[Plugin: BuddyPress] Buddypress-Validate required registration field – but not with bp-profile-set

bp 1.6.1 – child of bp default theme

(i assume it can be done as captchas do it!)

Have added a field to the registration form like this : (—-> my problem is to validate this field)

1) added these functions to functions.php

/* Add sign-up field to BuddyPress sign-up array */

function anewbp_custom_user_signup_field( $usermeta ) {
	$usermeta['eyecolor'] = $_POST['eyecolor'];
	return $usermeta;
	}
add_filter( 'bp_signup_usermeta', 'anewbp_custom_user_signup_field' );

/* Add field_name from sign-up to usermeta on activation */

function anewbp_user_activate_field( $signup ) {

	update_usermeta( $signup['user_id'], 'eyecolor', $signup['meta']['eyecolor'] );
	return $signup;
}
add_filter( 'bp_core_activate_account', 'anewbp_user_activate_field' );

2) have added this to register.php at an appropriate place

<label for="eyecolor"><?php _e( 'Last Name', 'buddypress' ); ?> <?php _e( '(required)', 'buddypress' ); ?></label>
<input type="text" name="eyecolor" id="eyecolor" value="" />

So far so good.

However I need this to be a REQUIRED field and am having problems !!

What have I tried ?

a)

function anewbp_check_validation(){
	global $bp;
	$anewbp_custom_user_signup_field_txt = $_POST['eyecolor'];

	if (empty($anewbp_custom_user_signup_field_txt) || $anewbp_custom_user_signup_field_txt == '') {
		$bp->signup->errors['anewbp_custom_user_signup_field'] = __('Please complete this field','buddypress');
	}
	return;
}
add_action('bp_signup_validate', ' anewbp_check_validation');

AND

<?php do_action( 'bp_anewbp_check_validation()' ) ?> in register.php

b)

function anewbp_check_validation(){
	global $bp;
	if (empty($_POST['eyecolor']) || $_POST['eyecolor'] == '') {
         $bp->signup->errors['eyecolor'] = __('Please complete this field','buddypress');
         return;
}
}
add_action('bp_signup_validate', 'anewbp_check_validation');

AND

<?php do_action( 'bp_anewbp_check_validation()' ) ?> in register.php

and other variations. –> none have worked

Where I’m coming from? —> Can follow and would be grateful for detailed instructions

mainly a copy and paster but gradually getting an understanding of php.

https://www.ads-software.com/extend/plugins/buddypress/