symfony · weaverryan · Oct 18, 2014 · Jul 25, 2014 · Aug 22, 2014 · Aug 8, 2014
diff --git a/book/validation.rst b/book/validation.rst
@@ -822,9 +822,13 @@ With this configuration, there are three validation groups:
   fields only.
 
 To tell the validator to use a specific group, pass one or more group names
-as the second argument to the ``validate()`` method::
+as the third argument to the ``validate()`` method::
 
-    $errors = $validator->validate($author, array('registration'));
+    // If you're using the new 2.5 validation API (you probably are!)
+    $errors = $validator->validate($author, null, array('registration'));
+
+    // If you're using the old 2.4 validation API
+    // $errors = $validator->validate($author, array('registration'));
 
 If no groups are specified, all constraints that belong in group ``Default``
 will be applied.
@@ -1189,10 +1193,19 @@ it looks like this::
         $emailConstraint->message = 'Invalid email address';
 
         // use the validator to validate the value
+        // If you're using the new 2.5 validation API (you probably are!)
+        $errorList = $this->get('validator')->validate(
+            $email,
+            $emailConstraint
+        );
+
+        // If you're using the old 2.4 validation API
+        /*
         $errorList = $this->get('validator')->validateValue(
             $email,
             $emailConstraint
         );
+        */
 
         if (count($errorList) == 0) {
             // this IS a valid email address, do something
@@ -1206,13 +1219,13 @@ it looks like this::
         // ...
     }
 
-By calling ``validateValue`` on the validator, you can pass in a raw value and
+By calling ``validate`` on the validator, you can pass in a raw value and
 the constraint object that you want to validate that value against. A full
 list of the available constraints - as well as the full class name for each
 constraint - is available in the :doc:`constraints reference </reference/constraints>`
 section .
 
-The ``validateValue`` method returns a :class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\ConstraintViolationList`
+The ``validate`` method returns a :class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\ConstraintViolationList`
 object, which acts just like an array of errors. Each error in the collection
 is a :class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\ConstraintViolation` object,
 which holds the error message on its ``getMessage`` method.

diff --git a/cookbook/bundles/best_practices.rst b/cookbook/bundles/best_practices.rst
@@ -328,6 +328,48 @@ semantic configuration described in the cookbook.
     If you are defining services, they should also be prefixed with the bundle
     alias.
 
+Custom Validation Constraints
+-----------------------------
+
+Starting with Symfony 2.5, a new Validation API was introduced. In fact,
+there are 3 modes, which the user can configure in their project:
+
+* 2.4: the original 2.4 and earlier validation API;
+* 2.5: the new 2.5 and later validation API;
+* 2.5-BC: the new 2.5 API with a backwards-compatible layer so that the
+  2.4 API still works. This is only available in PHP 5.3.9+.
+
+As a bundle author, you'll want to support *both* API's, since some users
+may still be using the 2.4 API. Specifically, if your bundle adds a violation
+directly to the :class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\Context\\ExecutionContext`
+(e.g. like in a custom validation constraint), you'll need to check for which
+API is being used. The following code, would work for *all* users::
+
+    use Symfony\Component\Validator\ConstraintValidator;
+    use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraint;
+    use Symfony\Component\Validator\Context\ExecutionContextInterface;
+    // ...
+
+    class ContainsAlphanumericValidator extends ConstraintValidator
+    {
+        public function validate($value, Constraint $constraint)
+        {
+            if ($this->context instanceof ExecutionContextInterface) {
+                // the 2.5 API
+                $this->context->buildViolation($constraint->message)
+                    ->setParameter('%string%', $value)
+                    ->addViolation();
+                );
+            } else {
+                // the 2.4 API
+                $this->context->addViolation(
+                    $constraint->message,
+                    array('%string%' => $value)
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
 Learn more from the Cookbook
 ----------------------------
 

diff --git a/cookbook/form/unit_testing.rst b/cookbook/form/unit_testing.rst
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ on other extensions. You need add those extensions to the factory object::
         {
             parent::setUp();
 
-            $validator = $this->getMock('\Symfony\Component\Validator\ValidatorInterface');
+            $validator = $this->getMock('\Symfony\Component\Validator\Validator\ValidatorInterface');
             $validator->method('validate')->will($this->returnValue(new ConstraintViolationList()));
 
