Fieldtype runs validate() multiple times?

Question

I'm trying to create a custom fieldtype that's display_field() function produces a collection of <input> boxes. The problem I am having is that the validate() function in my ft.x_fieldtype.php file is getting run each time for each <input> it seems.

Can anyone see a way around this?

Answer 1

One solution I came up with is to set an instance variable such as $has_already_validated to prevent further validation. It seems to work as there is only one instance created at least. Here's an example:

class My_fieldtype_ft extends EE_Fieldtype {
    private $has_already_validated = FALSE;

    function validate($data) 
    {
         if ($this->has_already_validated) return TRUE;
         $this->has_already_validated = TRUE;

         // your validation code
    }
}