# Validation Messages

Each validator based on `Laminas\Validator\ValidatorInterface` provides one or
multiple messages in the case of a failed validation. You can use this
information to set your own messages, or to translate existing messages which a
validator could return to something different.

Validation messages are defined as constant/template pairs, with the constant
representing a translation key. Such constants are defined per-class.  Let's
look into `Laminas\Validator\GreaterThan` for a descriptive example:

```php
protected $messageTemplates = [
    self::NOT_GREATER => "'%value%' is not greater than '%min%'",
];
```

The constant `self::NOT_GREATER` refers to the failure and is used as the
message key, and the message template itself is used as the value within the
message array.

You can retrieve all message templates from a validator by using the
`getMessageTemplates()` method. It returns the above array containing all
messages a validator could return in the case of a failed validation.

```php
$validator = new Laminas\Validator\GreaterThan();
$messages  = $validator->getMessageTemplates();
```

Using the `setMessage()` method you can set another message to be returned in
case of the specified failure.

```php
use Laminas\Validator\GreaterThan;

$validator = new GreaterThan();
$validator->setMessage('Please enter a lower value', GreaterThan::NOT_GREATER);
```

The second parameter defines the failure which will be overridden. When you omit
this parameter, then the given message will be set for all possible failures of
this validator.

## Using pre-translated validation messages

laminas-validator is shipped with more than 45 different validators with more than
200 failure messages. It can be a tedious task to translate all of these
messages. For your convenience, pre-translated messages are provided in the
[laminas/laminas-i18n-resources](https://docs.laminas.dev/laminas-i18n-resources/)
package:

```bash
$ composer require laminas/laminas-i18n-resources
```

To translate all validation messages to German for example, attach a translator
to `Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator` using these resource files.

```php
use Laminas\I18n\Translator\Resources;
use Laminas\Mvc\I18n\Translator;
use Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator;

$translator = new Laminas\Mvc\I18n\Translator();
$translator->addTranslationFilePattern(
    'phpArray',
    Resources::getBasePath(),
    Resources::getPatternForValidator()
);

AbstractValidator::setDefaultTranslator($translator);
```

> ### Supported languages
>
> The supported languages may not be complete. New languages will be added with
> each release. Additionally feel free to use the existing resource files to
> make your own translations.
>
> You could also use these resource files to rewrite existing translations. So
> you are not in need to create these files manually yourself.

## Limit the size of a validation message

Sometimes it is necessary to limit the maximum size a validation message can
have; as an example, when your view allows a maximum size of 100 chars to be
rendered on one line. To enable this, `Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator`
is able to automatically limit the maximum returned size of a validation
message.

To get the actual set size use `Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator::getMessageLength()`.
If it is `-1`, then the returned message will not be truncated. This is default
behaviour.

To limit the returned message size, use `Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator::setMessageLength()`.
Set it to any integer size you need. When the returned message exceeds the set
size, then the message will be truncated and the string `**...**` will be added
instead of the rest of the message.

```php
Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator::setMessageLength(100);
```

> ### Where is this parameter used?
>
> The set message length is used for all validators, even for self defined ones,
> as long as they extend `Laminas\Validator\AbstractValidator`.
