phalcon/cphalcon · error · Phalcon\Filter\Validation\Exceptions\NoDataToValidate

There is no data to validate

Error message

There is no data to validate

What it means

Validation::getValue(field) reads the current value either from the bound entity or from the bound data. When no entity object is set, it falls back to $this->data and requires that data be an array or object; NoDataToValidate is thrown when it is neither (null, string, int...), meaning there is nothing to read the field from.

Source

Thrown at phalcon/Filter/Validation.zep:432

    {
        var entity, method, value, data, filters, fieldFilters,
            container, filterService;
        bool isRawFetched;

        let isRawFetched = false;
        let entity = this->entity;
        let data = this->data;

        //  If the entity is an object use it to retrieve the values
        if typeof entity == "object" {
            let value = this->getValueByEntity(entity, field);
            if value === null {
                let isRawFetched = true;
                let value = this->getValueByData(data, field);
            }
        } else {
            if unlikely (typeof data != "array" && typeof data != "object") {
                throw new NoDataToValidate();
            }
            let value = this->getValueByData(data, field);
        }

        if value === null {
            return null;
        }

        let filters = this->filters;

        if fetch fieldFilters, filters[field] {
            if fieldFilters {
                let container = this->getDI();

                if container === null {
                    let container = Di::getDefault();

                    if container === null {

View on GitHub (pinned to b7419de9cd)

Solutions

1. Bind array data first: $validation->bind($entity, $dataArray) or call validate($dataArray)
2. json_decode() string payloads into arrays before validating: $data = json_decode($raw, true)
3. Ensure getValue() is only called after a successful bind/validate path has populated data or entity

Example fix

// before
$v = new Validation();
$v->add('email', new Email());
$value = $v->getValue('email'); // throws NoDataToValidate: data is null

// after
$v = new Validation();
$v->add('email', new Email());
$value = $v->getValue('email'); // after $v->validate($_POST) or $v->bind(null, $_POST)

$data = $validation->getData();
if ($validation->getEntity() === null && !is_array($data) && !is_object($data)) {
    throw new RuntimeException('No data bound: call bind() or validate($arrayData) before getValue()');
}
return $validation->getValue($field);

function hasBoundData(\Phalcon\Filter\Validation $v): bool
{
    return is_object($v->getEntity()) || is_array($v->getData()) || is_object($v->getData());
}

use Phalcon\Filter\Validation\Exceptions\NoDataToValidate;
try {
    $value = $v->getValue('email');
} catch (NoDataToValidate $e) {
    $value = null; // no payload submitted yet (e.g. first render of an empty form)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling $validation->getValue('email') before any bind()/validate() set data (property defaults to null); bind($entity, null) with a non-object entity; passing a raw JSON string as data: $v->validate($request->getRawBody()) then getValue() in a validator.

Common situations: Validators that call getValue() during rendering messages when the validation was constructed but never bound; forgetting json_decode() on a request body; data variable lost through an early return before bind().

Related errors

• Unable to insert into {table} without data
• The number of values in the update is not the same as fields
• Incomplete number of bind types
• Matched parameter was not found in parameters list
• Invalid bind parameter (1)

AI-assisted analysis of phalcon/cphalcon@b7419de9cd (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2af235cf3884c480. Report an issue: GitHub.