Validating user input

In most web applications, there will be certain form fields that are required to process the form. We also want to be sure that all the e-mail addresses are formatted correctly, or the input must have a certain number of characters. Using Laravel's Validator class, we can check for these rules and let the user know if something is not correct.

Getting ready

For this recipe, we just need a standard installation of Laravel.

How to do it...

To complete this recipe, follow these steps:

1. Create a route to hold the form:

   Route::get('userform', function()
   {
       return View::make('userform');
   });

2. Create a view named userform.php and add a form:

   <h1>User Info</h1>
   <?php $messages =  $errors->all('<pstyle="color:red">:message</p>') ?>
   <?php
   foreach ($messages as $msg)
   {
       echo $msg;
   }
   ?>
   <?= Form::open() ?>
   <?= Form::label('email', 'Email') ?>
   <?= Form::text('email', Input::old('email')) ?>
   <br>
   <?= Form::label('username...