Can't get bind() to work - zend-framework2

Question

I want my form fields to contain the previous data contained in database when the form page opens. I went through lots of queries here and came to know using populate() or bind() method is the way to do it. But when I try to use it, I get an undefined method error.
Is there any other way to do it?
I am unable to use bind() as well. I am getting a fresh form with default values after I submit.
Sorry if this is a stupid question. Its been only 4-5 days since I started learning Zend framework. Also, most of the methods I get online are for older frameworks. I am using Zend Framework2.
This is Controller Code
<?php
class ChatController extends AbstractActionController
{
protected $chatTable;
public function indexAction()
{
$form = new ChatForm();
$model= new Chat();
$form->bind($model);
$form->get('submit')->setValue('Save');
$request = $this->getRequest();
if ($request->isPost()) {
$gen_set = new Chat();
$form->setInputFilter($gen_set->getInputFilter());
$form->setData($request->getPost());
if ($form->isValid()) {
$gen_set->exchangeArray($form->getData());
$this->getChatTable()->saveChat($gen_set);
// Redirect to list of albums
return $this->redirect()->toRoute('chat');
}
}
return array('form' => $form);
}
public function getChatTable()
{
if (!$this->chatTable) {
$sm = $this->getServiceLocator();
$this->chatTable = $sm->get('Chat\Model\ChatTable');
}
return $this->chatTable;
}
}
My Entity Class, Here api_key and anon_prefix are rows of the column 'settings' and there is one more column with value.
<?php
class Chat implements InputFilterAwareInterface
{
protected $inputFilter;
public function exchangeArray($data)
{
$this->api_key=(isset($data['api_key'])) ? $data['api_key'] : null;
$this->anon_prefix = (isset($data['anon_prefix'])) ? $data['anon_prefix'] : null;
}
// Add content to these methods:
public function setInputFilter(InputFilterInterface $inputFilter)
{
throw new \Exception("Not used");
}
public function getInputFilter()
{
if (!$this->inputFilter) {
$inputFilter = new InputFilter();
$inputFilter->add(array(
'name' => 'iflychat_external_api_key',
'required' => true,
'filters' => array(
array('name' => 'StripTags'),
array('name' => 'StringTrim'),
),
));
$inputFilter->add(array(
'name' => 'iflychat_show_admin_list',
'required' => true,
'validators' => array(
array(
'name' => 'InArray',
'options' => array(
'haystack' => array(1,2),
),
),
),
));
$this->inputFilter = $inputFilter;
}
return $this->inputFilter;
}
public function getArrayCopy()
{
return get_object_vars($this);
}
}
This is used to enter values into db
<?php
class ChatTable
{
protected $tableGateway;
public function __construct(TableGateway $tableGateway)
{
$this->tableGateway = $tableGateway;
}
public function fetchAll()
{
$resultSet = $this->tableGateway->select();
return $resultSet;
}
public function saveChat(Chat $gen_set)
{
$data = array(
'value' => $gen_set->api_key,
);
$id='iflychat_external_api_key';
$this->tableGateway->update($data,array('settings' => $id));
$data = array(
'value' => $gen_set->anon_prefix,
);
$id='anon_prefix';
$this->tableGateway->update($data,array('settings' => $id));
}
}
I am getting this error, 'Cannot use object of type Chat\Model\Chat as array'

Answer 1

Your action doesn't make much sense as it is, you instantiate a Chat instance as $model and later another instance as $gen_set. What you should be doing is binding the first one, and using the form class getData method to later return the instance you bound to it, along with the values you gave it in the setData method. There's no need for any transformations from object to array and back again.
Here's how it should look ...
public function indexAction()
{
$form = new ChatForm();
// bind the model
$model= new Chat();
$form->bind($model);
$form->get('submit')->setValue('Save');
$request = $this->getRequest();
if ($request->isPost()) {
$form->setInputFilter($gen_set->getInputFilter());
// set data from POST as properties of the bound model ...
$form->setData($request->getPost());
if ($form->isValid()) {
// get the bound model instance with the POSTed values
// ($gen_set is now the original $model object instance bound above)
$gen_set = $form->getData();
// and save it
$this->getChatTable()->saveChat($gen_set);
// Redirect to list of albums
return $this->redirect()->toRoute('chat');
}
}
return array('form' => $form);
}

Answer 2

Controller Code -
<?php
class ChatController extends AbstractActionController {
protected $chatTable;
public function indexAction() {
$model = $this->getChatTable()->fetchLastChat();
if($model === null || $model->count() == 0)
$model = new Chat();
//Now if no record exists in the database then $model will be empty
//Else $model will contain data of last record.
$form = new ChatForm();
$form->bind($model);
$form->get('submit')->setValue('Save');
$request = $this->getRequest();
if ($request->isPost()) {
$gen_set = new Chat();
$form->setInputFilter($gen_set->getInputFilter());
$form->setData($request->getPost());
if ($form->isValid()) {
$gen_set->exchangeArray($form->getData());
$this->getChatTable()->saveChat($gen_set);
}
}
return array('form' => $form);
}
public function getChatTable() {
if (!$this->chatTable) {
$sm = $this->getServiceLocator();
$this->chatTable = $sm->get('Chat\Model\ChatTable');
}
return $this->chatTable;
}
}
ChatTable Class Code -
<?php
//Other use statements
use Zend\Db\Sql\Select;
class ChatTable {
protected $tableGateway;
public function __construct(TableGateway $tableGateway) {
$this->tableGateway = $tableGateway;
}
public function fetchAll() {
$resultSet = $this->tableGateway->select();
return $resultSet;
}
public function fetchLastChat() {
$select = new Select('TABLE_NAME'); //Change the tablename accordingly
$select->order('PRIMARY_KEY DESC'); //Set the Primary Key of the table
$select->limit(1);
$resultSet = $this->tableGateway->selectWith($select);
return $resultSet->current();
}
//Rest of the Code ....
Please take the idea from the above code.