Added a way to skip validation for certain fields

README.md

@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ Foo *string `validate:"required"`
 passes if `*Foo != ""` NOT if `Foo != nil`.
 
 It validates both public and private fields, as long as they have
-the validation tags.
+the validation tags. To skip a field entirely (including nested
+structs), use `validate:"-"`.
 
 Non-goals:
 
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ rather than in struct tags "perlisms".
 
 | Check          | Description                    | Domain                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
 | -------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| -              | skip field validation          | `any`                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
 | required       | must NOT be `IsZero()`         | `any`                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
 | regex:`<rx>`   | must match `<rx>`              | `string`, `Stringer`                                                                                                                                                                                          |
 | eq:`<number>`  | must == `number`               | [CanInt](https://pkg.go.dev/reflect#Value.CanInt), [CanUint](https://pkg.go.dev/reflect#Value.CanUint), [CanFloat](https://pkg.go.dev/reflect#Value.CanFloat), Can[Len](https://pkg.go.dev/reflect#Value.Len) |

go.mod

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module github.com/alexaandru/vali
 
-go 1.25.4
+go 1.25.6

vali.go

@@ -224,6 +224,10 @@ func (v *Validator) validate(val reflect.Value, tag string, scope ...string) (er
 		reflTag := iType.Tag
 		tag = strings.TrimSpace(reflTag.Get(v.tag))
 
+		if tag == "-" {
+			continue
+		}
+
 		iVal := val.Field(i)
 		for iVal.Kind() == reflect.Pointer {
 			iVal = iVal.Elem()

vali_test.go

@@ -448,6 +448,47 @@ func TestValidate(t *testing.T) { //nolint:funlen // ok
 		{struct {
 			username string `validate:"required,alphanum,min:3,max:20"`
 		}{username: "ab"}, nil, "", "username: min check failed: len 2 is less than 3", ErrCheckFailed},
+
+		// Skip field with validate:"-".
+		{struct {
+			Foo string `validate:"-"`
+		}{Foo: ""}, nil, "", "", nil},
+		{struct {
+			foo string `validate:"-"`
+		}{foo: ""}, nil, "", "", nil},
+		{struct {
+			Foo string `validate:"-"`
+		}{Foo: "invalid-email"}, nil, "", "", nil},
+
+		// Skip nested struct.
+		{struct {
+			Nested struct {
+				Bar string `validate:"required"`
+			} `validate:"-"`
+		}{}, nil, "", "", nil},
+
+		// Skip with pointers.
+		{struct {
+			Foo *string `validate:"-"`
+		}{Foo: nil}, nil, "", "", nil},
+		{struct {
+			Foo **string `validate:"-"`
+		}{Foo: nil}, nil, "", "", nil},
+
+		// Skip with whitespace.
+		{struct {
+			Foo string `validate:"  -  "`
+		}{Foo: ""}, nil, "", "", nil},
+
+		// Mixed: some fields skipped, some validated.
+		{struct {
+			Skip  string `validate:"-"`
+			Check string `validate:"required"`
+		}{Skip: "", Check: ""}, nil, "", "Check: required check failed: value missing", ErrRequired},
+		{struct {
+			Skip  string `validate:"-"`
+			Check string `validate:"required"`
+		}{Skip: "", Check: "valid"}, nil, "", "", nil},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {