Programmatically: How to create custom Magento validators

Step 1: Create a new PHP file in your module's Validator directory

Create a new file named MyCustomValidator.php in your module's app/code/local/YourCompany/YourModule/Validator directory.

Step 2: Define the validator class

In MyCustomValidator.php, define the class that extends Mage_Core_Model_Validator_Abstract:

	

	class YourCompany_YourModule_Model_Validator_CustomValidator extends Mage_Core_Model_Validator_Abstract
	{
    public function isValid($value)
    {
        // Your validation logic goes here
        // For example, let's say you want to validate a string
        if (strlen($value) < 5) {
            return false;
        }
        return true;
    }

    public function getError()
    {
        return 'The value must be at least 5 characters long.';
    }
	}
	

Step 3: Register the validator

In your module's config.xml file, add the following code to register the validator:

    <global>
        <models>
            <validators>
                <customvalidator>
                    <class>yourcompany_yourmodule_model_validator_customvalidator</class>
                </customvalidator>
            </validators>
        </models>
    </global>
    

Step 4: Use the validator

To use your custom validator, you can inject it into a form or a grid. For example, if you're creating a custom form, you can use it like this:

	$form = Mage::app()->getForm('your_form');
	$form->addField('my_field', 'text', array(
    'required' => true,
    'validate' => array('customvalidator')
	));