php - how to use Chtml::DropDownList()

i'm currently a newbie when it comes to the yii framework / php. I would like some assistance creating this Chtml::DropDownList.

http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/api/1.1/CHtml#dropDownList-detail

Chtml::dropDownList($name, $select, $data)

I understand that $data is the array of data I will be loading in from my Database.

But can someone explain to me how $name, and $select truly works. I have a hard time finding documentation that explains this at a extremely dumbdown level.

I manage to get this piece of code working, but I would prefer using Chtml::dropdownlist.

            echo $form->dropDownList($model, 'id',

        Chtml::listData(UsersTeam::model()->findAllByAttributes(array('coachId'=>$model->id)), 'id', 'teamName'),
        array('empty'=>'Select Team'))
    ?>

I would like to be able to display all teamName for the current user that he is enlisted in.

I'm currently displaying this in the model view of a User, but the information I need is from UserTeam which holds the teams for the users.

        'memberOfTeams' => array(self::MANY_MANY, 'UsersTeam', '{{teamMembers}}(userId, teamId)'),     
        'coachOfTeams' => array(self::HAS_MANY, 'UsersTeam', 'coachId'),

Answer

$name is the name="mySelect" form value it will have (the one that will be passed if sent as a form i.e. $_POST['mySelect']).

$select is the preselected ID. Say you have an array...

$options = array('12' => 'Twelve', '10' => 'Ten');

And your dropdown looks like this...

echo CHtml::dropDownList('mySelect', '12', $options);

Then 'Twelve' will be the preselected item in the dropdown and $_POST['mySelect'] will be the value passed when the form is sent.

You can add additional html options to each tag, using the fourth parameter CHtml::dropDownList accepts, like so:

$htmlOptions = array(
    // adds to the select element
    'style' => 'cursor: pointer;',
    // adds to the actual options
    'options' => array(
        '12' => array('title' => '12')
    )
);

And updating the call to:

echo CHtml::dropDownList('mySelect', '12', $options, $htmlOptions);

The finished list would look like this:

    Twelve
    Ten