Building drop-down-list in Laravel (without models) - drop-down-menu

Question

I am trying to make a drop down list in Laravel with the select options being values from my database and I have some issues. In other tutorials in this site, doing drop down list inquires building the models for your database. I have not created model classes and I do not intend to.
Routes.php
Route::get("/user/charname", array(
'as' => 'profile-character',
'uses' => 'ProfileController#dropDownList'
));
ProfileController.php
class ProfileController extends BaseController
{
public function dropDownList()
{
$list = DB::table('characters')->where('char_id', '128')->pluck('char_name');
return View::make('layout.profile')->with('character_options',$list);
}
}
In the profile.blade.php (view)
<div class="selected_char">
<form action="{{ URL::route('profile-character') }}" method="post">
<li>
{{ Form::select('character_options', $list ,Input::old('character_options')) }}
</li>
</form>
</div>
By doing this it says that $list from my view is undefined. Where do I define $list in the view and how will I carry $list from my Controller to the View because this line doesn't seem to do it's job
return View::make('layout.profile')->with('character_options',$list);

Answer 1

You need to use $character_options not $list in the View.

Answer 2

You actually specify that the variable should be 'character_options' in your View::make() call, so you need to refer to it as $character_options.
Additionally, ->lists('char_name') is better than using ->pluck('char_name') as it'll give you the full list. Pluck just returns the first item it finds.
Additionally to that, using ->lists('char_name', 'id') gets you the list keyed by the id column, which would be useful if you were to use this list to determine IDs for a foreign key field. But no biggie if not.

Answer 3

I have partially solved the issues by doing this in my view:
{{ Form::select('list', DB::table('characters')->where('char_id', '128')->lists('char_name') ,Input::old('list')) }}
Personally I do not see it as a viable solution, but a temporary one
{{ Form::select('character_options', $character_options ,Input::old('character_options')) }}
Error: undefined variable character_options
{{ Form::select('character_options', $list ,Input::old('character_options')) }}
Error: undefined variable list
Maybe I do not understand how i send the variable from the Controller to the View.

Answer 4

You need to use lists as mentioned by #alexrussel. Do note that View::make('layout.profile')->with('character_options',$list);, here you are passing the variable $character_options with the value contained in the $list and $list will no longer be available to the view.
ProfileController.php
<?php
class ProfileController extends BaseController
{
public function dropDownList()
{
$list = DB::table('characters')->where('char_id', '128')->lists('char_name');
return View::make('layout.profile')->with('character_options',$list);
}
}
profile.blade.php
<div class="selected_char">
<form action="{{ URL::route('profile-character') }}" method="post">
<li>
{{ Form::select('character_options', $character_options ,Input::old('character_options')) }}
</li>
</form>