Simple CakePHP search action - cakephp

Question

I want a simple search feature that can search the current selected results on the model's index page. I have created a model Search which has no actual table:
class Search extends AppModel {
protected $_schema = array(
'search_term' => array('type' => 'string' , 'null' => true, 'default' => '', 'length' => '255'),
'model' => array('type' => 'string' , 'null' => true, 'default' => '', 'length' => '255'),
);
public $useTable = false;
public $validate = array(
'search_term' => array(
'notEmpty' => array(
'rule' => array('notEmpty'),
'message' => 'Please enter a search term'
),
'between' => array(
'rule' => array('between',3,30),
'message' => 'Please enter a search term greater than 3 characters.'
)
)
);
}
In any index.ctp view I have this with a hidden input field with the model's name:
echo $this->Form->create('Search, array('action' => 'search'));
echo $this->Form->input('search_term', array('label'=> 'Search'));
echo $this->Form->input('model', array('type'=> 'hidden', 'value'=>$this->params['controller']));
echo $this->Form->end(__('Submit'));
In the SearchesController:
public function search() {
$conditions = null;
if( $this->request->is('post') ) {
$searchModel = $this->request->data[$this->modelClass]['model'];
...
$this->{$this->modelClass}->useTable = Inflector::tableize($searchModel);
...
$this->paginate = array('conditions'=>array($groups,'OR' => $conditions));
$this->set($searchModel, $this->paginate());
$this->render("/$searchModel/index");
}
Problem is paginate is returning an array with the model labelled as 'Search' (understandably because of the useTable call) and not say Groups or Users, the model's being searched. Any way to relabel the array returned from paginate to the model being searched ? The alternative is to modify all the index.ctp files or create a results.ctp for each model.

Answer 1

I wouldn’t create another model merely for searching; it’s a hack and not extendable.
In the past, I’ve just used parameters (usually in the query string) to alter the conditions array (whether it’s a normal find operation of a paginate operation). An example:
<?php
class ItemsController extends AppController {
public function index() {
$conditions = array();
if (isset($this->request->query['search'])) {
$conditions['Item.title'] = $this->request->query['search'];
}
$items = $this->Item->find('all', array(
'conditions' => $conditions
));
$this->set(compact('items'));
}
}
Hopefully the above demonstrates this approach.