# Messages de validation

Chaque validateur basé sur `Zend_Validate` propose un ou plusieurs messages dans le cas d'un echec. Vous pouvez utiliser ces informations pour créer vos propres messages ou pour traduire les messages présents.

These validation messages are constants which can be found at top of each validator class. Let's look into `Zend_Validate_GreaterThan` for an descriptive example:

    protected $_messageTemplates = array(
        self::NOT_GREATER => "'%value%' is not greater than '%min%'",
    );

As you can see the constant `self::NOT_GREATER` refers to the failure and is used as key, and the message itself is used as value of the message array.

You can retrieve all message templates from a validator by using the `getMessageTemplates()` method. It returns you the above array which contains all messages a validator could return in the case of a failed validation.

    $validator = new Zend_Validate_GreaterThan();
    $messages  = $validator->getMessageTemplates();

Using the `setMessage()` method you can set another message to be returned in case of the specified failure.

    $validator = new Zend_Validate_GreaterThan();
    $validator->setMessage('Please enter a lower value', Zend_Validate_GreaterThan::NOT_GREATER);

The second parameter defines the failure which will be overridden. When you omit this parameter, then the given message will be set for all possible failures of this validator.

## Using pre-translated validation messages

Zend Framework is shipped with more than 45 different validators with more than 200 failure messages. It can be a tendious task to translate all of these messages. But for your convinience Zend Framework comes with already pre-translated validation messages. You can find them within the path `/resources/languages` in your Zend Framework installation.

### Used path

The resource files are outside of the library path because all of your translations should also be outside of this path.

So to translate all validation messages to german for example, all you have to do is to attach a translator to `Zend_Validate` using these resource files.

    $translator = new Zend_Translate(
        'array',
        '/resources/languages',
        $language,
        array('scan' => Zend_Locale::LOCALE_DIRECTORY)
    );
    Zend_Validate_Abstract::setDefaultTranslator($translator);

### Used translation adapter

As translation adapter Zend Framework choosed the array adapter. It is simple to edit and created very fast.

### Supported languages

This feature is very young, so the amount of supported languages may not be complete. New languages will be added with each release. Additionally feel free to use the existing resource files to make your own translations.

You could also use these resource files to rewrite existing translations. So you are not in need to create these files manually yourself.

## Limiter la taille d'un message de validation

Il peut être nécessaire parfois de limiter la taille en caractères des messages d'erreur retournés. par exemple si une vue n'autorise que 100 caractères par ligne. `Zend_Validate` propose une telle option.

La taille actuelle est `Zend_Validate::getMessageLength()`. -1 signifie que le message ne sera pas tronqué et entièrement retourné, c'est le comportement par défaut.

Pour limiter la taille, utilisez `Zend_Validate::setMessageLength()`. Lorsque la taille excède cette valeur, le message sera alors tronqué et suivi de '...'.

    Zend_Validate::setMessageLength(100);

### Où ce paramètre est-il utilisé ?

La taille des messages affecte aussi les messages personnalisés enregistrés, dès que le validateur considéré étend `Zend_Validate_Abstract`.