ZF2: 'required' => false ignored for DateSelect element - zend-framework2

Question

In a Zend Framework 2 application, I have the following form in my controller action method:
public function testAction()
{
$form = new \Zend\Form\Form('test');
$date = new \Zend\Form\Element\DateSelect('date');
$date->setOptions(array(
'label' => 'Date',
'min_year' => date('Y') - 10,
'max_year' => date('Y') + 10,
)
);
$date->getDayElement()->setEmptyOption('day');
$date->getMonthElement()->setEmptyOption('month');
$date->getYearElement()->setEmptyOption('year');
$form->add($date);
$form->add(array(
'name' => 'submit',
'attributes' => array(
'type' => 'submit',
'value' => 'submit',
'id' => 'submitbutton',
),
));
if ($this->request->isPost()) {
$data = $this->request->getPost();
$form->setData($data);
if ($form->isValid()) {
$data = $form->getData();
// more code
}
}
return array('form' => $form);
}
Now if I submit the form I get the validation message:
'The input does not appear to be a valid date'
That is correct but I would only want to know if the field is required. If I look in the source of the DateSelect element, I see a getInputSpecification() method that sets required to false by default and there also is a getValidator() method requiring a format with which the empty date does not comply.
How can I bypass validation if the input is not required (obviously, in my real form I have more elements)?

Answer 1

I usually use the factory pattern and you can set whether the field is required ie
$inputFilter->add($factory->createInput(array(
'name' => 'availableDate',
'required' => true,
'filters' => array(
array('name' => 'StripTags'),
array('name' => 'StringTrim'),
),
'validators' => array(
array(
'name' => 'StringLength',
'options' => array(
'encoding' => 'UTF-8',
'max' => 20,
),
),
),
)));
refer the field required - you can set this to false