Generate drop-down list input with values from DB table

Question

I am trying to generate a drop-down list with values from a MySQL table using Laravel. The table is simple, two columns - id and category.

The following will retrieve all of the records (categories) but returns an object rather than an array, which is what I need for the drop-down code -

$categories = Category::all();

The code for the drop-down is:

{{ Form::select('category', $categories, $post->category_id) }}

Ideas?

UPDATE

bgallagh3r suggested using a foreach loop to convert each category to an array. Their code got me close but generated a bunch of funky nested optgrouptags. I was able to get it down to just one optgroup but that is one too many..

$categories = Category::all();
foreach ($categories as $cat)
{
    $category = $cat->to_array();
    $id = $category['id'];
    $value = $category['category'];
    $cats[] = array($id => $value);
}

And then, in the form:

{{ Form::select('categories', $categories)}}

I end up with this HTML:

    <select name="categories">
    <optgroup label="0">
    <option value="1">Department News</option>
    </optgroup>
    <optgroup label="1">
    <option value="2">General</option>
    </optgroup>
   ...
    </select>

Barryvdh · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-27 07:28:33Z

30

You can try the 'lists' function:

$categories = Category::lists('category', 'id');

(Only for Laravel 3) Or even leave out the 'id' parameter, as it will default to the Model key, see http://laravel.com/api/source-class-Laravel.Database.Query.html#596

$categories = Category::lists('category');

(For Laravel 4, you do need the second param, see http://laravel.com/api/source-class-Illuminate.Database.Query.Builder.html#1034-1063)

edited Aug 27, 2013 at 7:28

answered Jan 8, 2013 at 22:32

Barryvdh

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4 Comments

kreeves Over a year ago

I did not know about the lists method until I stumbled upon this however I wanted to clarify something I discovered. Omitting the 2nd parameter does not then make the lists method default to the Model's key. This wasn't the case in 3.2.12 as well as the most recent version of 4. You'll always want to pass the key if you want to properly populate the drop down (with the value of the option becoming the value of the key).

zeman Over a year ago

You'll probably want to sort your list to... Category::orderBy('category')->lists('category', 'id');

lonerunner Over a year ago

Thank you for the solution, i was searcing for this everywhere on the net.

NightMICU Over a year ago

And now, with Laravel 5, do not forget to add ->all() after ->lists()

bgallagh3r · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-08 18:41:11Z

4

Depending on if you are using Eloquent for your models Category will return an array of objects, you need to convert the objects to arrays before passing them to the Form class.

foreach (Category::all() as $cat)
{
    $categories[] = array($cat->id => $cat->category);
}
{{ Form::select('categories', $categories)}}

edited Jan 8, 2013 at 18:41

answered Jan 8, 2013 at 18:19

bgallagh3r

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5 Comments

NightMICU Over a year ago

Yep, that's the problem.. trying to find out how to do that.

NightMICU Over a year ago

Have you tried this out? In short, it doesn't work.. end up with a bunch of optgroup fields and such. I was able to get CLOSE using something alone these lines.. will edit question in a minute

bgallagh3r Over a year ago

Perhaps using ->to_array() isn't sufficient, try actually setting the array like the changes I made now.

NightMICU Over a year ago

Nope.. the problem is that the array we're sending to the Form is indexed when it can't be... so it's making optgroups for every index key. It needs to be like so: Form::select('size', array('L' => 'Large', 'S' => 'Small'), 'S');

Barryvdh Over a year ago

Just use $categories[$cat->id] = $cat->category; instead. And don't use Category::all() but Category::get(array('name', 'id')), to only fetch the needed columns. (Or just use my answer ;))

Set Kyar Wa Lar · Accepted Answer · 2015-03-06 05:07:41Z

3

In Laravel 4, you can easily try like the following

//Query category and pass it  to the view that you want to show your category
$category = Category::lists('category_name', 'category_id');

In your view just add {{ Form::select('category', $category) }}. The result will be what you want, like the following

<select name="category">
        <option value="category_id">category_name</option>
</select>

edited Mar 6, 2015 at 5:07

answered Dec 30, 2014 at 20:10

Set Kyar Wa Lar

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Comments

JackpotK · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-28 06:32:53Z

1

How about this ?

foreach (Category::all() as $cat)
{
    $categories[$cat->id] = $cat->category;
}
{{ Form::select('categories', $categories)}}

answered May 28, 2013 at 6:32

JackpotK

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Comments

Delmontee · Accepted Answer · 2013-12-10 09:56:57Z

1

Just tweeking bgallagh3r's code a little the following will work:

foreach (Category::all() as $cat)
{
    $categories[$cat->id] = $cat->category);
}
{{ Form::select('categories', $categories)}}

...although I prefer (In L4):

foreach (Category::select('id', 'category')->orderBy('id','asc')->get() as $cat)
{
  $categories[$cat->id] = $cat->category;
}
{{ Form::select('categories', $categories)}}

answered Dec 10, 2013 at 9:56

Delmontee

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Comments

Octavio Fuenzalida · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-12 16:48:13Z

1

For Laravel 5.3.x

In Controller

$categories = Category::pluck('name', 'id');

In View

{{ Form::select('categories', $categories)}}

answered Nov 12, 2016 at 16:48

Octavio Fuenzalida

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Comments

Muhammad Naeem Paracha · Accepted Answer · 2016-05-02 10:18:35Z

-1

for laravel 5.2

in controller

$mechanics = User::where('role_id','3')->lists('name', 'id');

in view

{{   Form::select('mechanic_id', 
    [''=>'please select'] + $mechanics->toArray(), $order->mechanic_id , 
     array('id' =>'material-select2','class' => 'form-control'))  }}

edited May 2, 2016 at 10:18

Muhammad Naeem Paracha

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answered Mar 3, 2016 at 18:26

Khan Muhammad

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