HTTP Request

The Request class provides an object-oriented interface for interacting with HTTP requests, including input data, headers, files, and server information.

Accessing The Request

Get the current request instance through dependency injection or helper functions:

use Spark\Http\Request;

// Dependency injection in controller
public function store(Request $request) {
    // Use request object
    $inputs = $request->input(['name', 'email']);
}

// Using helper functions
$request = request(); // Get full request object
$name = request('name', 'default'); // Get specific input
$inputs = request(['name', 'email']); // Get multiple inputs

Request Data

Retrieving Input

// Get query parameter
$id = $request->query('id');

// Get POST parameter
$name = $request->post('name');

// Get all input
$all = $request->all();

// Get filtered attributes
$filtered = $request->all(['name', 'email']);

Checking For Input

if ($request->has('page')) {
    // Input exists
}

if ($request->hasAny(['email', 'username'])) {
    // At least one exists
}

if ($request->hasAll(['email', 'password'])) {
    // All exist
}

Basic Validation

// Validate with automatic error handling
$input = $request->validate([
    'name' => ['required', 'string', 'max:255'],
    'email' => 'required|email',
    'password' => 'required|min:8'
]);

Manual Validation

try {
    $input = validator([
        'name' => 'required|string',
        'email' => 'required|email'
    ]);
    
    // Access sanitized data
    $email = $input->email('email');
    $name = $input->text('name');
} catch (Exception $e) {
    // Handle validation error
}

Request Information

// Get request method
$method = $request->getMethod();

// Get request path
$path = $request->getPath();

// Get client IP
$ip = $request->ip();

// Check if AJAX request
if ($request->isAjax()) { ... }

// Check if expects JSON
if ($request->expectsJson()) { ... }

Request Headers

// Get header
$header = $request->header('X-Custom-Header');

// Check content type
if ($request->accept('application/json')) {
    // Client accepts JSON
}

Route Parameters

// For route '/user/{id}'
$id = $request->getRouteParam('id');

// Check if parameter exists
if ($request->hasRouteParam('id')) { ... }

Modifying Requests

// Set query parameter
$request->setQueryParam('page', 2);

// Set POST parameter
$request->setPostParam('status', 'active');

// Merge parameters
$request->mergePostParams(['role' => 'admin']);

Error Handling

Access validation errors and old input:

// Check for errors
if ($request->errors('email')) {
    // Field has errors
}

// Get all errors (Error Object)
$errors = $request->errors();
if ($errors->any()) {
    foreach($errors->all() as $error) {
        echo $error; // Display each error
    }
}

if ($errors->has('email')) {
   echo $errors->first('email'); // Display the first error for the email field
}

// Get old input
$oldValue = $request->old('email');

Magic Properties

Access request data through dynamic properties:

// Equivalent to $request->query('id') or $request->post('id')
$id = $request->id;

// Check existence
isset($request->name);

// Set values (only affects current instance)
$request->page = 2;

Array Access

The Request class implements ArrayAccess for convenient access:

// Get value
$name = $request['name'];

// Set value
$request['page'] = 2;

// Check existence
isset($request['email']);

// Unset value
unset($request['temp']);

// Create validator instance
$validator = new InputValidator();

// Define validation rules
$rules = [
    'name' => 'required|string|min:3|max:255',
    'email' => 'required|email|unique:users,email',
    'password' => 'required|min:8|confirmed'
];

// Validate input
if ($validator->validate($rules, $request->all())) {
    // Data is valid
    $cleanData = $validator->validated();
} else {
    // Handle errors
    $errors = $validator->getErrors();
}

// Get all errors
$errors = $validator->getErrors();

// Get first error
$firstError = $validator->getFirstError();

// Custom error messages
InputValidator::setErrorMessages([
    'required' => 'The %s field is mandatory',
    'email' => [
        'default' => 'Invalid email format',
        'contact_email' => 'Please provide a valid contact email'
    ]
]);

// Set a Single Error Message
InputValidator::setErrorMessage('unique', [
    'email' => 'This email is already registered',
    'username' => 'This username is already taken',
    'default' => 'The %s field is already exists'
]);

// Only validate if other field exists
$rules = [
    'payment_method' => 'required|in:credit_card,paypal',
    'credit_card_number' => 'required_if:payment_method,credit_card'
];

// Get uploaded file
$file = $request->file('avatar');

// Check if file exists
if ($request->hasFile('avatar')) {
    // Process file
    $name = $file['name'];
    $size = $file['size'];
    $tmp = $file['tmp_name'];
}

// Create from request input
$input = $request->input(['name', 'email']);

// Or create directly
$sanitizer = new InputSanitizer([
    'name' => 'John ',
    'email' => 'john@example.com'
]);

// Get sanitized values
$name = $sanitizer->text('name'); // "John Doe"
$email = $sanitizer->email('email'); // "john@example.com"

// Sanitize multiple fields at once
$cleanData = $sanitizer->to([
    'name' => 'text',
    'email' => 'email',
    'age' => 'number'
]);

// Get only specific fields
$filtered = $sanitizer->only(['name', 'email']);

// Exclude specific fields 
$filtered = $sanitizer->except(['password']);

// Convert to Collection for chaining
$sanitizer->collect('tags')->map(fn($tag) => strtoupper($tag));