CI - Pass a variable from 1 controller to two models/views - php

Question

Can anyone explain why I cannot get a variable called $siteID to pass to another function within the same controller?
In the third function called "get_orders_by_site" I have loaded a different model, which returns information about 'orders' raised at the currently viewed building/site/property.
The sites controller works perfectly, first function lists a table with all my properties, then when one is clicked - the second function gets the siteID of that selection, and returns with further 'detail/data' - sites controller function1/2 all relate to the same model, and return information from the SAME table.
I'm trying to implement a third function, which will do a similar task, but return with information/data from a different table (the site.siteID, is also a FK in the orders.siteID table i've created in phpmyadmin).
If I need to explain further please let me know - Many thanks!
amended code
Sites Controller
<?php
class Sites extends CI_Controller {
//Searches for a list of sites
public function search($sort_by = 'site_title', $sort_order = 'asc', $offset = 0)
{
$limit = 20;
$data['columns'] = array(
'site_title' => 'Site Name',
'site_uprn' => 'Unique Property Reference'
);
$this->load->model('site_model');
$results = $this->site_model->get_sites($limit, $offset, $sort_by, $sort_order);
$data['sites'] = $results['rows'];
$data['num_results'] = $results['num_rows'];
//pagination for list returned
$this->load->library('pagination');
$config = array ();
$config['base_url'] = site_url("Sites/search/$sort_by/$sort_order");
$config['total_rows'] = $data['num_results'];
$config['per_page'] = $limit;
$config['uri_segment'] = 5;
$this->pagination->initialize($config);
$data['pagination'] = $this->pagination->create_links();
$data['sort_by'] = $sort_by;
$data['sort_order'] = $sort_order;
$this->load->view('search', $data);
}
//Displays individual site details
//passes selected siteID to the model, and returns only database/info for that particular building/property
public function details($siteID){
$this->load->model('site_model');
$data['site']=$this->site_model->get_site($siteID);
$this->load->view('site', $data);
$this->load->view('orders', $data);
}
// this second function should do a similar method as above, however I've loaded a different model, as i'm getting information from a different database table - but I still want the data returned to be limited by the building/site ID which the user selects.
public function orders_by_site($siteID, $sort_by = 'orderID', $sort_order = 'asc', $offset = 0)
{
$this->load->model('site_model');
$this->load->model('order_model');
$limit = 20;
$data['columns'] = array(
'orderID' => 'Order No.',
'initiated_date' => 'Initiated Date',
'target_date' => 'Target Date',
'status' => 'Status',
'priority' => 'Priority',
'trade_type' => 'Trade Type'
);
$results = $this->site_model->get_site($siteID);
$results = $this->order_model->get_orders($siteID, $limit, $offset, $sort_by, $sort_order);
$data['orders'] = $results['rows'];
$data['num_results'] = $results['num_rows'];
//pagination for orders table
$this->load->library('pagination');
$config = array ();
$config['base_url'] = site_url("Orders/orders_by_site/$sort_by/$sort_order");
$config['total_rows'] = $data['num_results'];
$config['per_page'] = $limit;
$config['uri_segment'] = 6;
$this->pagination->initialize($config);
$data['pagination'] = $this->pagination->create_links();
$data['sort_by'] = $sort_by;
$data['sort_order'] = $sort_order;
$this->load->view('orders', $data);
}
}
End Sites Controller
Site Model
//Get all site data
function get_sites($limit, $offset, $sort_by, $sort_order){
$sort_order = ($sort_order == 'desc') ? 'desc' : 'asc';
$sort_columns = array('site_title', 'site_uprn');
$sort_by = (in_array($sort_by, $sort_columns)) ? $sort_by : 'site_title';
$q = $this->db->select('siteID, site_title, site_uprn')
->from('sites')
->limit($limit, $offset)
->order_by($sort_by, $sort_order);
$ret['rows'] = $q->get()->result();
//count query for sites
$q = $this->db->select('COUNT(*) as count', FALSE)
->from('sites');
$tmp = $q->get()->result();
$ret['num_rows'] = $tmp[0]->count;
return $ret;
}
//Get individual site data
function get_site($siteID){
$this->db->select()->from('sites')->where(array('siteID' => $siteID));
$query = $this->db->get();
return $query->first_row('array');
}
}
Orders Model
//order table
function get_orders($siteID, $orderID, $limit, $offset, $sort_by, $sort_order){
$sort_order = ($sort_order == 'desc') ? 'desc' : 'asc';
$sort_columns = array('orderID', 'initiated_date', 'target_date','completion_date','status','priority','total_amount','job_description','requestor_name','requestor_telno','trade_type');
$sort_by = (in_array($sort_by, $sort_columns)) ? $sort_by : 'orderID';
$q = $this->db->select()->from('orders')->where(array('siteID' => $siteID))->limit($limit, $offset)->order_by($sort_by, $sort_order);
$ret['rows'] = $q->get()->result();
}
//order details
function get_order($orderID){
$this->db->select()->from('orders')->where(array('orderID' => $orderID));
$query = $this->db->get();
return $query->first_row('array');
}
}
Site View - only showing the extract where I'm trying to embed the orders view
<h5>Order Details</h5>
<?php include('orders.php')?>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Orders View
<div id="site_filter">
<div class="result_counter">
<h5>Found <?php echo $num_results; ?> Orders</h5>
</div>
<div class="pagination">
<?php if(strlen($pagination)): ?>
Page: <?php echo $pagination; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear_float"></div>
<table class="table">
<thead>
<?php foreach($columns as $column_name => $column_display): ?>
<th <?php if ($sort_by == $column_name) echo "class=\"sort_$sort_order\"" ?>>
<?php echo anchor("Sites/orders_by_site/$column_name/" .
(($sort_order == 'asc' && $sort_by == $column_name) ? 'desc' : 'asc') ,
$column_display); ?>
</th>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</thead>
<tbody>
<?php foreach($orders as $order): ?>
<tr>
<td><?php echo $order->orderID; ?></td>
<td><?php echo $order->initiated_date; ?></td>
<td><?php echo $order->target_date; ?></td>
<td><?php echo $order->status; ?></td>
<td><?php echo $order->priority; ?></td>
<td><?php echo $order->trade_type; ?></td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</tbody>
</table>

Answer 1

OK, a couple of things here - and I'm gonna need some help
In the orders_by_site method, you're overwriting the results variable:
$results = $this->site_model->get_site($siteID);
$results = $this->order_model->get_orders($siteID, $limit, $offset, $sort_by, $sort_order);
Also, the way you're loading views is incorrect. You're loading your views like this:
$this->load->view('site', $data);
$this->load->view('orders', $data);
And what you need to be doing is this:
// you need to get the "contents" of the `orders` view in a variable
// and pass that to the `site` view
$data['orders'] = $this->load->view('orders', $data, TRUE);
$this->load->view('site', $data);
And change your site view to this:
<h5>Order Details</h5>
<?php echo $orders; ?>
</div>
</div>
</div>
I'm sure there's more going on than that, but that's all I can gather from what I've seen in your question and comments.

Answer 2

#swatkins -
Thank you very much for your help, you highlighted some issues I had overlooked - I've gone about this in a different fashion now.
Originally I was trying to use Active Record (i believe) to select data from one table, based on the selection of a record from a different table - and then pass this selection to another model and use it in a get_where statement.
I've managed to get this to work using the $this->uri->segment() method in my controller, and then passing this to the corresponding model.
Now I'm able to utilise the user selection of a 'building/propery' name, with it's address etc - and then I have a second model, which retrieves the 'orders/jobs' that have been raised at that building.