Arg-err NPM | npm.io

ARG-ERR

Lightweight validator for function arguments

Features

arg-err supports:

validating against a type name (e.g. string or number)
validating a string argument against a regex
validating against multiple possible types defined as an array (e.g. ["string", "number"])
validating against a nested schema
validating against a function for slightly more complex logic
optional arguments

Installing

$ npm install arg-err

dist/arg-err.js has been compiled with Browserify, feel free to drop that in your client-side project!

Supports IE9+ and all the other usual suspects.

API

err(argsToTest, schema, optionalSchema)

Returns null if there's no validation errors, otherwise it returns a text description separated by a comma.

Example

Basic usage

var arg = require("arg-err");

function frobnicate(args, callback) {
  var err = arg.err(args, {
    foo: "number",
    bar: "string",
    baz: "regexp"
  });

  if (err) {
    return callback(err);
  }
}

frobnicate({
  foo: 123,
  bar: 456
}, function (err) {
  assert.equal(err, "expected argument bar to be of type string (was number), expected argument baz to be of type regexp");
});

Nested schemas and regexes

var args = { foo: { bar: 123 }, baz: "bla" },
  err = arg.err(args, {
    foo: { bar: "string" },
    baz: /^qux$/
  });

assert.equal(err, "expected argument foo.bar to be of type string (was number), expected argument baz to match /^qux$/ (was \"bla\")");

Multiple possible arguments

var args = { foo: /reg[exp]$/ },
  err = arg.err(args, {
    foo: ["string", "number"]
  });

assert.equal(err, "expected argument foo to be of type string or number (was regexp)");

Complex validation

Sometimes you do need that extra boost.

arg-err uses the method name in the validation message, so don't use anonymous functions if you want a sane message.

function isEven(foo) {
  return foo % 2 === 0;
}

var args = { foo: 13 },
  err = arg.err(args, {
    foo: isEven
  });

assert.equal(err, "expected argument foo to pass isEven");

Optional arguments

Optional arguments are handled exactly the same as normal ones, except no error is thrown if the property is undefined.

var args = { foo: 123, bar: "bla" },
  err = arg.err(args, {
    foo: "number"
  }, {
    bar: "number"
  });

assert.equal(err, "expected optional argument bar to be of type number (was string)");

propErr mode

What you're doing is validating properties on an object. If you'd rather be a bit clearer about it, you can switch to propErr mode.

var prop = require("arg-err").config({ propErr: true });

var err = prop.err({ foo: "2" }, { foo: "number" });

assert.equal(err, "expected property foo to be of type number (was string)");