php - Placing a widget within Yii's CActiveForm loses CActiveForm functionality -

i use cactiveform::dropdownlist() in many, many places. speed development i'd write widget encapsulates related work. have displays correctly loses validation functionality of cactiveform.

here's how create dropdown directly. $activemodel refers model (cactiverecord) used cactiveform. $allitems cactiverecord array used populated dropdown. code works perfectly.

<div class="row">     <?php echo $form->labelex($activemodel, 'keyid'); ?>:     <?php     $data = array();     foreach ($allitems $item) {         $data[$item->keyid] = chtml::encode($item->keyname);     }     $options = array(         'prompt' => 'select item',         'options' => array($activemodel->keyid => array('selected' => true)),     );     echo $form->dropdownlist($activemodel, 'keyid', $data, $options);     ?>     <?php echo $form->error($activemodel, 'keyid'); ?> </div> 

theoretically, here's how widget included in cactiveform:

<div class="row">     <?php echo $form->labelex($activemodel, 'keyid'); ?>     <?php $this->widget('path.to.customdropdown', array(         'form' => $form,         'items' => $allitems,         'model' => $activemodel,         'prompt' => 'select item',         'selected' => true,     )); ?>     <?php echo $form->error($activemodel, 'keyid'); ?> </div> 

the widget looks this:

<?php /**  * echoes populated <select> element  */ class customdropdown extends cwidget {     public $form;     public $items = array();     public $model;     public $prompt;     public $selected = false;      /**      * @var cactiveform $form      * @var cactiverecord[] $items      * @var cactiverecord $model      * @var string $prompt      * @var bool $selected (optional)      */     public function run() {         $data = array();         foreach ($this->items $item) {             $data[$item->{$item->tableschema->primarykey}] = chtml::encode($item->getname());         }          $options = array(             'prompt' => chtml::encode($this->prompt),             'options' => (                 $this->selected ? array($this->model->{$item->tableschema->primarykey} => array('selected' => true)) : array()             ),         );          echo $this->form->dropdownlist($this->model, $this->model->tableschema->primarykey, $data, $options);     } } ?> 

all of works, cactiveform loses validation functionality in dropdown. specifically, widget's $form not mapped cactiveform's validation array, submission error never displayed user.

how integrate type of widget cactiveform no functionality lost? help.

judging example, calling widget causes writing more code, in $form->dropdownlist() call. recommend simplify pieces of code , keep using widgetless solution.

why need code?

$data = array(); foreach ($allitems $item) {     $data[$item->keyid] = chtml::encode($item->keyname); } $options = array(     'prompt' => 'select item',     'options' => array($activemodel->keyid => array('selected' => true)), ); 

you repeating chtml::listdata() does. can create drop-down this:

echo $form->dropdownlist(     $activemodel,     'keyid',     chtml::listdata( myactiverecordfordropdown::model()->findall(), 'valuefield', 'textfield' ),     array( 'prompt' => 'select item' ) ); 

and selected item selected automatically model attribute value.