phalcon/cphalcon · error · Phalcon\Tag\Exception

Parameter 'using' requires two values

Error message

Parameter 'using' requires two values

What it means

Phalcon\Tag\Select builds <select> options from a Phalcon\Mvc\Model resultset. The 'using' parameter names the two fields read from every row: the first becomes the <option value>, the second the visible text (optionsFromResultset, phalcon/Tag/Select.zep:262). When 'using' is an array it must contain exactly two entries, otherwise the helper throws Phalcon\Tag\Exception before rendering anything.

Source

Thrown at phalcon/Tag/Select.zep:262

    /**
     * Generate the OPTION tags based on a resultset
     */
    private static function optionsFromResultset(
        <ResultsetInterface> resultset,
        var using,
        var value,
        string closeOption
    ) -> string
    {
        var code, escaper, executed, params, option, usingZero, usingOne,
            optionValue, optionText, strValue, strOptionValue;

        let code = "";
        let params = null;

        if typeof using == "array" {
            if unlikely count(using) != 2 {
                throw new Exception("Parameter 'using' requires two values");
            }

            let usingZero = self::toStringValue(using[0]),
                usingOne  = self::toStringValue(using[1]);
        }

        let escaper = <EscaperInterface> BaseTag::getEscaperService();

        for option in iterator(resultset) {
            if typeof using == "array" {
                if typeof option == "object" {
                    if method_exists(option, "readAttribute") {
                        let optionValue = option->readAttribute(usingZero);
                        let optionText = option->readAttribute(usingOne);
                    } else {
                        let optionValue = option->{usingZero};
                        let optionText = option->{usingOne};
                    }

View on GitHub (pinned to b7419de9cd)

Solutions

1. Set 'using' to exactly two field names: ['using' => ['id', 'name']] — first element is the option value, second is the label.
2. If you need more per-option data, map the resultset to key=>text pairs yourself and pass that array as the select data (use Tag::selectStatic).
3. Verify both field names actually exist on each row; they are read via readAttribute() or property access on objects, or as array keys on array rows.

Example fix

// before
Tag::select(['roleId', $roles, 'using' => ['id', 'name', 'status']]);
// throws: Parameter 'using' requires two values

// after
Tag::select(['roleId', $roles, 'using' => ['id', 'name']]);

$using = $params['using'] ?? null;
if (is_array($using) && count($using) !== 2) {
    throw new InvalidArgumentException("Tag::select 'using' must have exactly 2 fields [value, text]");
}

try {
    echo Tag::select(['roleId', $roles, 'using' => $using]);
} catch (\Phalcon\Tag\Exception $e) {
    $logger->error('Select helper misconfigured: ' . $e->getMessage());
    echo '<select name="roleId"></select>';
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling Tag::select() / Tag::selectStatic() / Tag\Select::selectField() with a resultset (or any object) as data and a 'using' array whose count() != 2, e.g. ['using' => ['id']] or ['using' => ['id', 'name', 'status']].

Common situations: Adding a third column to get extra attributes into each option; renaming model fields while the template keeps stale 'using' entries; copy-pasting a select definition and trimming one field; note that a non-array 'using' (e.g. string) is rejected earlier with a different message ('The using parameter should be an array').

Related errors

• Resultset returned an invalid value
• The 'using' parameter requires exactly two values
• Resultset returned an invalid value
• {message}
• The 'using' parameter is required

AI-assisted analysis of phalcon/cphalcon@b7419de9cd (2026-08-21). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7180357c88432f02. Report an issue: GitHub.