Validation

Server-side validation for ColdBox applications with the cbvalidation module — constraints, results, and handler integration.

ColdBox provides server-side validation through the cbvalidation module: a unified engine for validating objects, structs, and forms with declared constraints.

box install cbvalidation

📖 Full documentation: cbvalidation.ortusbooks.com

Quick Example

Declare constraints on a class, then validate it anywhere:

// models/User.bx
class {

    constraints = {
        "email"    : { required : true, type : "email" },
        "password" : { required : true, size : "8..64" }
    }

    property name="email"
    property name="password"
}

// models/User.cfc
component {

    this.constraints = {
        "email"    : { required : true, type : "email" },
        "password" : { required : true, size : "8..64" }
    }

    property name="email"
    property name="password"
}

// In a handler or service
property name="validationManager" inject="ValidationManager@cbvalidation";

function save( event, rc, prc ){
    var user   = populateModel( "User" )
    var result = validationManager.validate( target : user )

    if ( result.hasErrors() ) {
        return event.renderData(
            type       : "json",
            data       : { "errors" : result.getAllErrors() },
            statusCode : 422
        )
    }

    userService.save( user )
    event.renderData( type : "json", data : user.getMemento(), statusCode : 201 )
}

The result object gives you hasErrors(), getAllErrors(), getError( field ), and locale-aware messages via cbi18n.

When to Use It

Validating incoming rc data before it reaches your models
Validating ORM/Quick entities before persistence
Reusing the same constraint set across handlers, services, and APIs

ColdBox's populateModel() and event handler model data binding pair naturally with cbvalidation — populate first, validate second.

Alternatives

RuleBox (box install rulebox) — when your validation is really a business-rules decision tree rather than field constraints
Native engine validation (isValid()) — fine for one-off checks, but doesn't scale to constraint sets

Quick Example

When to Use It

Alternatives

See Also