CakePHP declaring variables - forms

Question

Hey guys trying to declare a variable in CakePHP in the Fields Controller. This variable will display the template id from the template table, but the view is saying the variable is undefined even though we delared it in the controller. Temaplates has many fields and fields belongs to templates.
Here is the Fields Controller:
<?php
class FieldsController extends AppController{
public $uses = array('Template');
function add(){
$this->set('title_for_layout', 'Please Enter Your Invoice Headings');
$this->set('stylesheet_used', 'style');
$this->set('image_used', 'eBOXLogo.jpg');
$this->Session->setFlash("Please create your required fields.");
$templates = $this->Template->find('list');
//$current_template = $this->request->data['Field']['template_id'];
// right way to do it, but Template is undefined, and says undefined var
//$template = $this->request->data['Field']['template_id'];
// makes sense with the find, no errors, but still doesnt print in form, says undefined var
//$current_template = $this->request->data($template['Field']['template_id']);
if($this->request->is('post'))
{
$this->Field->create();
if ($this->Field->save($this->request->data))
{
if($this->request->data['submit'] == "type_1")
{
$this->Session->setFlash('The field has been saved');
$this->redirect( array('controller' => 'fields','action' => 'add'));
}
if($this->request->data['submit'] == "type_2")
{
$this->Session->setFlash('The template has been saved');
$this->redirect( array('controller' => 'templates','action' => 'index'));
}
}
else
{
$this->Session->setFlash('The field could not be saved. Please, try again.');
}
}
}
}
And here is our add view which adds fields:
<?php
echo $this->Form->create('Field', array('action'=>'add'));
echo $this->Form->create('Field', array('action'=>'add'));
echo $this->Form->input('name', array('label'=>'Name: '));
echo $this->Form->input('description', array('label'=>'Description: '));
//echo $this->Form->input('template_id',array('label'=>'Template ID: ', 'type' => 'select', 'options' => $templates));
echo $this->Form->input('template_id',array('label'=>'Template ID: ', 'type' => 'text', 'default'=> $templates));
//echo $this->Form->input('templates_id', array('label'=>'Template ID: ', 'type' => 'text', 'default' => $current_template['templates_id']));//this would be the conventional fk fieldname
echo $this->Form->button('Continue adding fields', array('name' => 'submit', 'value' => 'type_1'));
echo $this->Form->button('Finish adding fields', array('name' => 'submit', 'value' => 'type_2'));
echo $this->Form->end();
?>

Answer 1

You should try the following code:
<?php
class FieldsController extends AppController{
public $uses = array('Template', 'Field');
function add(){
$this->set('title_for_layout', 'Please Enter Your Invoice Headings');
$this->set('stylesheet_used', 'style');
$this->set('image_used', 'eBOXLogo.jpg');
$this->Session->setFlash("Please create your required fields.");
$templates = $this->Template->find('list', array('fields' => array('Template.id, Template.template_name' );
$this->set('templates', $templates);
//$current_template = $this->request->data['Field']['template_id'];
// right way to do it, but Template is undefined, and says undefined var
//comment: You should check the request data with in if condition
//$template = $this->request->data['Field']['template_id'];
// makes sense with the find, no errors, but still doesnt print in form, says undefined var
//$current_template = $this->request->data($template['Field']['template_id']);
if($this->request->is('post'))
{
$this->Field->create();
if ($this->Field->save($this->request->data))
{
if($this->request->data['submit'] == "type_1")
{
$this->Session->setFlash('The field has been saved');
$this->redirect( array('controller' => 'fields','action' => 'add'));
}
if($this->request->data['submit'] == "type_2")
{
$this->Session->setFlash('The template has been saved');
$this->redirect( array('controller' => 'templates','action' => 'index'));
}
}
else
{
$this->Session->setFlash('The field could not be saved. Please, try again.');
}
}
}
}
You view should looks like:
<?php
echo $this->Form->create('Field', array('action'=>'add'));
echo $this->Form->input('name', array('label'=>'Name: '));
echo $this->Form->input('description', array('label'=>'Description: '));
echo $this->Form->input('template_id',array('label'=>'Template ID: ', 'options' => $templates));
//echo $this->Form->input('template_id',array('label'=>'Template ID: ', 'type' => 'text', 'default'=> $templates));
//echo $this->Form->input('templates_id', array('label'=>'Template ID: ', 'type' => 'text', 'default' => $current_template['templates_id']));//this would be the conventional fk fieldname
echo $this->Form->button('Continue adding fields', array('name' => 'submit', 'value' => 'type_1'));
echo $this->Form->button('Finish adding fields', array('name' => 'submit', 'value' => 'type_2'));
echo $this->Form->end();
?>
Kindly check and verify if it is working for you or not.

Answer 2

You are missing $this->set('templates', $templates); after doing the find() for templates in your controller.