Laravel 4 custom validation rule - where to extend the validator?

Question

I want to make a custom validation rule. My model looks like this at the moment:

protected $rules = array(
    'first_name'  => 'required',
    'last_name'   => 'required',
    'ssn'         => 'required|integer|min:4|max:4',
    'email'       => 'required|email',
    'dob'         => 'required|checkAge',
    'phone'       => 'required',
    'street'      => 'required',
    'postal_code' => 'required|integer|min:4',
    'city'        => 'required'
);

But where I have to put the custom validation rule? I have read that I need to extend it Validator. For this I've created a simple function

Validator::extend('foo', function($attribute, $value, $parameters)
{
    return $value == 'foo';
});

And I don't know where I have to check it?

Maybe someone can help me.

Thanks

Answer 1

I do it by creating a validation folder in /app with any custom validation files in there.
I autoload this by editing app/start/global.php.

ClassLoader::addDirectories(array(
    app_path() . '/commands',
    app_path() . '/controllers',
    app_path() . '/models',
    app_path() . '/presenters',
    app_path() . '/validation',
    app_path() . '/database/seeds',
));

I also register the resolver in this file;

Validator::resolver(function($translator, $data, $rules, $messages) {
        return new CoreValidator($translator, $data, $rules, $messages);
    });

A sample custom validator class (in the validation folder);

<?php

class CoreValidator extends Illuminate\Validation\Validator
{

    protected $implicitRules = array('Required', 'RequiredWith', 'RequiredWithout', 'RequiredIf', 'Accepted', 'RequiredWithoutField');

    public function __construct(\Symfony\Component\Translation\TranslatorInterface $translator, $data, $rules, $messages = array())
    {
        parent::__construct($translator, $data, $rules, $messages);
        $this->isImplicit('fail');
    }

    public function validatePostcode($attribute, $value, $parameters = null)
    {
        $regex = "/^((GIR 0AA)|((([A-PR-UWYZ][0-9][0-9]?)|(([A-PR-UWYZ][A-HK-Y][0-9][0-9]?)|(([A-PR-UWYZ][0-9][A-HJKSTUW])|([A-PR-UWYZ][A-HK-Y][0-9][ABEHMNPRVWXY])))) [0-9][ABD-HJLNP-UW-Z]{2}))$/i";
        if (preg_match($regex, $value)) {
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
}

And add the custom error message to the array in in app/lang/en/validation.php

return array(
...
"postcode" => "Invalid :attribute entered.",
...
)

Answer 2

Extensions can be added as soon as the application boots. What I do is to create a validations.php file in the same level of routes.php and filters.php and then add this to my app/start/global.php:

require app_path().'/filters.php'; /// this one is already there...
require app_path().'/validations.php';