CORE-5.1: Install Zod and Define Core Schemas

Ticket ID: CORE-5.1
Milestone: 2 - Database Connectivity & Data Integrity
Priority: 🔴 Critical
Status: Not Started

Description

Install the Zod library. In a new /lib/schemas directory, define and export Zod schemas for user signup and login, including fields like email, password, and name with appropriate validation rules.

Context

Data validation is critical for security and data integrity. According to the High-Level Architecture, Zod will be used for:

  • API Request Validation: Validating incoming request data
  • Type Safety: Ensuring data matches expected types
  • Security: Preventing invalid or malicious data from entering the system

Zod schemas will be used throughout the application for validating user input, API requests, and data transformations.

Acceptance Criteria

  1. ✅ zod is a dependency in package.json
  2. ✅ A /lib/schemas directory exists
  3. ✅ A /lib/schemas/auth.schemas.ts file exists
  4. ✅ The signupSchema is defined and includes:
    • email (string, valid email format, required)
    • password (string, minimum length, required)
    • name (string, optional or required based on requirements)
  5. ✅ The loginSchema is defined and includes:
    • email (string, valid email format, required)
    • password (string, required)
  6. ✅ Both schemas correctly validate test objects
  7. ✅ TypeScript types are inferred from the schemas

Technical Details

Required Package 

{
  "dependencies": {
    "zod": "^latest"
  }
}

Schema Definitions 

// lib/schemas/auth.schemas.ts
import { z } from 'zod';

export const signupSchema = z.object({
  email: z.string().email('Invalid email address'),
  password: z.string().min(8, 'Password must be at least 8 characters'),
  name: z.string().min(1, 'Name is required').optional(),
});

export const loginSchema = z.object({
  email: z.string().email('Invalid email address'),
  password: z.string().min(1, 'Password is required'),
});

// Export TypeScript types
export type SignupInput = z.infer<typeof signupSchema>;
export type LoginInput = z.infer<typeof loginSchema>;

Validation Rules

Email:

  • Must be a valid email format
  • Required field

Password:

  • Minimum 8 characters (for signup)
  • Required field
  • Consider adding complexity requirements (future enhancement)

Name:

  • Optional for signup (or required based on business requirements)
  • String validation

Implementation Notes

  • Use Zod’s built-in validators (email, min, etc.)
  • Provide clear, user-friendly error messages
  • Export TypeScript types inferred from schemas for type safety
  • Consider adding password strength validation (future enhancement)
  • Align validation rules with security best practices
  • Consider adding rate limiting validation (future enhancement)

Dependencies

  • CORE-1.1 - Next.js project must be initialized

Testing

  • Verify Zod is installed correctly
  • Test signupSchema with valid data - should pass
  • Test signupSchema with invalid email - should fail with clear error
  • Test signupSchema with short password - should fail with clear error
  • Test loginSchema with valid data - should pass
  • Test loginSchema with invalid email - should fail
  • Verify TypeScript types are correctly inferred
  • Test schema validation with edge cases (empty strings, null, undefined)