Input Validation in Mutations

Important: The Teachify Admin API is currently under development and not yet available for public use. This documentation is provided for preview purposes only.

Understanding Input Validation

The Teachify Admin API implements comprehensive input validation for all mutation operations. This validation ensures data integrity and provides clear feedback when input requirements aren’t met.

Validation Process

When you submit a mutation, the API performs the following validation steps:

1. Type Checking: Ensures all input values match their expected types
2. Required Fields: Verifies all required fields are present
3. Format Validation: Validates that fields match expected formats (e.g., email addresses, dates)
4. Business Logic: Applies business rules specific to the resource (e.g., enrollment capacity limits)

Error Response Format

All mutations return an errors field that contains validation issues. Each error includes:

Field	Description
field	The name of the input field that failed validation (or null for general errors)
message	A human-readable description of the error

Example Error Response

{
  "data": {
    "createCourse": {
      "errors": [
        {
          "field": "name",
          "message": "Name cannot be empty"
        },
        {
          "field": "startDate",
          "message": "Start date must be in the future"
        }
      ],
      "course": null
    }
  }
}

Common Validation Rules

The following validation rules are commonly applied across mutations:

String Fields

• Required strings: Cannot be empty or contain only whitespace
• Length limits: Most string fields have maximum lengths (typically 255 characters)
• Format validation: Fields like emails, URLs, and phone numbers must match expected formats

Numeric Fields

• Range validation: Values must be within specified minimums and maximums
• Precision limits: Decimal values have precision constraints

Date Fields

• Format: Dates must be in ISO 8601 format (e.g., “2023-06-01T00:00:00Z”)
• Range checks: Certain dates must be in the future or past depending on context

Relationships

• Existence: Referenced resources (by ID) must exist
• Permission checks: You must have access to the referenced resources

Handling Validation Errors

When developing with the API, we recommend:

1. Check for errors before assuming success - Always check the errors array before processing results
2. Display user-friendly messages - The error messages are designed to be helpful to end-users
3. Implement client-side validation - Implement similar rules in your client to provide immediate feedback

Using Validation in Development

During development, you can intentionally submit invalid data to understand the API’s validation requirements. This can be a helpful way to explore the API’s expectations without consulting documentation for every field.

For more specific validation rules for each mutation, refer to the documentation for that specific resource type.