) method. By default, this just checks the value exists. Fields like `EmailField` override
> `validate` to check for a specific format.
> [FormField::validate()](api:SilverStripe\Forms\FormField::validate()) method. For example [`EmailField::validate()`](api:SilverStripe\Forms\EmailField::validate()) checks the field value is a valid email.
## Extensions

Extensions applied to `FormField`, or subclasses, can hook into the validation logic and adjust the results by utilising
the `updateValidationResult` method. For example, an extension applied to `EmailField` could look like this:
the `updateValidate` method. For example, an extension applied to `EmailField` could look like this:

```php
namespace App\Extension;

use SilverStripe\Core\Extension;
use SilverStripe\Forms\Validator;
use SilverStripe\Core\Validation\ValidationResult;

class FormFieldValidationExtension extends Extension
{
protected function updateValidationResult(bool &$result, Validator $validator)
protected function updateValidate(ValidationResult $result): void
{
if (str_ends_with($this->owner->Value(), '@example.com')) {
$validator->validationError($this->owner->Name(), 'Please provide a valid email address');
$result = false;
$result->addFieldError(
$this->getOwner()->Name(),
'Please provide a valid email address which does not end with @example.com'
);
}
}
}
```

> [!WARNING]
> This extension hook will not work without the ampersand (`&`) in the `&$result` argument. This is because the return
> value of the function is ignored, so the validation result has to be updated by changing the value of the `$result`
> variable. This is known as [passing by reference](https://www.php.net/manual/en/language.references.pass.php).
## Validation in `FormField` subclasses

Subclasses of `FormField` can define their own version of `validate` to provide custom validation rules such as the
above example with the `Email` validation. The `validate` method on `FormField` takes a single argument of the current
`Validator` instance.
Subclasses of `FormField` can define their own version of `validate()` to provide custom validation rules such as the
above example with the `Email` validation.

```php
namespace App\Form\Field;

use SilverStripe\Core\Validation\ValidationResult;
use SilverStripe\Forms\NumericField;

class CustomNumberField extends NumericField
{
// ...

public function validate($validator)
public function validate(): ValidationResult
{
if ((int) $this->Value() === 10) {
$validator->validationError($this->Name(), 'This value cannot be 10');
return $this->extendValidationResult(false, $validator);
}

return $this->extendValidationResult(true, $validator);
$this->beforeExtending('updateValidate', function (ValidationResult $result) {
if ((int) $this->Value() === 20) {
$result->addFieldError($this->Name(), 'This value cannot be 20');
}
});
return parent::validate();
}
}
```

The `validate` method should compute a boolean (`true` if the value passes validation and `false` if Silverstripe CMS
should trigger a validation error on the page) and pass this to the `extendValidationResult` method to allow extensions
to hook into the validation logic. In addition, in the event of failed validation, a useful error message must be set
on the given validator.
The `validate()` method returns a [`ValidationResult`](api:SilverStripe\Core\Validation\ValidationResult) object with any errors added to it, and should contain a useful error message. The `validate()` method should follow the example above and utilise the `$this->beforeExtending('updateValidate', ...)` method and be followed by `return parent::validate();` in order for code in the parent class to be executed in the correct order.

## `FieldValidator` classes used for `FormField` validation

Many of the built-in `FormField` classes use standardised [`FieldValidator`](api:SilverStripe\Core\Validation\FieldValidation\FieldValidator) to perform some or all of their validation. For example, the `EmailField` class uses the both the [`StringFieldValidator`](api:SilverStripe\Core\Validation\FieldValidation\StringFieldValidator) and the [`EmailFieldValidator`](api:SilverStripe\Core\Validation\FieldValidation\EmailFieldValidator) for validation.

These are configured via the [`FormField.field_validators`](api:SilverStripe\Forms\FormField->field_validators) configuration, which you can configure on your own `FormField` subclasses.

```php
namespace App\Form\Field;

use SilverStripe\Core\Validation\FieldValidation\EmailFieldValidator;
use SilverStripe\Core\Validation\FieldValidation\OptionFieldValidator;
use SilverStripe\Forms\EmailField;

class CustomEmailField extends EmailField
{
// ...

private static array $field_validators = [
// Disable the EmailFieldValidator defined in the parent EmailField by setting it to null
EmailFieldValidator::class => null,
// Add an OptionFieldValidator to validate the field value is in a list of allowable values
OptionFieldValidator::class => ['getAllowableEmails'],
];

> [!WARNING]
> You can also override the entire `Form` validation by subclassing `Form` and defining a `validate` method on the form.
public function getAllowableEmails(): array
{
return [
'[email protected]',
'[email protected]',
];
}
}
```

## Form action validation

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12 changes: 12 additions & 0 deletions en/08_Changelogs/6.0.0.md
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Expand Up @@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ title: 6.0.0 (unreleased)
- [API changes](#api-changes)
- [Many renamed classes](#renamed-classes)
- [GraphQL removed from the CMS](#graphql-removed)
- [`FormField` classes now use `FieldValidator` for validation](#formfield-validation)
- [Most extension hook methods are now protected](#hooks-protected)
- [Changes to some extension hook names](#hooks-renamed)
- [Strict typing for `Factory` implementations](#factory-strict-typing)
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -906,6 +907,17 @@ PHP code such as resolvers that were in [`silverstripe/asset-admin`](http://gith

If your project does not have any custom GraphQL, after upgrading you may still have the old `.graphql-generated` and `public/_graphql` folders in your project. You can safely remove these folders.

### `FormField` classes now use `FieldValidator` for validation {#formfield-validation}

Many of [`FormField`](api:SilverStripe\Forms\FormField) subclasses in the `SilverStripe\Forms` namespace now use `FieldValidator` classes for validation, which are also used for `DBField` validation. This has meant that much of the old `validate()` logic on `FormField` subclasses has been removed as it was duplicated in the `FieldValidator` classes. Some custom in `validate()` methods not found in `FieldValidator` classes methods has been retained.

As part of this change, the [`FormField::validate()`](api:SilverStripe\Forms\FormField::validate()) now returns a `ValidationResult` object where it used to return a boolean. The `$validator` parameter has also been removed. If you have implemented a custom `validate()` method in a `FormField` subclass, you will need to update it to return a `ValidationResult` object instead and remove the `$validator` parameter.

The `extendValidationResult()` method and the `updateValidationResult` extension hook on `FormField` have both been removed and replaced with an `updateValidate` hook instead, which has a single `ValidationResult $result` parameter. This matches the `updateValidate` extension hook on `DataObject`.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> As part of this change method signature of `FormField::validate()` changed so that it no longer accepts a parameter, and not returns a `ValidationResult` object instead of a boolean.

### Most extension hook methods are now protected {#hooks-protected}

Core implementations of most extension hooks such as `updateCMSFields()` now have protected visibility. Formerly they had public visibility which meant they could be called directly which was not how they were intended to be used. Extension hook implementations are still able to be declared public in project code, though it is recommended that all extension hook methods are declared protected in project code to follow best practice.
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