CakePHP - input select not taking select options from a variable - forms

Question

I am developing an application with CakePHP 2.3.2 and I am having some trouble with an input select on a form. I am creating an array, in my Controller, which contains a list of states. In my View I find that when I use this variable in the 'options' field of the input I do not get any select options. If I do a print_r on the variable, in the view, I see exactly what I think I should be seeing for the 'options' field. I have even tried copying this print_r output and putting it in the 'options' field and then the input select works fine.
Here is what I have
In Controller
$options = 'array(1 => \'NSW\',2 => \'ACT\',3 => \'NT\');
$this->set('all_states, $options);
In View
<?php
$options = $all_states;
echo $this->Form->create('Refine', array('url => '/ServiceDirectoryResults/view/refine'));
echo $this->Form->input('field' ,array(
'type' => 'select',
'label' => false,
'options' => $options
));
echo $this->Form->end('Refine Search');
?>
When I run this I see a select with no select options
If I add print_r($options) after the echo $this->Form->end('Refine Search'); I see
array(1 => 'NSW',2 => 'ACT,3 => 'NT')
Which is what I would expect as it is the content of the $options variable which was the $all_states variable passed from the controller. If I take this output from the print_r and replace the $option with it in the input select the select drop down works fine and I see the three options. For some reason I can't work out the select is working fine if I hard code the select options but it will not work if I pass a variable containing the array to the input select.
I would really appreciate if if someone could give me a clue what I am doing wrong here.
Kind Regards
Richard

Answer 1

you might try it like below:
echo $this->Form->input('field', array('type'=>'select','label' => false,
'options' => $options,'default'=>'2'));
to the following HTML being generated:
<option value="2" selected="selected">ACT</option>
option two is shown instead any other one.

Answer 2

Likely issue:
Arrays should not be made as strings like you have:
$options = 'array(1 => \'NSW\',2 => \'ACT\',3 => \'NT\');
Instead, just make an array:
$options = array(1 => 'NSW', 2 => 'ACT', 3 => 'NT');
Other notes:
Why are you setting $options to $all_states only to set it back?
Missing quotes all over - make sure if you start quotes, that you also end them
not good practice to hard-code your URLs (like in your Form->create)