Drupal6: Load a field, like one would load a node?

Question

Is there a field_load() function equivalent to node_load()? I want to get information about the type of a field and other validation constraints without going to the database myself.

Better yet, is there any function that will validate it for me, like is_valid_for_field(field_name, input), that would take a field name and a potential input and return a boolean indicating whether or not the potential input is valid (within min/max, etc) for the specified field?

Answer 1

There is the content_fields() function, which will get you the meta data for a field. In terms of validation, IIRC, you can call content_field() with the operation set to validate, and the relevant data. However, by calling node_save with your completed node, the cck module will take care of all the relevant validation hooks for the entire node structure, so you may be better off taking that route.