FieldValidator(3)

NAME

WWW::FieldValidator - Provides simple yet robust valida
tion of user entered input

SYNOPSIS

OO module that is used to validate input.

DESCRIPTION

This module is used by WWW::Form to perform various vali
dations on input. This document covers using the
WWW::FieldValidator module as part of a Form object. In
this case, the only thing you need to know how to do is to
instantiate WWW::FieldValidators properly. All the vali
dation is handled internally by WWW::Form.

Function Reference

new($validatorType, $errorFeedback, [$minLength, $maxLength, $regex], [$isOptional])

Creates a FieldValidator object. $validatorType is used

to determine what type
of validation will be performed on the input. The fol

lowing validator types are
supported (Note these are constants, the $validatorType

param needs to be one of
the following values):

WWW::FieldValidator::WELL_FORMED_EMAIL # input must con

form to /^[216
WWW::FieldValidator::MIN_STR_LENGTH # input must be

>= a specified string length
WWW::FieldValidator::MAX_STR_LENGTH # input must be

<= a specified string length
WWW::FieldValidator::REGEX_MATCH # input must

match a user defined regex
WWW::FieldValidator::USER_DEFINED_SUB # input must pass

a user defined subroutine's validation

Examples:

# create a validator that checks to see if input is a

well formed email address
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::WELL_FORMED_EMAIL,

'Please make sure you enter a

well formed email address');

# creates a validator that checks to see if input is
# well formed only if input is not null (or numm string)
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::WELL_FORMED_EMAIL,

'Please make sure you enter a

well formed email address',
$isOptional = 1);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input is

at least min length
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::MIN_STR_LENGTH,

'Please make sure you enter

something at least 10 characters long',
10);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input is

at least min length
# only if input is not null or null string
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::MIN_STR_LENGTH,

'Please make sure you enter

something at least 10 characters long',
10,
1);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input is

less than max length
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::MAX_STR_LENGTH,

'Please make sure you enter

something less than or equal to 5 characters',
5);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input is

less than max length
# only if input is not null or null string
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::MAX_STR_LENGTH,

'Please make sure you enter

something less than or equal to 5 characters',
5,
1);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input

matches the specified regex
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::REGEX_MATCH,

'Please make sure you enter a

number',
^+$|^+.*$|^*.+$');

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input

matches the specified regex
# only if input is not null or null string
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValida

tor::REGEX_MATCH,

'If you are going to enter any

thing please make sure you enter a number',
^+$|^+.*$|^*.+$',
1);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input is

good according to sub ref
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValidator::USER_DE

FINED_SUB,

'The name you entered already

exists',
is_name_unique);

# creates a validator that checks to see if the input is

good according to sub ref
# only if input is not null or null string
WWW::FieldValidator->new(WWW::FieldValidator::USER_DE

FINED_SUB,

'If you are going to enter a

name, you must enter one that does not already exist',
is_name_unique,
1);

# if you use the validator type: USER_DEFINED_SUB, your

subroutine will have access to
# the value of the form input that your validator is as

signed to
Example:
sub is_name_unique {

# gets passed in to this sub for you by way of Form

module
my $name = shift;

if ($names->{$name}) {

return 0; # name already exists, input is in

valid

} else {

return 1;

}

}

If you want to use WWW::FieldValidator outside of
WWW::Form it's easy to do. The only method you need to
use is validate.

validate($input)

Returns true if $input passes validation or false other
wise.

Example:

my $email_validator = WWW::FieldValida

tor->new(WWW::FieldValidator::WELL_FORMED_EMAIL,

'Please make sure you enter a

well formed email address');

my $params = $r->param();

if (my $email = $params->{email}) {

unless ($email_validator->validate($email)) {

print $email_validator->getFeedback();

}

}

ggeettFFeeeeddbbaacckk(())

Returns error feedback for a FieldValidator. This can
also be called as get_feedback().

SEE ALSO

WWW::Form

AUTHOR

Ben Schmaus

If you find this module useful or have any suggestions or
comments please send me an email at perlmods@ben
schmaus.com.

BUGS

None that I know of, but let me know if you find any.

Send email to perlmods@benschmaus.com

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2003, Ben Schmaus. All Rights Reserved.

This program is free software. You may copy or redis
tribute it under the same terms as Perl itself. If you
find this module useful, please let me know.

2003-04-11 perl v5.6.0 FieldValidator(3)