Cakephp form never validates when it should

Question

Ok, so I have validation somewhat working. It doesn't validate when it SHOULD, which seems to be the opposite of every problem I can find on google. I've tried copying the exact code from the CakePHP docs, but it doesn't seem to work. Maybe someone here can figure it out.

Model:

<?php

    App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');

    class User extends AppModel {

        public $validate = array(
            'email' => array(
                'rule' => 'email',
                'required' => true,
                'allowEmpty' => false
            ),
            'full_name' => array(
                'rule'     => 'alphaNumeric',
                'required' => true,
                'allowEmpty' => false
            ),
            'password' => array(
                'rule' => array('minLength', 8),
                'required' => true,
                'allowEmpty' => false
            )
        );

    }

?>

Controller:

<?php

    App::uses('AppController', 'Controller');


    class UsersController extends AppController {

        function login() {
            $this->layout = 'signin';
        }

        function signup() {
            $this->layout = 'signin';

            if($this->request->is('post')) {

                $this->User->set($this->request->data);

                if($this->User->validates())
                    $this->Session->setFlash('Validated!');
                else
                    $this->Session->setFlash('Did not validate!' . print_r($this->User->validationErrors, true) . print_r($this->request->data, true));
            }
        }
    }

?>

View:

<div class="placeholder text-center"><i class="fa fa-pencil"></i></div>

<?php echo $this->Session->flash(); ?>
<div class="panel panel-default col-sm-6 col-sm-offset-3">

    <div class="panel-body">
        <?php echo $this->Form->create('User'); ?>

            <div class="form-group">
                <?php echo $this->Form->input('full_name', array('placeholder' => 'Your full name', 'class' => 'form-control')); ?>
            </div>

            <div class="form-group">
                <?php echo $this->Form->input('email', array('placeholder' => 'Enter email', 'class' => 'form-control')); ?>
            </div>

            <div class="form-group">
                <?php echo $this->Form->input('password', array('placeholder' => 'Password', 'class' => 'form-control')); ?>
            </div>

            <div class="form-group">
                <?php echo $this->Form->input('confirm_password', array('placeholder' => 'Retype Password', 'class' => 'form-control')); ?>
            </div>

            <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary btn-block">Create Account</button>

        <?php echo $this->Form->end(); ?>
    </div>
</div>

Any help in the right direction is appreciated. I've always had issues with validation with CakePHP so I never used it before. Now it's required so I have no choice but to drudge through this until I get it working.

Oh, I should note that the data does go through. Here's the result of the print_r function:

Did not validate!Array ( [full_name] => Array ( [0] => This field cannot be left blank ) [password] => Array ( [0] => This field cannot be left blank ) ) Array ( [User] => Array ( [full_name] => Sean Templeton [email] => sean@********.com [password] => ******** [confirm_password] => ******** ) )

Answer 1

Please go through this link. It explains how cakephp validations work.

http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/models/data-validation/validating-data-from-the-controller.html

Updated:

Your fullname validation has 'rule'=> 'alphaNumeric' which does not include spaces. but if you check your data [full_name] => Sean Templeton which has a space in it.

You can set your own messages in the model. I don't think I need to say that.

Answer 2

Try this in your controller

function signup() {
     $this->layout = 'signin';
     if ($this->request->is('post')) {
         $this->User->create($this->request->data); //"create" instead of "set"
         if ($this->User->validates())
             $this->Session->setFlash('Validated!');
         else
             $this->Session->setFlash('Did not validate!' . print_r($this->User->validationErrors, true) . print_r($this->request->data, true));
        }
    }
}