Validation rule "in" doesn't work with "sometimes"

[vigneshgurusamy]

• Laravel Version: 5.2.45, 5.3.26
• PHP Version: 7.0.13

Description:

There is an inconsistency when I use validation rule in with and without sometimes.

Steps To Reproduce:

Data for validation

$data = [
    "response" => [
            [
                "choices" => [40]
            ]
     ]
];

Rule without sometimes

$rules = [
    "response.*.choices" => "required|array|in:37,38,39"
];

If I run this rule against the data, it fails and produces a message like

array:1 [
  0 => "The selected response.0.choices is invalid."
]

But if I use sometimes along with other validation rule for choices, the validation doesn't fail as expected.

$rules = [
    "response.*.choices" => "sometimes|required|array|in:37,38,39"
];

After debugging, I found the root cause for this issue. The key response.0.choices does not exists, when validator checks for existence in dot notation data array.

https://github.com/laravel/framework/blob/5.2/src/Illuminate/Validation/Validator.php#L590

Right now I'm using this work around to solve this issue

$rules = [
    "response.*.choices" => "sometimes|required|array",
    "response.*.choices.*" => "required|in:37,38,39"
];

[themsaid]

"response.*.choices" => "required|array|in:37,38,39" this is wrong, you're validating the array while you need to validate the values:

$rules = [
    "response.*.choices" => "sometimes|required|array",
    "response.*.choices.*" => "required|in:37,38,39"
];

this is correct.

[vigneshgurusamy]

@themsaid Let say the array of choices should be a string

$data = [
    "response" => [
            [
                "choices" => [40]
            ]
     ]
];

$rules = [
    "response.*.choices" => "sometimes|required|string"
];

Validation doesn't fail for this rule set too.

[themsaid]

You need to use this:

    $rules = [
        "response.*.choices" => "sometimes|required",
        "response.*.choices.*" => "string",
    ];

All arrays will be flattened inside the validator, that's why you need to handle this edge case in a special way, so your last work around is the way to go yes.

[vigneshgurusamy]

@themsaid In my previous example, I was trying to demonstrate the sometimes rule does not work with string rule too, if the data was sent as an array.

Now I want to the validate the response.*.choices as string not as an array of string

Expected data structure

$data = [
    "response" => [
            [
                "choices" => "NY"
            ]
     ]
];

Instead of string, what if the response.*.choices attribute were sent as an array.

Received data structure

$data = [
    "response" => [
            [
                "choices" => ["NY"]
            ]
     ]
];

Should string validation rule fail or not?

[vigneshgurusamy]

@themsaid do you need any additional info to replicate this issue or should I need to create new issue for my second scenario?

[themsaid]

I've submitted a fix for that: #16826

Thank you :)

[vigneshgurusamy]

@themsaid OSM!!!. This fix resolved my issue on both scenarios.

this fix will be merged to 5.2 as well?