CakePHP: creating a dropdown on homepge through an element problem - cakephp

Question

I try to create a search function on my homepage where the user can limit the search results by country.
It all works in my posts/index controller whereby the country list is automatically retrieved by a find('list).
However, on the homepage, the country dropdown remains empty. Below some code:
I try to retrieve the dropdown by using requestAction (please omit 'requestAction is slow from the comments, thanks)
homesearch.ctp ELEMENT:
<?php $this->requestAction('countries/getCountries');?>
<?php
echo $this->Form->create('Post', array(
'url' => array_merge(array('controller' => 'posts','action' => 'index'), $this->params['pass'])
));
echo $this->Form->input('title', array('div' => false, 'empty' => true, 'label' => false));
echo $this->Form->input('country_id');
echo $this->Form->submit(__('Search', true), array('div' => false));
echo $this->Form->end();
?>
getCountries function in countries controller:
function getCountries(){
$countries = $this->Country->find('list');
$this->set(compact('countries'));
}
Before diving into alternatives (loadmodule('Country') in PagesController etc), I think I am doing something wrong, there is no data flowing back from the requestAction function as debug taught me.
How do you guys wash this cow? Thanks!

Answer 1

... (please omit 'requestAction is slow from the comments, thanks)
For improved performance, replace:
<?php $this->requestAction('countries/getCountries');?>
with:
<?php $this->viewVars['countries'] = ClassRegistry::init('Country')->find('list'); ?>
This approach doesn't generate a second request.

Answer 2

function getCountries(){
$countries = $this->Country->find('list');
if (!empty($this->params['requested'])) {
return $countries;
} else {
$this->set(compact('countries'));
}
}
and in the element: <?php $countries = $this->requestAction('countries/getCountries');?>
man, it's right in the book: http://book.cakephp.org/view/991/requestAction