There is no error message when callback function runs in codeigniter form validation

Question

Sorry for my bad english,

I'm creating a form that takes some values specifying reporting options in my codeigniter project. I want to show error messages created in my callback functions. I have 3 callback functions as "checkStartDate(), checkFinishDate() and checkIssueExists()" If validation part handles an error like "required" that doesn't set in callback, it's okay. But when i set an error message in callback function, they doesn't show up. The important thing; if "required" rule doesn't pass, my all callback errors show up as they should. But if "required" condition pass, there is no error message.

I have that problem with error messages, the callback functions work properly. They return FALSE when i give wrong values.

Here is my code:

view:

<div id="newIssue">
<p>
    Fill the form below, add your issue to searching pool.</br>
</p>    

<?php
    if( isset($_GET['validationErrors']) )
        echo $_GET['validationErrors'];
?>

<?=form_open("main/add-to-pool");?>
    <table class="form-table">
        <tr>
            <td>Issue </td>
            <td><?=form_input('issue', $this->input->post('issue'));?></td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td>Report timing </td>
            <td>
                <?php
                    $options = array(
                      'daily'    => 'Every day',
                      'weekly'   => 'Every week',
                      'monthly'  => 'Every month',
                    );

                    echo form_dropdown('timing', $options, 'weekly');
                ?>
            </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td>Start Date </td>
            <td>
                <?=form_input(array('name' => 'startDate', 'type' => 'date'), $this->input->post('startDate'));?>
            </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td>Finish Date </td>
            <td>
                <?=form_input(array('name' => 'finishDate', 'type' => 'date'), $this->input->post('finishDate'));?>
            </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td>Location based </td>
            <td>&nbsp&nbsp 
                <?php
                echo form_radio(array(
                        'name'      => "location",
                        'class'     => "radio",
                        'checked'   => TRUE
                    )); 
                ?>
                Yes

                <?php
                echo form_radio(array(
                        'name'      => "location",
                        'class'     => "radio",
                        'checked'   => FALSE
                    )); 
                ?>
                No
            </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
            <td></td>
            <td>
                <div style="float:right">
                    <?php
                    echo form_submit(array(
                            'class' => 'btn btn-info', 
                            'id'    => 'addToPool',
                            'name' => 'addToPool', 
                            'value' => 'Add to Pool'
                        ));
                    ?>
                </div>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
<?=form_close();?>

controller:

public function addToPool()
{
    $this->load->library('form_validation');

    $this->form_validation->set_rules('issue', 'Issue', 'required|trim|xss_clean|callback_checkIssueExists');
    $this->form_validation->set_rules('timing', 'Report Timing', 'required|trim|xss_clean');
    $this->form_validation->set_rules('startDate', 'Start Date', 'required|trim|xss_clean|callback_checkStartDate');
    $this->form_validation->set_rules('finishDate', 'Finish Date', 'required|trim|xss_clean|callback_checkFinishDate');

    if ($this->form_validation->run()) {
        $issueContent = preg_replace("/\s+/"," ", $this->input->post('issue') );
        $startDate = date("Y-m-d H:i:s", strtotime($this->input->post('startDate')));
        $finishDate = date("Y-m-d H:i:s", strtotime($this->input->post('finishDate')));

        $issue = new Issue();

        $issue->setContent($this->clearTurkishCharacters($issueContent));
        $issue->setTrContent($issueContent);
        $issue->setCreatedDate(date("Y-m-d H:i:s"));
        $issue->setUpdatedDate(date("Y-m-d H:i:s"));
        $issue->setStartDate($startDate);
        $issue->setFinishDate($startDate);

        $user = new User();
        $user->setUsername($this->session->userdata('username'));
        $user->dbToUser();

        $issue->setUser($user);

        if ($issue->issueToDb()) {
            $_GET['newIssueFancyBox'] = "close";

            $this->home();
        } else
            echo "An error occured while adding user to database!";

    } else {
        $_GET['validationErrors'] = validation_errors('<div class="alert alert-error">','</div>');
        $_GET['newIssueFancyBox'] = "open";

