Laravel use same form for create and edit

Am quite new to Laravel and I have to create a form for create and a form for edit. In my form I have quite some jquery ajax posts. Am wondering whether Laravel does provide for an easy way for me to use the same form for my edit and create without having to add tons of logic in my code. I don't want to check if am in edit or create mode every time when assigning values to fields when the form loads. Any ideas on how I can accomplish this with minimum coding?

I like to use form model binding so I can easily populate a form's fields with corresponding value, so I follow this approach (using a user model for example):

@if(isset($user))
    {{ Form::model($user, ['route' => ['updateroute', $user->id], 'method' => 'patch']) }}
@else
    {{ Form::open(['route' => 'createroute']) }}
@endif

    {{ Form::text('fieldname1', Input::old('fieldname1')) }}
    {{ Form::text('fieldname2', Input::old('fieldname2')) }}
    {{-- More fields... --}}
    {{ Form::submit('Save', ['name' => 'submit']) }}
{{ Form::close() }}

So, for example, from a controller, I basically use the same form for creating and updating, like:

// To create a new user
public function create()
{
    // Load user/createOrUpdate.blade.php view
    return View::make('user.createOrUpdate');
}

// To update an existing user (load to edit)
public function edit($id)
{
    $user = User::find($id);
    // Load user/createOrUpdate.blade.php view
    return View::make('user.createOrUpdate')->with('user', $user);
}

Pretty easy in your controller you do:

public function create()
{
    $user = new User;

    $action = URL::route('user.store');

    return View::('viewname')->with(compact('user', 'action'));
}

public function edit($id)
{
    $user = User::find($id);

    $action = URL::route('user.update', ['id' => $id]);

    return View::('viewname')->with(compact('user', 'action'));
}

And you just have to use this way:

{{ Form::model($user, ['action' => $action]) }}

   {{ Form::input('email') }}
   {{ Form::input('first_name') }}

{{ Form::close() }}

For the creation add an empty object to the view.

return view('admin.profiles.create', ['profile' => new Profile()]);

Old function has a second parameter, default value, if you pass there the object's field, the input can be reused.

<input class="input" type="text" name="name" value="{{old('name', $profile->name)}}">

For the form action, you can use the correct endpoint.

<form action="{{ $profile->id == null ? '/admin/profiles' :  '/admin/profiles/' . $profile->id }} " method="POST">

And for the update you have to use PATCH method.

@isset($profile->id)
 {{ method_field('PATCH')}}
@endisset

Another clean method with a small controller, two views and a partial view :

UsersController.php

public function create()
{
    return View::('create');
}    

public function edit($id)
{
    $user = User::find($id);
    return View::('edit')->with(compact('user'));
}

create.blade.php

{{ Form::open( array( 'route' => ['users.index'], 'role' => 'form' ) ) }}
    @include('_fields')
{{ Form::close() }}

edit.blade.php

{{ Form::model( $user, ['route' => ['users.update', $user->id], 'method' => 'put', 'role' => 'form'] ) }}
    @include('_fields')
{{ Form::close() }}

_fields.blade.php

{{ Form::text('fieldname1') }}
{{ Form::text('fieldname2') }}
{{ Form::button('Save', ['type' => 'submit']) }}

Laravel use same form for create and edit

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