Lookup field problem?

My noob question…

I have a table with "categories" that are related (indirectly) in a hierarhy by using the ENestedSet extension.

I try to figure out how to create a simple Create Category form where user should

enter the name of category and select a parent category (or no parent if category is a new root)

1. I try to use a dropDownList, but my problem is that the implementation of Category has no parent_id field.

Parent category is determinated by left,right,level indexes in category table and no parent attribute exists in table,

so i think $form->dropDownList($model,…) is not possible here because my category $model has no parent_id attribute, so how should i make it?

2. Drop down list is a limited solution to this, because i can not estimate how many category records will exists

in future… so i think i need a modal form, with pagging, but don’t know yet how to do it…

any sugestions?

thanks in advance…

First. I’m glad that you use my extension. Second. You can use this widget for this:

class CategorySelectWidget extends CInputWidget

{

	public $root;

	public $showRoot=true;

	public $condition='';


	public function run()

	{

		$root=Category::model()->roots()->findByAttributes(array('name'=>$this->root));


		if($root!==null)

		{

			$categories=$root->descendants()->findAll(array('select'=>'id,title,level','condition'=>$this->condition));


			if($this->showRoot)

				$categories=array_merge(array($root),$categories);


			foreach($categories as $category)

				$category->title=str_repeat('—',$this->showRoot ? $category->level-1 : $category->level-2).' '.CHtml::encode($category->title);


			if(!isset($this->htmlOptions['encode']))

				$this->htmlOptions['encode']=false;


			echo CHtml::activeDropDownList($this->model,$this->attribute,CHtml::listData($categories,'id','title'),$this->htmlOptions);

		}

	}

}