Laravel update model with unique validation rule for attribute

Question

I have a laravel User model which has a unique validation rule on username and email. In my Repository, when I update the model, I rev

Answer 1

I have BaseModel class, so I needed something more generic.

//app/BaseModel.php
public function rules()
{
    return $rules = [];
}
public function isValid($id = '')
{

    $validation = Validator::make($this->attributes, $this->rules($id));

    if($validation->passes()) return true;
    $this->errors = $validation->messages();
    return false;
}

In user class let's suppose I need only email and name to be validated:

//app/User.php
//User extends BaseModel
public function rules($id = '')
{
    $rules = [
                'name' => 'required|min:3',
                'email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email',
                'password' => 'required|alpha_num|between:6,12',
                'password_confirmation' => 'same:password|required|alpha_num|between:6,12',
            ];
    if(!empty($id))
    {
        $rules['email'].= ",$id";
        unset($rules['password']);
        unset($rules['password_confirmation']);
    }

    return $rules;
}

I tested this with phpunit and works fine.

//tests/models/UserTest.php 
public function testUpdateExistingUser()
{
    $user = User::find(1);
    $result = $user->id;
    $this->assertEquals(true, $result);
    $user->name = 'test update';
    $user->email = 'ffffd@test.si';
    $user->save();

    $this->assertTrue($user->isValid($user->id), 'Expected to pass');

}

I hope will help someone, even if for getting a better idea. Thanks for sharing yours as well. (tested on Laravel 5.0)

Answer 2

If you have another column which is being used as foreign key or index then you have to specify that as well in the rule like this.

'phone' => [
                "required",
                "phone",
                Rule::unique('shops')->ignore($shopId, 'id')->where(function ($query) {
                    $query->where('user_id', Auth::id());
                }),
            ],

Answer 3

Working within my question:

public function update($id, $data) {
    $user = $this->findById($id);
    $user->fill($data);
    $this->validate($user->toArray(), $id);
    $user->save();
    return $user;
}


public function validate($data, $id=null) {
    $rules = User::$rules;
    if ($id !== null) {
        $rules['username'] .= ",$id";
        $rules['email'] .= ",$id";
    }
    $validation = Validator::make($data, $rules);
    if ($validation->fails()) {
        throw new ValidationException($validation);
    }
    return true;
}

is what I did, based on the accepted answer above.

EDIT: With Form Requests, everything is made simpler:

<?php namespace App\Http\Requests;

class UpdateUserRequest extends Request
{
    /**
     * Determine if the user is authorized to make this request.
     *
     * @return bool
     */
    public function authorize()
    {
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Get the validation rules that apply to the request.
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function rules()
    {
        return [
            'name' => 'required|unique:users,username,'.$this->id,
            'email' => 'required|unique:users,email,'.$this->id,
        ];
    }
}

You just need to pass the UpdateUserRequest to your update method, and be sure to POST the model id.

Answer 4

or what you could do in your Form Request is (for Laravel 5.3+)

public function rules()
    {
        return [

            'email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email,'.$this->user, //here user is users/{user} from resource's route url
               ];
    }

i've done it in Laravel 5.6 and it worked.

Answer 5

Append the id of the instance currently being updated to the validator.

1. Pass the id of your instance to ignore the unique validator.

2. In the validator, use a parameter to detect if you are updating or creating the resource.

If updating, force the unique rule to ignore a given id:

//rules
'email' => 'unique:users,email_address,' . $userId,

If creating, proceed as usual:

//rules
'email' => 'unique:users,email_address',

Answer 6

'email' => [
    'required',
    Rule::exists('staff')->where(function ($query) {
        $query->where('account_id', 1);
    }),
],

'email' => [
    'required',
    Rule::unique('users')->ignore($user->id)->where(function ($query) {
        $query->where('account_id', 1);
    })
],