Validate method not found - Laravel - laravel

Question

Laravel Framework 5.4.35
Contacts Controller:
<?php
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Illuminate\Routing\Redirector;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;
use App\Mail\ContactEmail;
class ContactsController extends Controller
{
public function index() {
return view('contact.index');
}
public function sendContact (Request $request) {
$request->validate([
'name' => 'required|min:3',
'email' => 'required|email',
'message' => 'required|min:5',
]);
Mail::to('bump#bumpy.net')
->send(new ContactEmail($request));
return redirect('/contact/success');
}
public function success() {
return view('contact.success');
}
}
The Controller that extends:
<?php
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Bus\DispatchesJobs;
use Illuminate\Routing\Controller as BaseController;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Validation\ValidatesRequests;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Auth\Access\AuthorizesRequests;
class Controller extends BaseController
{
use AuthorizesRequests, DispatchesJobs, ValidatesRequests;
}
When it goes here:
$request->validate([
'name' => 'required|min:3',
'email' => 'required|email',
'message' => 'required|min:5',
]);
I get this output:
(1/1) BadMethodCallException Method validate does not exist
I have the namespace, the classes to be used. The call to the method seems to be ok.
What am I missing?
Care to advise?
If I create a validator instance manually using the Validator facade.
It seems to validate.

Answer 1

You mention your using version 5.4. The method you're using to validats via the request is only from version 5.5.
So you will need to do it like...
$this->validate($request, [
'name' => 'required|min:3',
'email' => 'required|email',
'message' => 'required|min:5',
]);
Hope this helps. Check out the 5.4v docs rather than the, aster/5.5v
https://laravel.com/docs/5.4/validation#validation-quickstart
Laravel 5.4
$this->validate($request, [
Laravel 5.5
$request->validate([