CakePHP format find('all') to ('list') in view? - php

Question

Is there a way to format the $this->find('all') array into the $this->find('list') in the view? The reason I ask is so that I can pass that new array into the form helper options and then use the $this->find('all') array to build some additional things I need?
Array (
[0] => Array ( [School] => Array ( [id] => 0 [name] => Nature [address] => 112 Main [max_students] => 25 [application_level] => 5 ) )
[1] => Array ( [School] => Array ( [id] => 1 [name] => Math [address] => 112 Smith [max_students] => 25 [application_level] => 0 ) )
[2] => Array ( [School] => Array ( [id] => 2 [name] => Art [address] => 112 Lane [max_students] => 25 [application_level] => 0 ) )
)
So this is the array I get when I do a find('all'). I want to build the array so it looks like:
Array (
[0] => 'Nature'
[1] => 'Math'
[2] => 'Art'
)
This is usually done by the $this->find('list') function. Though the reason I want the whole array is because I need to add the application_level into $this->Form->input() function. This is because I need to add the option of class with the application level attached so I show only the shows with the application level based on the previous selection.
EDIT: Can't I just do $this->find('list', [insert parameters here?]);? I just don't understand how you set up the additional parameters?

Answer 1

If your query isn't overly complicated and isn't going to return a excessive number of results, just run it twice (once for find all and once for find list).
Find all, list, first, whatever are all the same in terms of the paramaters you pass in. E.g.:
$this->Model->find('all', array(
'conditions' => array(
'field' => 500,
'status' => 'Confirmed'
),
'order' => 'id ASC'
));
... you literally replace all with list. In your case, probably easiest to do it twice, once for each. Like this:
$parameters = array(
'conditions' => array(
'field' => 500,
'status' => 'Confirmed'
),
'order' => 'id ASC'
);
$alldata = $this->Model->find('all', $parameters);
$listdata = $this->Model->find('list', $parameters);
Otherwise, you can loop through it and populate your own list:
$list = array();
foreach($findall as $row) {
$id = $row['id'];
$name = $row['name'];
$list[$id] = $name;
}
$this->set('listdata', $list);
Short answer to your question is that there's no quick, easy way to select all and list from the same query, but you can re use your parameters (conditions, order etc) by passing them in as predefined arrays, or populate your own list.

Answer 2

An alternative answer to creating the results formatted like find('list') from results from find('all') using CakePHP's hash utility:
//where $data is the result of find all
App::uses('Hash', 'Utility');
$ids = Hash::format($data, array('{n}.Model.id'), '{0}'); //ids in an array.
$names = Hash::format($data, array('{n}.Model.name'), '{0}'); //names in an array
$dataAsList = array_combine($ids, $names);

Answer 3

To improve on kai's answer. The Hash class has a method called combine that can do what you're trying to do in only one line
$list = Hash::combine($data,'{n}.Model.id','{n}.Model.name');
the $list will be a flat array like data from find('list');