[Laravel 5.1] Form Request

ExampleRequest.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Requests;

class ExampleRequest extends Request
{
    /**
     * Determine if the user is authorized to make this request.
     *
     * @return bool
     */
    public function authorize()
    {
        return true;
    }

    /**
     * Get the validation rules that apply to the request.
     *
     * @return array
     */
    public function rules()
    {
        $this->setRules([
            'first_name' => 'required',
            'last_name' => 'required',
            'email' => 'uniqueExceptMe',
            'username' => 'required',
            'phone' => 'optional'
        ]);

        return $this->rules;
    }
}

Request.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Requests;

use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\FormRequest;

abstract class Request extends FormRequest
{
    /**
     * The rules that are currently active.
     *
     * @var array
     */
    protected $rules = [];

    /**
     * All the available rules.
     *
     * @var array
     */
    protected $allRules = [
        'email' => ['email'],
        'password' => ['min:6', 'confirmed'],
        'password_confirmation' => ['min:6'],
        'first_name' => ['between:2,30'],
        'last_name' => ['between:2,30'],
        'username' => ['max:15'],
        'phone' => ['size:10']
    ];

    /**
     * Create a list of rules
     *
     * @param array $rulesToInclude
     * @return array
     */
    protected function setRules(array $rulesToInclude)
    {
        $rules = [];
        foreach ($rulesToInclude as $rule => $type) {
            if ($type == 'required') {
                $this->setRuleAsRequired($rule);
            } elseif (strpos($type, 'uniqueExceptMe') !== false) {
                $this->setUniqueRuleExceptMe(
                    $this->getAttribute($type, 'uniqueExceptMe')
                );
            } elseif (strpos($type, 'unique') !== false) {
                $this->setUniqueRule(
                    $this->getAttribute($type, 'unique')
                );
            } else {
                $this->setRule($rule);
            }
        }
        return $rules;
    }

    /**
     * Set the rule as required
     *
     * @param $ruleName
     */
    protected function setRuleAsRequired($ruleName)
    {
        $requiredRule = $this->allRules[$ruleName];
        $requiredRule[] = 'required';
        $this->setCustomRule($ruleName, $requiredRule);
    }

    /**
     * Set the email to be unique except to my account
     */
    protected function setUniqueRule($attribute)
    {
        $uniqueRule = $this->allRules[$attribute];
        $uniqueRule[] = 'required';
        $uniqueRule[] = 'unique:users';
        $this->setCustomRule($attribute, $uniqueRule);
    }

    /**
     * Set the email to be unique except to my account
     */
    protected function setUniqueRuleExceptMe($attribute)
    {
        $uniqueRule = $this->allRules[$attribute];
        $uniqueRule[] = 'required';
        $uniqueRule[] = "unique:users,{$attribute}," . auth()->id();
        $this->setCustomRule($attribute, $uniqueRule);
    }

    /**
     * Set a custom rule.
     *
     * @param $ruleName
     * @param $rule
     */
    protected function setCustomRule($ruleName, $rule)
    {
        $this->rules[$ruleName] = $rule;
    }

    /**
     * Set a rule.
     *
     * @param $rule
     * @return mixed
     */
    protected function setRule($rule)
    {
        $this->rules[$rule] = $this->allRules[$rule];
    }

    /**
     * Get the attribute from type.
     *
     * @param $type
     * @param $identifier
     * @param string $default
     * @return string
     */
    protected function getAttribute($type, $identifier, $default = 'email')
    {
        $attribute = substr($type, strlen($identifier) + 1);

        return strlen($attribute) > 0 ? $attribute : $default;
    }
}