CakePHP JSON Post validation not working? - validation

Question

I'm using CakePHP 2.1.1 and whilst my methods which use the form helper, for example my add method in my Users Controller validates correctly, I can't get my mobile_register method in the controller to validate, it saves even when data is missing.
This is my mobile_register method:
public function mobile_register() {
if ($this->request->is('post')) {
$jsonData = file_get_contents("php://input");
if(isset($jsonData) && !empty($jsonData)){
$data = json_decode($jsonData,true);
$data = $this->User->configureUser($data);
$this->User->create();
if($this->User->save($data)){
$jsonResponse = array('status' => 'OK', 'token' => $data['User']['token'], 'message' =>'SUCCESS');
}else{
$errors = $this->User->validationErrors;
$this->log($errors,'errors');
$jsonResponse = array('status' => 'ERROR','message' => $errors);
}
}
}else{
$jsonResponse = array('status' => 'ERROR','message' => 'API method expects POST data');
}
$this->set('response' , $jsonResponse);
}
I've been using curl to test my method and it always saves despite post the following data:
[User] => Array
(
[firstname] => Andy
[token] => cc42030bbb49faf2cf0393418036e44f
[role] => user
)
curl -H "Accept: application/json" -H "Content-type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"User":{"firstname":"Andy"}}' url/users/mobile_register
My validation rules in my model are:
public $validate = array(
'username' => array(
'username-1' => array(
'rule' => array('notempty'),
'message' => 'Username is required',
),
'username-2' => array(
'rule' => 'alphaNumeric',
'message' => 'Usernames must only contain letters and numbers.',
),
),
'password' => array(
'password-1' => array(
'rule' => array('notempty'),
'message' => 'Password is required',
),
'password-2' => array(
'rule' => array('between', 5, 15),
'message' => 'Passwords must be between 5 and 15 characters long.',
),
),
'firstname' => array(
'notempty' => array(
'rule' => array('notempty'),
'message' => 'Forename is required'
),
),
'surname' => array(
'notempty' => array(
'rule' => array('notempty'),
'message' => 'Surname is required',
),
),
'email' => array(
'email-1' => array(
'rule' => 'notempty',
'message' => 'Email is required',
),
'email-1' => array(
'rule' => 'email',
'message' => 'Please enter a valid email',
)
)
);
Am I missing something?

Answer 1

Perhaps a better approach to this solution would be to make a good use of the "required" and "allowEmpty" validation options:
CakePhp's data validation
This is what solved my problem, I thought it was related with the way I was requesting the action, but instead it was that I wasn't even setting the fields I wanted to validate.

Answer 2

I figured it out. Basically I learnt that if you don't pass the fields then they will not be validated.