repo_zf1/documentation/manual/en/module_specs/Zend_Validate-NotEmpty.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<sect2 id="zend.validate.set.notempty">
    <title>NotEmpty</title>

    <para>
        This validator allows you to validate if a given value is not empty. This is often useful
        when working with form elements or other user input, where you can use it to ensure required
        elements have values associated with them.
    </para>

    <sect3 id="zend.validate.set.notempty.default">
        <title>Default behaviour for Zend_Validate_NotEmpty</title>

        <para>
            By default, this validator works differently than you would expect when you've worked
            with <acronym>PHP</acronym>'s <methodname>empty()</methodname> function. In
            particular, this validator will evaluate both the integer <emphasis>0</emphasis> and
            string '<emphasis>0</emphasis>' as empty.
        </para>

        <programlisting language="php"><![CDATA[
$valid = new Zend_Validate_NotEmpty();
$value  = '';
$result = $valid->isValid($value);
// returns false
]]></programlisting>

        <note>
            <title>Default behaviour differs from PHP</title>

            <para>
                Without providing configuration, <classname>Zend_Validate_NotEmpty</classname>'s
                behaviour differs from <acronym>PHP</acronym>.
            </para>
        </note>
    </sect3>

    <sect3 id="zend.validate.set.notempty.types">
        <title>Changing behaviour for Zend_Validate_NotEmpty</title>

        <para>
            Some projects have differing opinions of what is considered an "empty" value: a string
            with only whitespace might be considered empty, or <emphasis>0</emphasis> may be
            considered non-empty (particularly for boolean sequences). To accomodate differing
            needs, <classname>Zend_Validate_NotEmpty</classname> allows you to configure which types
            should be validated as empty and which not.
        </para>

        <para>
            The following types can be handled:
        </para>

        <itemizedlist>
            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>boolean</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when the
                    boolean value is <constant>FALSE</constant>.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>integer</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when an integer
                    <emphasis>0</emphasis> value is given. Per default this validation is not
                    activated and returns <constant>TRUE</constant> on any integer values.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>float</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when an float
                    <emphasis>0.0</emphasis> value is given. Per default this validation is not
                    activated and returns <constant>TRUE</constant> on any float values.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>string</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when an empty
                    string <emphasis>''</emphasis> is given.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>zero</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when the single
                    character zero (<emphasis>'0'</emphasis>) is given.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>empty_array</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when an
                    empty <emphasis>array</emphasis> is given.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>null</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when an
                    <constant>NULL</constant> value is given.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>php</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> on the same reasons
                    where <acronym>PHP</acronym> method <methodname>empty()</methodname> would
                    return <constant>TRUE</constant>.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>space</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> when an string
                    is given which contains only whitespaces.
                </para>
            </listitem>

            <listitem>
                <para>
                    <emphasis>all</emphasis>: Returns <constant>FALSE</constant> on all above types.
                </para>
            </listitem>
        </itemizedlist>

        <para>
            All other given values will return <constant>TRUE</constant> per default.
        </para>

        <para>
            There are several ways to select which of the above types are validated. You can give
            one or multiple types and add them, you can give an array, you can use constants, or you
            can give a textual string. See the following examples:
        </para>

        <programlisting language="php"><![CDATA[
// Returns false on 0
$validator = new Zend_Validate_NotEmpty(Zend_Validate_NotEmpty::INTEGER);

// Returns false on 0 or '0'
$validator = new Zend_Validate_NotEmpty(
    Zend_Validate_NotEmpty::INTEGER + Zend_NotEmpty::ZERO
);

// Returns false on 0 or '0'
$validator = new Zend_Validate_NotEmpty(array(
    Zend_Validate_NotEmpty::INTEGER,
    Zend_Validate_NotEmpty::ZERO
));

// Returns false on 0 or '0'
$validator = new Zend_Validate_NotEmpty(array(
    'integer',
    'zero',
));
]]></programlisting>

        <para>
            You can also provide an instance of <classname>Zend_Config</classname> to set the
            desired types. To set types after instantiation, use the
            <methodname>setType()</methodname> method.
        </para>
    </sect3>
</sect2>
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