CakePHP 2.0 search database error - php

Question

Hi Im trying to create a function that searches my Uploads model and displays the information that is in the that table.
Notice (8): Undefined variable: uploads [APP/View/Uploads/search.ctp, line 28]
Warning (2): Invalid argument supplied for foreach() [APP/View/Uploads/search.ctp, line 28]
Before I am even allowed to search I get this error,
This is my search.ctp
<?php $uploads = $this->requestAction('uploads/search');
?>
<div id="search">
<?php echo $this->Form->create('Upload',array('action'=>'search'));?>
<fieldset>
<legend><?php __('Upload Search');?></legend>
<?php
echo $this->Form->input('searchupload', array('label' => false, 'class'=>'searchinput'));
$options = array(
'label' => '',
'value' => 'Search',
'class' => 'searchbutton'
);
echo $this->Form->end($options);
?>
</fieldset>
</div>
<div id="contentbox">
<table>
<?php foreach($uploads as $upload) : ?>
<tr>
<td><?php echo $upload['Upload']['name'] ?></td>
<td><?php echo $upload['Upload']['eventname'] ?></td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</table>
</div>
and this is the function in the uploads controller:
function search() {
if (!empty($this->data)) {
$searchstr = $this->data['Upload']['search'];
$this->set('searchstring', $this->data['Upload']['search']);
$conditions = array(
'conditions' => array(
'or' => array(
"Upload.name LIKE" => "%$searchstr%",
"Upload.eventname LIKE" => "%$searchstr%"
)
)
);
$this->set('uploads', $this->Upload->find('all', $conditions));
}
}
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance

Answer 1

<?php if(!empty($uploads)) : ?>
<?php foreach($uploads as $upload) : ?>
<tr>
<td><?php echo $upload['Upload']['name'] ?></td>
<td><?php echo $upload['Upload']['eventname'] ?></td>
</tr>
<?php endforeach; ?>
<?php else : ?>
<div>
No search matches found
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
This ensures that if an empty set is found then the no search match found is thrown into the webpage

Answer 2

Why are you running the uploads/search twice from the same view?
Try removing this from your view:
<?php $uploads = $this->requestAction('uploads/search'); ?>
It calls the same action you are rendering with search.ctp.
UPDATE:
If you are getting the Undefined Variable notice (that you will not see when in production and debug is set to 0 by the way), all you need to do is set the uploads variable to null in the controller (not the view). Before you run the search do: $this->set('uploads', array()); in the controller so the variable will be defined in the view. You do not want to clutter the view with logic.