             $this->factory = Forms::createFormFactoryBuilder()

diff --git a/cookbook/validation/custom_constraint.rst b/cookbook/validation/custom_constraint.rst
@@ -65,22 +65,34 @@ The validator class is also simple, and only has one required method ``validate(
         public function validate($value, Constraint $constraint)
         {
             if (!preg_match('/^[a-zA-Za0-9]+$/', $value, $matches)) {
+                // If you're using the new 2.5 validation API (you probably are!)
+                $this->context->buildViolation($constraint->message)
+                    ->setParameter('%string%', $value)
+                    ->addViolation();
+                );
+
+                // If you're using the old 2.4 validation API
+                /*
                 $this->context->addViolation(
                     $constraint->message,
                     array('%string%' => $value)
                 );
+                */
             }
         }
     }
 
-.. note::
-
-    The ``validate`` method does not return a value; instead, it adds violations
-    to the validator's ``context`` property with an ``addViolation`` method
-    call if there are validation failures. Therefore, a value could be considered
-    as being valid if it causes no violations to be added to the context.
-    The first parameter of the ``addViolation`` call is the error message to
-    use for that violation.
+Inside ``validate``, you don't need to return a value. Instead, you add violations
+to the validator's ``context`` property and a value will be considered valid
+if it causes no violations. The ``buildViolation`` method takes the error
+message as its argument and returns an instance of
+:class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\Violation\\ConstraintViolationBuilderInterface`.
+The ``addViolation`` method call finally adds the violation to the context.
+
+.. versionadded:: 2.5
+    The ``buildViolation`` method was added in Symfony 2.5. For usage examples
+    with older Symfony versions, see the corresponding versions of this documentation
+    page.
 
 Using the new Validator
 -----------------------

diff --git a/reference/constraints/Callback.rst b/reference/constraints/Callback.rst
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ Configuration
         namespace Acme\BlogBundle\Entity;
 
         use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;
-        use Symfony\Component\Validator\ExecutionContextInterface;
+        use Symfony\Component\Validator\Context\ExecutionContextInterface;
+        // if you're using the older 2.4 validation API, you'll need this instead
+        // use Symfony\Component\Validator\ExecutionContextInterface;
 
         class Author
         {
@@ -100,7 +102,9 @@ can set "violations" directly on this object and determine to which field
 those errors should be attributed::
 
     // ...
-    use Symfony\Component\Validator\ExecutionContextInterface;
+    use Symfony\Component\Validator\Context\ExecutionContextInterface;
+    // if you're using the older 2.4 validation API, you'll need this instead
+    // use Symfony\Component\Validator\ExecutionContextInterface;
 
     class Author
     {
@@ -114,16 +118,27 @@ those errors should be attributed::
 
             // check if the name is actually a fake name
             if (in_array($this->getFirstName(), $fakeNames)) {
+                // If you're using the new 2.5 validation API (you probably are!)
+                $context->buildViolation('This name sounds totally fake!')
+                    ->atPath('firstName')
+                    ->addViolation();
+
+                // If you're using the old 2.4 validation API
+                /*
                 $context->addViolationAt(
                     'firstName',
-                    'This name sounds totally fake!',
-                    array(),
-                    null
+                    'This name sounds totally fake!'
                 );
+                */
             }
         }
     }
 
+.. versionadded:: 2.5
+    The ``buildViolation`` method was added in Symfony 2.5. For usage examples
+    with older Symfony versions, see the corresponding versions of this documentation
+    page.
+
 Static Callbacks
 ----------------
 
@@ -137,11 +152,16 @@ have access to the object instance, they receive the object as the first argumen
 
         // check if the name is actually a fake name
         if (in_array($object->getFirstName(), $fakeNames)) {
+            // If you're using the new 2.5 validation API (you probably are!)
+            $context->buildViolation('This name sounds totally fake!')
+                ->atPath('firstName')
+                ->addViolation()
+            ;
+
+            // If you're using the old 2.4 validation API
             $context->addViolationAt(
                 'firstName',
-                'This name sounds totally fake!',
-                array(),
-                null
+                'This name sounds totally fake!'
             );
         }
     }
@@ -156,7 +176,9 @@ your validation function is ``Vendor\Package\Validator::validate()``::
 
     namespace Vendor\Package;
 
-    use Symfony\Component\Validator\ExecutionContextInterface;
+    use Symfony\Component\Validator\Context\ExecutionContextInterface;
+    // if you're using the older 2.4 validation API, you'll need this instead
+    // use Symfony\Component\Validator\ExecutionContextInterface;
 
     class Validator
     {
@@ -274,7 +296,7 @@ callback method:
 
 * A closure.
 
-Concrete callbacks receive an :class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\ExecutionContextInterface`
+Concrete callbacks receive an :class:`Symfony\\Component\\Validator\\Context\\ExecutionContextInterface`
 instance as only argument.
 
 Static or closure callbacks receive the validated object as the first argument