Laravel search facility doesn't give output - php

Question

I am doing a search facility function that get's a value from a textbox (it does that I have checked) and compares to 'skill' column in 'skills' table. If there is a match either one character or whole word It should output details from 'handymen' table, these tables are linked with 'hasMany' and 'belongsToMany' in models.
However the issue is that I do get output, but it's a lit of all handymen even if I type an empty string into textbox.
Controller:
function search()
{
$skills = Skill::all();
return view('layouts/search',['skills' => $skills]);
}
//$searchTerm = request('skill');
function details() {
$handymen = Handyman::whereHas('skills', function($query) {
if(!empty($searchTerms)){
foreach($searchTerms as $skill) {
$query->where('skill', 'LIKE', '%'. $skill .'%');
}
}
})->get();
return view('layouts/details', compact('handymen'));
}
View-search:
#extends('layouts.master')
#section('title', 'Search Page')
#section('content')
<h1>Here you can search</h1>
<form action="{{url('details')}}" method="POST">
{{ csrf_field() }}
<div>
<input type='text' name='skill' />
</div>
<input type="submit" name="submitBtn" value="Search">
</form>
#endsection
View-details-here should be my results:
#extends('layouts.master')
#section('title', 'Add Job')
#section('content')
<h1>Handyman details</h1>
<ul>
#foreach ($handymen as $handyman)
<a href= "{{url('skilledHandyman/'.$handyman->id)}}">
{{$handyman->first_name}}</a>
#endforeach
</ul>
#endsection

Answer 1

Where does the $searchTerms variable get into the details() function?
Did you omit some code?
I'm asuming it is set in the details function somehow, if that is the case, then you don't pass $searchTerms to the scope of the whereHas closure.
Try adding it to the use part of the closure, like below:
function details() {
// .. somehow get $searchTerms first here.
$handymen = Handyman::whereHas('skills', function($query) use($searchTerms) {
if(!empty($searchTerms)){
foreach($searchTerms as $skill) {
$query->where('skill', 'LIKE', '%'. $skill .'%');
}
}
})->get();
}