Validation, Done Properly

You already validated — now master it

You have used $request->validate([...]) for name and price. Here is how to validate anything properly, so your forms are bullet-proof. Validation is the single most important habit for a safe app.

The rules you will use most

Combining rules with the pipe

Stack several rules on one field by separating them with | (a pipe). Here is a sign-up example:

$request->validate([
    'name'     => 'required|string|max:255',
    'email'    => 'required|email|unique:users,email',
    'password' => 'required|min:8|confirmed',
]);

Reading them: email must be present, a valid email, and not already in the users table’s email column. password must be present, at least 8 characters, and confirmed — meaning the form also has a password_confirmation box that must match.

Custom error messages

The default messages are clear, but you can write your own by passing a second array — keyed by field.rule:

$request->validate([
    'name'  => 'required',
    'price' => 'required|numeric',
], [
    'name.required'  => 'Please enter a product name.',
    'price.numeric'  => 'Price must be a number, like 499.',
]);

The key 'name.required' means “the message for when the name field breaks the required rule”.

Showing every error in one place

Besides the per-field @error we used, you can list all errors together at the top of a form:

@if ($errors->any())
  <ul style="color:red">
    @foreach ($errors->all() as $error)
      <li>{{ $error }}</li>
    @endforeach
  </ul>
@endif

$errors->any() is true if anything failed; $errors->all() is the full list of messages. $errors is available in every view automatically after a failed validation.

Tidy controllers with a Form Request

Repeating the same rules in store() and update() is messy. Move them into a dedicated Form Request class — one home for the rules:

php artisan make:request ProductRequest

// app/Http/Requests/ProductRequest.php
public function authorize(): bool
{
    return true;   // anyone may submit (add real checks later)
}

public function rules(): array
{
    return [
        'name'        => 'required|string|max:255',
        'price'       => 'required|numeric|min:0',
        'description' => 'nullable|string',
    ];
}

Then in the controller, type-hint ProductRequest instead of Request. Laravel runs the validation automatically before your method even starts:

public function store(ProductRequest $request)
{
    Product::create($request->validated());
    return redirect()->route('products.index')->with('success', 'Product added!');
}

If validation fails, Laravel redirects back with the errors automatically (same as before). If it passes, $request->validated() gives you the clean data. Now store() and update() can share the same rules with zero duplication. (See the “Form Request Validation” lesson for more.)