        $this->home();
    }
}

public function checkStartDate()
{
    $startDate = $this->input->post('startDate');

    if (strtotime($startDate) < strtotime('-1 day')) {
        $this->form_validation->set_message('checkStartDate', 'The %s field cannot take a value before today.');
        return FALSE;
    } else {
        return TRUE;
    }
}

public function checkFinishDate()
{
    $startDate = $this->input->post('startDate');
    $finishDate = $this->input->post('finishDate');

    if (strtotime($finishDate) < strtotime($startDate) || strtotime($finishDate) < strtotime('-1 day') ) {
        $this->form_validation->set_message('checkFinishDate', 'The %s field cannot take a value before start date.');
        return FALSE;
    } else {
        return TRUE;
    }
}

public function checkIssueExists()
{
    $this->load->model('modelIssue');

    $issueContent = preg_replace("/\s+/"," ", $this->input->post('issue') );

    $issue = new Issue();

    $issue->setContent($issueContent);

    $user = new User();
    $user->setUsername($this->session->userdata('username'));
    $user->dbToUser();

    $issue->setUser($user);

    if( $this->modelIssue->checkIssueExists($issue) ) {
        $this->form_validation->set_message('checkIssueExists', 'You have already the same issue in pool.');
        return FALSE;
    }
    else
        return TRUE;
}

Answer 1

I've solved the problem myself, but I've figured out what happens while i'm changing my code according to @Philip's answer. In my old code, I had callback functions, then I changed them as @Philip's answer. But I was still getting no error messages i want to show. I just realized that I can't set error message when i create an User or Issue class object in the same function.

In my old code (library/MY_Form_validation.php);

public function checkIssueExists()
{

    $this->load->model('modelIssue');

    $issueContent = preg_replace("/\s+/"," ", $this->input->post('issue') );

    $issue = new Issue();

    $issue->setContent($issueContent);

    $user = new User();
    $user->setUsername($this->session->userdata('username'));
    $user->dbToUser();

    $issue->setUser($user);

    if (!$this->modelIssue->checkIssueExists($issue->getContent(), $issue->getUser()->getUsername())) {
        return TRUE;
    } else {
        $this->form_validation->set_message('checkIssueExists', 'You have already the same issue in pool.');
        return FALSE;
    }
}

You can see the $issue = new Issue(); and $user = new User(); lines cause my problem. But I don't understand why It's happening. I have 3 contorller class,

• Main (handles requests and basic functions like signIn(), signUp(), home(), dashboard() etc.)
• User (basic user functions like getUsername(), setId(), dbToUser(), userToDb() etc.)
• Issue (basic issue functions like getIssue(), setUser(), getContent() etc.)

I need these functions, so i thought that i can use these classes when i need them. But in callback functions or MY_Form_validation.php file, i cannot use them like above.

I've changed my code (and other pages dependent on my code) as below and it works now; library/MY_Form_validation.php;

public function checkIssueExists()
{
    $issueContent = preg_replace("/\s+/"," ", $this->input->post('issue') );
    $username = $this->session->userdata('username');

    if (!$this->modelIssue->checkIssueExists($issueContent, $username)) {
        return TRUE;
    } else {
        $this->form_validation->set_message('checkIssueExists', 'You have already the same issue in pool.');
        return FALSE;
    }
}

But i have no idea why i cannot set error messages while i am using my classes in the same function.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 2

You should extend CI_Form_validation instead of using callbacks

class MY_Form_validation extends CI_Form_validation
{

    public function checkIssueExists ( $modelIssue )
    {
        // $ci =& get_instance(); //uses __get magic function instead
        //$modelIssue field is automatically passed as param, no need for $_POST

        if ( something ) {
            $this->form_validation->set_error ( 'checkIssueExists' ,
                                                'Some error' ) ;
            return false ;
        }
        else {
            return true ;
        }
    }
    /** magic function to get CI super object(object) **/
    public function __get ( $object )
    {
        $instance = &get_instance () ;
        return $instance->$object ;
    }

}

- Like some else suggested use the error inline

echo form_error('field_name')

OR

foreach( validation_errors() as $error ):
 ...
endforeach;

I would also setup a form_validation.php config file in ./config

$config = array(
    'class/method' => array(
      array('field'=>'', 'label'=>'', 'rules'=>'required|checkIssueExists'),  
    ),
);

Your now clean controller method

        // If the form validation cant find any key for this class/method
        // in config/form_validation.php
        // optionally you can pass in a key
        // ie: if($this->form_validation->run('key'))
        if( !$this->form_validation->run() )
        {
            return $this->home();
        }

        //validation must have passed