cakephp checkbox naming patterns - cakephp

Question

(Edited to provide clearer example)
I have cakephp model structure of document->section->variables
In a form I want to be able to list all variables, but nested within document and then section levels. That bit is fine.
I want check boxes alongside each item at the variable level - to allow selection of variables.
I want a checkbox at sectionlevel, that when selected will select all the checkboxes for the variables in that section.
I want a checkbox at document level so that when selected it will select all checkboxes for the variables for that document (ie in all sections.)
To facilitate this I have named the checkboxes thus (well, I have set the ids)(pseudo code):
document level: id = Document id
section level id = Document id_Section id
variable level id = Document id_Section id_Variable_id
My hope this that if I select the section level checkbox I can set all the variable level checkboxes FOR THAT SECTION by using the Document id_Section_id stub at the beginning of all the ids for the variable level checkboxes... but maybe I am grasping at straws?
Here is a sample of checkboxes in levels: (apologies for layout)
<?php
//Document level
//all of this within a ForEach loop for documents
echo "<table>";
echo "<tr><td>Collection dates</td><td>".$project_document['data_collection_dates']."</td>";
echo "<td>Select (toggle) all variables"
.$this->Form->checkbox($project_document['id'], // note that this sets the chkbox id to the value of the current document id
array('hiddenField' => false,'onclick'=> 'SelectSection(this,this.name,this.checked);'))
."</td></tr>";
echo "</table>";
foreach ($project_document['ProjectDocumentSection'] as $project_document_section):
echo "<h4>" . $project_document_section['title']. "</h4>";
echo "<table>";
echo "<tr><td>Collection Method</td><td>" . $project_document_section['method']. "</td></tr>";
echo "<tr><td>Collection objective</td><td>" . $project_document_section['objective']. "</td>";
echo "<td>Select (toggle) all section variables"
.$this->Form->checkbox($project_document['id']
."_".$project_document_section['id'] // and here the chkbox id is set to combination of document id and section is (using _ as separator)
, array('hiddenField' => false))."</td></tr>";
echo "</table>";
echo "<table><tr><th>Full text</th><th>Type</th><th>Format</th><th>Codeset</th></tr>" ; // header for variable table
foreach ($project_document_section['ProjectDocumentSectionVariable'] as $project_document_section_var):
echo"<tr><td>".$project_document_section_var['variable_type']
."</td><td>".$project_document_section_var['variable_format']
."</td><td>";
echo "<td>".$this->Form->checkbox($project_document['id']
."_".$project_document_section['id']
."_".$project_document_section_var['id'], array('hiddenField' => false))."</td></tr>";
endforeach;
echo "</table>";
endforeach;
// and later endforeach for the document itself
?>
And when rendered this might look something like this;
<td>Select (toggle) all variables
<input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11]" onclick="SelectSection(this,this.name,this.checked);" value="1" id="Project11"/>
// note that checkbox id and name include ref to document id (11)
</td></tr>
<h4>Details of Health Workers at Facility</h4>
<table>
<tr><td>Collection Method</td><td>FW completed evaluation on paper</td></tr>
<tr><td>Collection objective</td><td>blah blah blah blah</td>
<td>Select (toggle) all section variables
<input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24]" value="1" id="Project1124"/></td></tr>
// note that checkbox id and name include ref to document id (11) and section id (24)
</table>
<table>
<tr><th>Full text</th><th>Type</th><th>Format</th><th>Codeset</th></tr>
<tr><td>Site</td><td>Categorical</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_402]" value="1" id="Project1124402"/></td></tr>
// note that checkbox id and name include ref to document id (11), section id (24) and variable id (402)
<tr><td>Facility</td><td>Categorical</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_403]" value="1" id="Project1124403"/></td></tr>
<tr><td>Name</td><td>Text</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_404]" value="1" id="Project1124404"/></td></tr>
<tr><td>Position of Health Worker</td><td>Text</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_405]" value="1" id="Project1124405"/></td></tr>
<tr><td>Description</td><td>Text</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_406]" value="1" id="Project1124406"/></td></tr>
<tr><td>Interviewer Code</td><td>Categorical</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_407]" value="1" id="Project1124407"/></td></tr>
<tr><td>Date of Facility Visit </td><td>Date</td><td>Quantative</td>
<td><input type="checkbox" name="data[Project][11_24_408]" value="1" id="Project1124408"/></td></tr>
</table>
Has anyone any advice on how to approach this? I am sure there is more than one way to kill this bird..
Thanks
Paul

Answer 1

IF I understand your question, just use the FormHelper to create your checkboxes - they'll include the model in their id, and you can then upon click use Javascript (jQuery makes it easy) to modify checkboxes that contain '_variable', or '_section'...etc