# Validation

## Validation Functions

Our active entity object will also give you access to our validation engine ([cbValidation](https://coldbox-validation.ortusbooks.com/)) by giving your ORM entities the following functions:

```javascript
/**
 * Validate the ActiveEntity with the coded constraints -> this.constraints, or passed in shared or implicit constraints
 * The entity must have been populated with data before the validation
 *
 * @fields One or more fields to validate on, by default it validates all fields in the constraints. This can be a simple list or an array.
 * @constraints An optional shared constraints name or an actual structure of constraints to validate on.
 * @locale An optional locale to use for i18n messages
 * @excludeFields An optional list of fields to exclude from the validation.
 */
boolean function isValid(
	string fields="*",
	any constraints="",
	string locale="",
	string excludeFields=""
){

/**
* Get the validation results object.  This will be an empty validation object if isValid() has not being called yet.
*/
cbvalidation.models.result.IValidationResult function getValidationResults(){
```

## Declaring Constraints

This makes it really easy for you to validate your ORM entities in two easy steps:

1\) Add your validation constraints to the entity

2\) Call the validation methods

Let's see the entity code so you can see the [constraints](https://coldbox-validation.ortusbooks.com/overview/coldbox-validation/declaring-constraints):

{% code title="models/User.cfc" %}

```javascript
component persistent="true" extends="cborm.models.ActiveEntity"{
    
    // Properties
    property name="firstName";
    property name="lastName";
    property name="email";
    property name="username";
    property name="password";

    // Validation Constraints
    this.constraints = {
        "firstName" = {required=true}, 
        "lastName"  = {required=true},
        "email"     = {required=true,type="email"},
        "username"  = {required=true, size="5..10"},
        "password"  = {required=true, size="5..10"}
    };
}
```

{% endcode %}

## Validating Constraints

Now let's check out the handlers to see how to validate the entity via the `isValid()` function:

{% code title="handlers/users.cfc" %}

```javascript
component{

    property name="messagebox" inject="messagebox@cbmessagebox";

    function index(event,rc,prc){
        prc.users = getInstance( "User" ).list( sortOrder="lastName asc" );
        event.setView( "users/list" );
    }

    function save(event,rc,prc){
        event.paramValue( "id", -1 );
        
        var oUser = getInstance( "User" )
            .getOrFail( rc.id )
            .populate( rc )

        if( oUser.isValid() {
            oUser.save();
            flash.put( "notice", "User Saved!" );
            relocate( "users.index" );
        }
        else{
            messagebox.error( messageArray=oUser.getValidationResults().getAllErrors() );
            editor( event, rc, prc );
        }

    }

    function editor(event,rc,prc){
        event.paramValue( "id", -1 );
        prc.user = getInstance( "User" ).getOrFail( rc.id );
        event.setView( "users/editor" );
    }

    function delete(event,rc,prc){
        event.paramValue( "id", -1 );
        getInstance( "User" )
            .deleteById( rc.id );
        flash.put( "notice", "User Removed!" );
        relocate( "users.index" );
    }
}
```

{% endcode %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Please remember that the `isValid()` function has several arguments you can use to fine tune the validation:

* fields
* constraints
* locale
* excludeFields
  {% endhint %}

## Displaying Errors

You can refer back to the [cbValidation](https://coldbox-validation.ortusbooks.com/overview/displaying-errors) docs for displaying errors:

{% embed url="<https://coldbox-validation.ortusbooks.com/overview/displaying-errors>" %}

Here are the most common methods for retreving the errors from the Result object via the `getValidationResults()` method:

* `getResultMetadata()`
* `getFieldErrors( [field] )`
* `getAllErrors( [field] )`
* `getAllErrorsAsJSON( [field] )`
* `getAllErrorsAsStruct( [field] )`
* `getErrorCount( [field] )`
* `hasErrors( [field] )`
* `getErrors()`

The [API Docs ](https://apidocs.ortussolutions.com/#/coldbox-modules/cbvalidation/)in the module (once installed) will give you the latest information about these methods and arguments.

## Unique Property Validation

We have also integrated a `UniqueValidator` from the **validation** module into our ORM module. It is mapped into WireBox as `UniqueValidator@cborm` so you can use it in your model constraints like so:

```javascript
{ username : { validator : "UniqueValidator@cborm", required : true } }
```


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