Laravel Search Array of Values - laravel

Question

In my user registration workflow, I ask the user to select a pre-defined list of classifications (which I use a series of checkboxes for). Currently, I update my model with those values (or a blank value if the box isn't checked) when they move to the next step. These are not currently structured as an array, rather as a separate and distinct checkbox.
My 2 questions are as follows:
1) I read that if I save the checkboxes as an array I won't be able to easily search the database for users with a particular classification.
2) If that's true, I'm fine with my current structure, but I need to properly validate (server-side) that at least one of the checkboxes is selected otherwise provide an error. I have tried the following, but it doesn't return anything and the database record is created with nothing in each column.
if ($request->all() === "")
{
return Request::json('you must select one');
}
Database Table Migration:
Schema::create('user_type', function (Blueprint $table) {
$table->increments('id');
$table->integer('user_id');
$table->string('games');
$table->string('art');
$table->string('music');
$table->string('building_stuff');
$table->string('educational');
$table->timestamps();
});
Javascript: (I submit as AJAX)
$('.modal-type-btn').click(function(e){
e.preventDefault();
if($('.checkbox-games').is(':checked'))
{
var games = "games";
} else {
var games = "";
}
if($('.checkbox-art').is(':checked'))
{
var art = "art";
} else {
var art = "";
}
if($('.checkbox-music').is(':checked'))
{
var music = music;
} else {
var music = "";
}
if($('.checkbox-building-stuff').is(':checked'))
{
var buildingStuff = "buildingstuff";
} else {
var buildingStuff = "";
}
if($('.checkbox-educational').is(':checked'))
{
var educational = "educational";
} else {
var educational = "";
}
$.ajax({
type: "POST",
url: "/profile/setup/1",
data: {games:games, art:art, music:music, buildingStuff:buildingStuff, educational:educational},
error: function(data){
console.log(data);
},
success: function(data){
console.log(data);
}
});
Thanks!

Answer 1

So, firstly you're much better of using them as an array and doing something like:
html:
<input type="checkbox" name="options[games]" value="1" />
that way, you can just get the form data and pass that into your $.ajax call:
...
data: $('form').serialize(),
....
and then in your controller, checking that the length of options is at least one:
$options = Input::get('options');
if(count($options) > 0){ ... }
You'll also probably want to define a list of "allowed" options and then use that to build your query:
private $_allowed_options = array('education', 'buildingStuff' ...);
public function update()
{
$options = Input::get('options');
foreach($this->_allowed_options as $allowed_options){
if(array_key_exists($allowed_option, $option)){
// add this option to our sql to add it to our user
// as they have selected it
}else{
// the user didn't select this one, so add it to be removed
// from the users
}
}
}