CakePHP Form Validation only on Entering Data

Question

I am trying to Upload a photo for one of the models and when i am going to the edit mode. It still asks me to upload the photo when the user only wants to edit the text rela

Answer 1

uploadError expects an upload

The code for uploadError expects an upload:

public static function uploadError($check) {
    if (is_array($check) && isset($check['error'])) {
        $check = $check['error'];
    }

    return (int)$check === UPLOAD_ERR_OK;
}

If there is no file uploaded the error will not contain that value - it'll be UPLOAD_ERR_NO_FILE.

File uploads are never empty

Putting 'allowEmpty' => true, in the rule definition won't have any effect as the value, if present, will never be empty - it's always of the form:

array(
    ...
    'error' => int
)

As such it's best to remove allowEmpty from all the file-upload validation rules.

Use beforeValidate

Instead of dealing with the validation rules, you can instead use beforeValidate to simply remove the file upload data before the validation check is made:

public function beforeValidate() {
    if (
        isset($this->data[$this->alias]['display_photo']) &&
        $this->data[$this->alias]['display_photo']['error'] === UPLOAD_ERR_NO_FILE
    ) {
        unset($this->data[$this->alias['display_photo']);
    }
    return parent::beforeValidate();
}

In this way the validation rules for display_photo are skipped entirely if there is no upload to process.

Answer 2

Try this approach, I used this several times. Replace 'Model' with your model name.

if($this->request->data['Molel']['display_photo']['name']!=''){
    // put your code here for upload image
else
{
    unset($this->request->data['Model']['display_photo']); // this will exclude this from validation
}

Answer 3

Use required = false and in your controller unset the array field that is not needed for validation based on the application logic.

Answer 4

set the parameter

'on' => 'create'

just for the 'uploadError' rule

'uploadError' => array(
    'rule' => array('uploadError'),
    'message' => 'Please select a Photo.',
    'on' => 'create',
),

This way cake will force the user to upload an image just when the record is created.

The other validation rules, intead, will always be valid, but only if a file is actually uploaded.

see the manual