Error with the Validation Code

Question

I have the following validate method in my Validation Class:

public function validate($data, $rules)
{
    if(!is_array($rules))
    {
        $rules = array($rules);
    }
    foreach($rules as $rule)
    {
        if(is_array($rule))
        {
            if(!$this->{$rule[0]}($data, $rule[1]))
            {
                array_push($this->errors, $rule[0] . ' is ' . $rule[1]);
                $ruleValue = $rule[0];
                print_r($this->errorMessages[$ruleValue] . BR);
                return $this->errors;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            if(!$this->{$rule}($data))
            {
                array_push($this->errors, $rule);
                print_r($this->errorMessages[$rule] . BR);
                return $this->errors;
            }
        }       
    }
    if(empty($this->errors))
    {
        return TRUE;
    }
}

with a method that checks for valid date (ie less than the present date)

private function validDate($data)
{
    $now = date('Ymd');
    return ($data < $now) ? TRUE : FALSE;
}

I have another php file which creates this Validation class and then checks for input and validates it:

if
            (
                $Validation->validate($email, array('required', 'isEmail')) &&
                $Validation->validate($password, array('required', array('min_length', '6'), array('max_length', '20'))) &&
                $Validation->validate($repeatPassword, array('required', array('min_length', '6'), array('max_length', '20'), array('matches', Input::fetch('password')))) &&
                $Validation->validate($date, array('required', 'validDate'))
            )
{
   echo 'Yes';
}

Now, ideally, the echo code should be executed when all validations are true and it worked fine before I made changes to the valid Date method in the Validation class.

It prints the error which means it returns false but the message 'Yes' is being echoed as well.

I have used && in the if statement which means if any one condition is false, the code wouldn't be executed but I can't seem to understand why it is running when all conditions return false.

Answer 1

You are returning

return $this->errors;

in your validate function. But it's definitelly not false or 0, so it is true and it pass through your condition. You shoud return false

Answer 2

The method validate always returns something different to false, so the if expression is always true. This way, you get the error, and also the "Yes" output. I suggest you to make the method to return true or false, according to the validation, and set the errors as a public attribute, so you can read them in case of a false validation.