Codeigniter3 - FormValidation - validate for boolean is always "false" - validation

Question

I'm checking JSON input data with codeigniters native FormValidation library.
I've set up the validation rules like this:
$this->form_validation->set_rules(
'active', 'myCheckbox',
'required|is_bool'
);
here is the JSON data
{
"data": {
"type": "items",
"attributes": {
"category": "5",
"description" : "my description",
"active": false
}
}
}
Problem: The rule "required" interprets the input as not present as soon as the JSON value of active is false, so that the validation only succeed if value of active is true
Question: Is there a way around this, besides changing value of active into a numeric value 1or 0 and therefore change lots of other correspondending code?
EDIT: trying isset instead of required behaves different, but also not satisfying
$this->form_validation->set_rules(
'active', 'myCheckbox',
'isset|is_bool'
);
EDIT No.2: trying in_list[false,true] instead of is_bool behaves right, but the JSON does not look right anymore, because the boolean value must be sent as a string
$this->form_validation->set_rules(
'active', 'myCheckbox',
'required|in_list[false,true]'
);
here is the JSON data
{
"data": {
"type": "items",
"attributes": {
"category": "5",
"description" : "my description",
"active": "false"
}
}
}

Answer 1

I had the same probleam.
I fixed it creating my own "required" and my own "is_bool".
I created a "is_required_not_null" and "is_boolean" functions and put then in my helper, so I can use it where I need.
Note that I used Identical operator(===) to make sure of variables types and values.
See below...
Helper File:
/yourApplication/helpers/yourHelperFileName_helper.php
function is_boolean($value)
{
try {
if ($value === true || $value === false)
return true;
else
return false;
} catch (\Throwable $th) {
return false;
}
}
function is_required_not_null($value)
{
try {
if ($value === null)
return false;
if ($value === true || $value === false)
return true;
if (is_array($value) && count($value) == 0) {
return false;
} else {
if (trim($value) == "")
return false;
}
return true;
} catch (\Throwable $th) {
return false;
}
}
Usage sample:
$data = $this->input->post(); //yours inputs ...
$rules = [
[
'field' => 'fieldName',
'rules' => 'is_required_not_null|is_boolean',
'label' => 'Field Name',
'errors' => [
'is_required_not_null' => 'Field %s is required.',
'is_boolean' => 'Field %s must be boolean.',
],
],
]; //yours rules ...
$this->load->library('form_validation');
$this->form_validation->set_data($data);
$this->form_validation->set_rules($rules);
if ($this->form_validation->run()) {
//Valid Code ...
}
else{
//Not Valid Code ...
}
Source docs:
https://codeigniter.com/userguide3/libraries/form_validation.html#validating-an-array-other-than-post
https://codeigniter.com/userguide3/libraries/form_validation.html#setting-rules-using-an-array
https://codeigniter.com/userguide3/libraries/form_validation.html#callable-use-anything-as-a-rule
https://codeigniter.com/userguide3/libraries/form_validation.html#setting-validation-rules