Cake PHP custom validation rule - class

Question

I got a problem with a custom validation rule in Cake 2.X
I want to check if the entered zipcode is valid and therefore a function in the class zipcode is called from the class post.
But the validation returns false all the time.
Appmodel in class post (rule-3 is it):
'DELIVERYAREA' => array(
'rule-1' => array(
'rule' => array('between', 5, 5),
'message' => 'Bitte eine fünfstellige Postleitzahl eingeben'
),
'rule-2' => array(
'rule' => 'Numeric',
'message' => 'Bitte nur Zahlen eingeben'
),
'rule-3' => array(
'exists' => array(
'rule' => 'ZipExists',
'message' => 'Postleitzahl existiert nicht!'
)
)
),
Appmodel in class zipcode:
class Zipcode extends AppModel {
var $name = 'Zipcode';
var $validate = array(
'zipcode' => array(
'length' => array(
'rule' => array('maxLength', 5),
'message' => 'Bitte einen Text eingeben'
),
'exists' => array(
'rule' => array('ZipExists'),
'message' => 'Postleitzahl existiert nicht!'
)
)
);
function ZipExists($zipcode){
$valid = $this->find('count', array('conditions'=> array('Zipcode.zipcode' =>$zipcode)));
if ($valid >= 1){
return true;
}
else{
return false;
}
}
I hope it´s something stupidly easy?
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

I think this:
'Zipcode.zipcode' =>$zipcode
...needs to be this:
'Zipcode.zipcode' =>$zipcode['zipcode']

Answer 2

Careful what you expect inside the validation rule. Use debug() etc to find out what exactly is coming in. $data is always an array here.
public function zipExists($data) {
$zipcode = array_shift($data); // use the value of the key/value pair
$code = $this->find('first', array('conditions'=> array('Zipcode.zipcode' =>$zipcode)));
return !empty($code);
}

Answer 3

try this for only model validation.
function ZipExists(){
$valid = $this->find('count', array('conditions'=> array('Zipcode.zipcode' =>$this->data['Zipcode']['zipcode'])));
if ($valid >= 1){
return true;
}
else{
return false;
}

Answer 4

I found the solution.
Cake wants the custom validation rules to be in the certain class where the rule is called. So, when you call a custom rule in class post, the custom function has to be written down in class post, otherwise cake won´t find it and validate it to false everytime.
The magic to do here is to import the appmodel-class you want to use in the class you call the validation-function. That works with the following statement:
$Zipcode = ClassRegistry::init('Class to use - in my case "Zipcode"');
But if your tables are associated with each other with hasAny or belongsTo and stuff, the custom function works without that. Another important point you mustn´t miss is, that all validation functions has to be introduced with "public function xyz" otherwise cake won´t find them too.