how to use Chtml::DropDownList() - php

Question

i'm currently a newbie when it comes to the yii framework / php. I would like some assistance creating this Chtml::DropDownList.
http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/api/1.1/CHtml#dropDownList-detail
Chtml::dropDownList($name, $select, $data)
I understand that $data is the array of data I will be loading in from my Database.
But can someone explain to me how $name, and $select truly works. I have a hard time finding documentation that explains this at a extremely dumbdown level.
I manage to get this piece of code working, but I would prefer using Chtml::dropdownlist.
<div class="row">
<?php
echo $form->dropDownList($model, 'id',
Chtml::listData(UsersTeam::model()->findAllByAttributes(array('coachId'=>$model->id)), 'id', 'teamName'),
array('empty'=>'Select Team'))
?>
</div>
I would like to be able to display all teamName for the current user that he is enlisted in.
I'm currently displaying this in the model view of a User, but the information I need is from UserTeam which holds the teams for the users.
'memberOfTeams' => array(self::MANY_MANY, 'UsersTeam', '{{teamMembers}}(userId, teamId)'),
'coachOfTeams' => array(self::HAS_MANY, 'UsersTeam', 'coachId'),

Answer 1

$name is the name="mySelect" form value it will have (the one that will be passed if sent as a form i.e. $_POST['mySelect']).
$select is the preselected ID. Say you have an array...
$options = array('12' => 'Twelve', '10' => 'Ten');
And your dropdown looks like this...
echo CHtml::dropDownList('mySelect', '12', $options);
Then 'Twelve' will be the preselected item in the dropdown and $_POST['mySelect'] will be the value passed when the form is sent.
You can add additional html options to each <option> tag, using the fourth parameter CHtml::dropDownList accepts, like so:
$htmlOptions = array(
// adds to the select element
'style' => 'cursor: pointer;',
// adds to the actual options
'options' => array(
'12' => array('title' => '12')
)
);
And updating the call to:
echo CHtml::dropDownList('mySelect', '12', $options, $htmlOptions);
The finished list would look like this:
<select name="mySelect" style="cursor: pointer;">
<option value="12" selected="selected" title="12">Twelve</option>
<option value="10">Ten</option>
</select>

Answer 2

You can easily do the same with CHtml::activeDropDownList.
So your code will look like:
<div class="row">
<?php
echo CHtml::activeDropDownList($model, 'id',
Chtml::listData(UsersTeam::model()->findAllByAttributes(array('coachId'=>$model->id)), 'id', 'teamName'),
array('empty'=>'Select Team'))
?>
</div>