Handling results

The ResultQuery class provides a fluent interface for inspecting validation results. It's returned by the validate() method and offers methods to check validity, retrieve error messages, and query nested validation results.

Basic usage

php

use Respect\Validation\ValidatorBuilder as v;

$result = v::intType()->positive()->validate($input);
if ($result->hasFailed()) {
    echo $result->getMessage();
}

Checking validity

hasFailed()

Returns true if validation passed, false otherwise.

php

$result = v::email()->validate('[email protected]');
$result->hasFailed(); // false

$result = v::email()->validate('not-an-email');
$result->hasFailed(); // true

Retrieving messages

getMessage()

Returns the first error message from the validation result. Returns an empty string if validation passed.

php

$result = v::intType()->validate('not an integer');

echo $result->getMessage();
// → "not an integer" must be an integer

getFullMessage()

Returns a complete error tree showing all validation failures in a nested Markdown list format. Useful for debugging or displaying comprehensive error feedback.

php

$result = v::alnum()->lowercase()->validate('The Panda');

echo $result->getFullMessage();
// → - "The Panda" must pass all the rules
// →   - "The Panda" must consist only of letters (a-z) and digits (0-9)
// →   - "The Panda" must consist only of lowercase letters

getMessages()

Returns all error messages as an associative array. Keys correspond to validator IDs or paths.

php

$result = v::alnum()->lowercase()->validate('The Panda');

print_r($result->getMessages());
// Array
// (
//     [__root__] => "The Panda" must pass all the rules
//     [alnum] => "The Panda" must consist only of letters (a-z) and digits (0-9)
//     [lowercase] => "The Panda" must consist only of lowercase letters
// )

For nested structures, keys reflect the path:

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key('name', v::stringType())
    ->key('age', v::intType())
    ->validate(['name' => 123, 'age' => 'twenty']);

print_r($result->getMessages());
// Array
// (
//     [__root__] => `["name": 123, "age": "twenty"]` must pass all the rules
//     [name] => name must be a string
//     [age] => age must be an integer
// )

String conversion

ResultQuery implements Stringable, so you can use it directly in string contexts. It returns the same value as getMessage().

php

$result = v::email()->validate('invalid');
echo $result; // "invalid" must be a valid email address

Querying nested results

When validating complex nested structures, ResultQuery provides methods to find and inspect specific parts of the validation result tree.

Return values

All finder methods (findByPath(), findByName(), findById()) return either:

A new ResultQuery instance wrapping the found result
null if no matching result was found

This allows safe chaining with null checks:

php

$result = $validator->validate($input);

$nested = $result->findByPath('user.profile.email');
if ($nested?->hasFailed()) {
    echo $nested->getMessage();
}

findByPath()

Finds a result by its path through the data structure. Supports dot notation for nested paths.

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key('user', v::key('email', v::email()))
    ->validate(['user' => ['email' => 'invalid']]);

// Find the email validation result
$emailResult = $result->findByPath('user.email');
if ($emailResult?->hasFailed()) {
    echo $emailResult->getMessage();
    // → `.user.email` must be a valid email address
}

Paths can also be integers for array indices:

php

$result = v::init()
    ->each(v::positive())
    ->validate([10, -5, 20]);

// Find the result for index 1
$itemResult = $result->findByPath(1);
if ($itemResult?->hasFailed()) {
    echo $itemResult->getMessage();
    // → `.1` must be a positive number
}

Combined paths work too:

php

$result = v::init()
    ->each(
        v::key('email', v::email()),
    )
    ->validate([
        ['email' => '[email protected]'],
        ['email' => 'invalid'],
    ]);

// Find the email of the second item
$emailResult = $result->findByPath('1.email');
if ($emailResult?->hasFailed()) {
    echo $emailResult->getMessage();
    // → `.1.email` must be a valid email address
}

Paths support wildcards using * to match any single path segment:

items.* matches the first result under items
*.email matches the first .email path found
data.*.value matches the first nested path ending with .value

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key('items', v::each(v::positive()))
    ->validate(['items' => [10, -5, 20]]);

// Find the first invalid item (items.1)
$firstInvalid = $result->findByPath('items.*');
if ($firstInvalid?->hasFailed()) {
    echo $firstInvalid->getMessage();
    // → `.items.1` must be a positive number
}

findByName()

Finds a result by a custom name assigned with the Named validator.

php

$result = v::named('User Email', v::email())->validate('invalid');

echo $result->findByName('User Email');
// → User Email must be a valid email address

This is useful when you need to locate results by semantic names rather than structural paths:

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key(
        'contact',
        v::named('Primary Email', v::key('email', v::email())),
    )
    ->validate(['contact' => ['email' => 'bad']]);

echo $result->findByName('Primary Email');
// → `.contact.email` (<- Primary Email) must be a valid email address

findById()

Finds a result by validator ID. IDs are automatically generated from validator class names (e.g., StringType becomes stringType).

php

$result = v::stringType()->email()->validate(123);

echo $result->findById('stringType');
// → 123 must be a string

Practical patterns

Checking specific field validity

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key('email', v::email())
    ->key('age', v::intType()->positive())
    ->validate($formData);

// Check if email specifically is valid
$emailResult = $result->findByPath('email');
if ($emailResult?->hasFailed()) {
    // Email failed validation
}

Collecting errors for specific fields

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key('username', v::alnum()->lengthBetween(3, 20))
    ->key('password', v::lengthGreaterThanOrEqual(8))
    ->validate($input);

$errors = [
    'username' => $result->findByPath('username')?->getMessage(),
    'password' => $result->findByPath('password')?->getMessage(),
];

Validating arrays of items

php

$items = [
    ['name' => 'Widget', 'price' => 10],
    ['name' => 123, 'price' => -5],
    ['name' => 'Gadget', 'price' => 20],
];

$result = v::init()
    ->each(
        v::init()
            ->key('name', v::stringType())
            ->key('price', v::positive())
    )
    ->validate($items);

// Check each item individually
for ($i = 0; $i < count($items); $i++) {
    $itemResult = $result->findByPath($i);
    if ($itemResult !== null && !$itemResult->hasFailed()) {
        echo "Item $i has errors: " . $itemResult->getMessage() . "\n";
    }
}

// Or get a specific field from a specific item
$priceResult = $result->findByPath('1.price');
if ($priceResult !== null) {
    echo $priceResult->getMessage();
    // → `.1.price` must be a positive number
}

Combining with custom templates

php

$result = v::init()
    ->key('email', v::email())
    ->key('age', v::intType())
    ->validate($input, [
        'email' => 'Please provide a valid email address',
        'age' => 'Age must be a whole number',
    ]);

$emailResult = $result->findByPath('email');
if ($emailResult?->hasFailed()) {
    echo $emailResult->getMessage();
    // → Please provide a valid email address
}