Laravel Pagination Appends Not Keeping Search Data - laravel

Question

I've been able to implement the pagination and appends() on my form and it does show the proper values in the url on page 2, though it doesn't actually bring the values back into the form/query, it simply resets the actual data being searched for and displays all.
Here is my form code and the appends.
{{ Form::open(array('class' => 'stdform', 'method' => 'post', 'name' => 'all')) }}
<input type="text" name="srch_lname" class="input-large"
value="{{ Input::old('srch_lname', Session::get('srch_lname')) }}" />
<input type="text" name="srch_fname" class="input-large"
value="{{ Input::old('srch_fname', Session::get('srch_fname')) }}" />
.
.
.
<?php echo $employees->appends(array("srch_lname" => Session::get('srch_lname'),
"srch_fname" => Session::get('srch_fname') ))->links(); ?>
And my Controller
public function getIndex() {
$srch_lname = Session::get('srch_lname');
$srch_fname = Session::get('srch_fname');
$employees = vEmployees::co()->restrictions()
->where('lastname', 'LIKE', $srch_lname . '%')
->where('firstname', 'LIKE', $srch_fname . '%')
->paginate(10);
return View::make('employees.index')
->with('employees', $employees)
->with('title', 'Users');
}
public function postIndex() {
if (Input::has('btnSearch')) {
return Redirect::to('/employees')->with('search', 1)
->with('srch_lname', Input::get('srch_lname'))
->with('srch_fname', Input::get('srch_fname'));
else {
return Redirect::to('/employees');
}
}
Full Form
{{ Form::open(array('class' => 'stdform', 'method' => 'post', 'name' => 'all')) }}
<div class="stepContainer">
<div class="formwiz content">
<h4 class="widgettitle">Search for an Employee</h4>
<p>
<label>Lastname</label>
<span class="field">
<input type="text" name="srch_lname" class="input-large"
value="{{ Input::old('srch_lname', Session::get('srch_lname')) }}" />
</span>
</p>
<p>
<label>Firstname</label>
<span class="field">
<input type="text" name="srch_fname" class="input-large"
value="{{ Input::old('srch_fname', Session::get('srch_fname')) }}" />
</span>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="actionBar" style="text-align: right;">
<button class="btn btn-primary" name="btnSearch" value="1">
Search for Employee(s)
</button>
</div>
{{ Form::close() }}

Answer 1

You need to pass your inputs to the view so that Input::old() has values to work with after the redirect from postIndex to getIndex.
in getIndex(), add to View::make()
->with('input', [ 'srch_lname'=> $srch_lname, 'srch_fname' => $srch_fname ]);

Answer 2

It looks like you do not have the pageSearch value in your pagination query string. Try this.
<?php echo $employees->appends(
array("btnSearch" => "1",
"srch_lname" => Session::get('srch_lname'),
"srch_fname" => Session::get('srch_fname') )
)->links(); ?>

Answer 3

I made a small sample but since I don't have your employees I just used the User model and commented out the filtering, just used as a test to pass and get input values.
Note the change to Input:: from Session, in getIndex() and in the form for $employees->appends(). Use Input instead of Session, I did not see anywhere in your code where you save the filter values in session variables.
I also changed the Redirect::to() to pass the parameters in the URL since it is a get method.
I tested and the filter values are passed to getIndex() and the form fields, also the inputs get properly passed by pagination links.
class EmployeeController extends BaseController
{
public
function getIndex()
{
$srch_lname = Input::get('srch_lname');
$srch_fname = Input::get('srch_fname');
$employees = User::query()
//->where('lastname', 'LIKE', $srch_lname . '%')
//->where('firstname', 'LIKE', $srch_fname . '%')
->paginate(10);
// make input available for page's form fields as old input
Session::flash('_old_input', Input::all());
return View::make('employees')
->with('employees', $employees)
->with('title', 'Users');
}
public
function postIndex()
{
if (Input::has('btnSearch'))
{
return Redirect::to('/employees?search=1&srch_lname=' . urlencode(Input::get('srch_lname')) . '&srch_fname=' . urlencode(Input::get('srch_fname')));
//return Redirect::to('/employees')->with('search', 1)
// ->with('srch_lname', Input::get('srch_lname'))
// ->with('srch_fname', Input::get('srch_fname'));
}
else
{
return Redirect::to('/employees');
}
}
}
Form and ->appends():
{{ Form::open(array('class' => 'stdform', 'method' => 'post', 'name' => 'all')) }}
<div class="stepContainer">
<div class="formwiz content">
<h4 class="widgettitle">Search for an Employee</h4>
<p>
<label>Lastname</label>
<span class="field">
<input type="text" name="srch_lname" class="input-large"
value="{{ Input::old('srch_lname', Session::get('srch_lname')) }}" />
</span>
</p>
<p>
<label>Firstname</label>
<span class="field">
<input type="text" name="srch_fname" class="input-large"
value="{{ Input::old('srch_fname', Session::get('srch_fname')) }}" />
</span>
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="actionBar" style="text-align: right;">
<button class="btn btn-primary" name="btnSearch" value="1">
Search for Employee(s)
</button>
</div>
{{ Form::close() }}
<?php echo $employees->appends(array("srch_lname" => Input::get('srch_lname'),
"srch_fname" => Input::get('srch_fname') ))->links(); ?>

Answer 4

I got it working! I continued to do some research and running the search through POST was really a major issue in adding that gap between the search itself and holding the data into the GET method of pagination.
I'll run through everything I did below for anyone in the future having the same issue.
I first created a Route that would direct to a new function in my EmployeesController
Route::get('emp_srch', 'EmployeesController#search');
And created the new function in the Controller
public function search() {
$srch_lname = Input::get('srch_lname');
$srch_fname = Input::get('srch_fname');
$employees = vEmployees::co()->restrictions()
->where('lastname', 'LIKE', $srch_lname . '%')
->where('firstname', 'LIKE', $srch_fname . '%')
->orderBy('lastname')
->orderBy('firstname')
->paginate(10);
Session::flash('_old_input', Input::all());
return View::make('employees.index')
->with('employees', $employees)
->with('title', 'Users')
->with('pagetitle', 'Employees')
}
It's essentially the function I had in the getIndex though rearranging the way the search was functioning I believe was the defining factor in actually getting this to work in my case.
I also changed the url on the form, which directed to my new Route. As well as changing the form so it uses the GET Method and no longer POST.
{{ Form::open(array('url' => 'emp_srch', 'class' => 'stdform', 'method' => 'get')) }}
I do want to thank vladsch and whoacowboy for helping push me in the right direction(s).