Results and errors

The result

validate() returns a ValidationResult.

Member	Type	Meaning
errors	list<ValidationError>	Every error, in the order of the fields.
valid()	bool	Whether there are no errors.
failed()	bool	Whether there is at least one error.
errorsByField()	array<array-key, list<ValidationError>>	The errors, grouped by their field.

errorsByField() is a convenience for presentation: it groups errors using $error->field as the array key. The paths ['address.street'] and ['address', 'street'] both render as address.street, so their errors share one group. Literal field names containing dots remain supported. Use $error->path whenever you need an unambiguous structural location; neither $error->field nor errorsByField() preserves that distinction.

Errors

Every ValidationError carries:

Property	Type	Meaning
messageKey	string	The rule's message with its placeholders, such as {input} is required.
message	string	The message key with every placeholder filled in, such as email is required.
parameters	array<string, mixed>	The values for the placeholders other than {input}, such as a minimum.
path	list<string|int>	The keys from the input's root to the value, such as ['users', 0, 'email'].
field	string	The path joined with dots, such as users.0.email.

message and field are worked out from the other properties each time you read them.

Use path when you need to find the value again: field is ambiguous when a key itself contains a dot, but path keeps every key intact.

Messages and translation

A message key is readable English, so message is a meaningful message without any translation. {input} becomes the field, or input for an error without a path, and every other placeholder becomes the parameter of the same name. A parameter named input replaces the field. A placeholder without a parameter stays as it is.

$error->messageKey;   // '{input} must be at least {minimum}'
$error->parameters;   // ['minimum' => 18]
$error->field;        // 'age'
$error->message;      // 'age must be at least 18'

The package does not translate. To show messages in another language, look the message key up in your own catalogue, which uses the English message as its key, and fill in the placeholders yourself:

$catalogue = [
    '{input} is required' => '{input} is verplicht',
    '{input} must be a valid email address' => '{input} moet een geldig e-mailadres zijn',
];

$translated = strtr($catalogue[$error->messageKey] ?? $error->messageKey, [
    '{input}' => $error->field,
    // one entry for each of $error->parameters
]);

caution

The message key is the translation key. Changing the wording of a rule's message, including a custom message argument, changes the key, so update your catalogues with it.