Open your form using Form::model and your $user values will auto populate.

{{ Form::model($user, ['action'  => ['UserController@handleEditUser', $user->id], 'role'=> 'form']) }}

{{ Form::label('user_name', 'User Name:') }}
{{ Form::text('user_name', null, array('class'=>'form-control')) }}

{{ Form::close() }}

Passing null as default value will look for the property on the $user object.

If you're using Bootstrap for CSS then I can't recommend these form macros enough: https://gist.github.com/mnshankar/7253657

I've just re-read your question and I missed the real question.

This is what I do

if(!$form->valid())
{
  return \Redirect::back()
    ->withInput()
    ->with('Error', 'Invalid form etc');
}

The withInput() method puts the form data in the session. If you use my method suggested above, the form would repopulate automatically.

hi @meigwilym , i changed the code to

 {{ Form::model($user, ['action'  => ['UserController@handleEditUser', $user->id], 'role'=> 'form']) }}
        
        <input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ $user->id }}">

        <div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">
        {{ Form::label('user_name', 'User Name:') }}
        {{ Form::text('user_name',null, array('class'=>'form-control')) }}
        </div>

 {{ Form::close() }}

The form still not repopulate with the $user values after i erase the value and click save.

@claratan it does make sense that the name field would be empty on the redirect as ->withInput() should keep the name field empty even though you in reality did not input anything into the field you cleared it, that is still a input. So it is doing what it is supposed to.

@avlastenok ,in my condition is now i am edit a records. For example, i EDIT a records(with all the initial values shown). now i erase all the exist input value , then i 'mistake' click save button, those fields cant be empty , so error shows , but now all the fields should not show back all the initial input values that i been erase just now ? It should shows right ? but in my code does not show ,how to make it show ? Thanks

Hello claratan, If I get it all correctly you want to repopulate the form with the user's info you are editing if validation fails. You can do that using,

{{ Form::model($user, array('route' => array('user.edit', $user->id))) } //make sure the form method, and route is set to patch if you want to update/edit  values

To bind the form with the user model and then if validation fails use something like this in your function:

if($validator->passes()){
		User::where('id', $id)->update(array(
			'username' => Input::get('user_name'),
			));
		return Redirect::to('/users')->with('message','User updated successfully!');
		}
		else{
			return Redirect::to('/users/edit')
			->withInput() //this will return the wrong input in the form fields
			->withErrors($validator)
			->with('message','Something went wrong');
		}

In old larave3 there is Input::flash (); and Input::old () methods but not sure if same thing applies in L4 as well.

Thanks again for all! I tried it out but i still not able to get the repopulate values.

q1: {{ Form::model($user, array('route' => array('user.edit', $user->id))) } ,the user.edit is the the method ??

q2: User::where('id', $id)->update(array( 'username' => Input::get('user_name'), ));

i think instead of using update , i using save()

Controller:

public function editUser(User $user)
    {
        return View::make('user.edituser', compact('user')); 
    }

  public function handleEditUser()
  {  
      $id = Input::get('id');
      $rules = array(
			'user_name'    => 'required|unique:user,user_name,'. $id, 			
		);

		$validator = Validator::make(Input::all(), $rules);

		if ($validator->fails()) {
			return Redirect::to('user/editUser/' . $id)
				->withInput()
        ->withErrors($validator);
		} else {
			
      $user = User::find(Input::get('id')); 
			$user->comp_name = Input::get('user_name');   
     $user->save();
      
    return Redirect::action('UserController@listUser');
    }
  }

view:

@extends('layouts.default')

@section('content')

    <div class="page-header">
        <h2>Edit User</h2>
    </div>
    
		<p style="color:red">  
      @if ($errors->has())
		
			@foreach ($errors->all() as $error)
				{{  $error }}<br>
       
			@endforeach
		
		@endif
		</p>
           
        {{ Form::model($user, ['action'  => ['UserController@handleEditUser', $user->id], 'role'=> 'form']) }}

        <input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ $user->id }}">  

        <div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">
        {{ Form::label('user_name', 'User Name:') }}
			  {{ Form::text('user_name',null, array('class'=>'form-control')) }}
        </div>
        
       {{ Form::submit('Save',array('class'=>'btn btn-primary')) }} 
       <button class="btn" type="button" onclick="location.href='{{ action('UserController@listUser') }}'">Cancel</button>  
       
      {{ Form::close() }}
@stop

route:

Route::get('user/editUser/{user}',  array('uses' => 'UserController@editUser'));
Route::post('user/editUser',  array('uses' => 'UserController@handleEditUser'));

Hi guys , i still got no idea on this, someone can help me check the code ? thanks in advance

did you try Session ?

return Redirect::to('user/editUser/' . $id)
            ->with("user_name" , Input::get("user_name"))
    ->withErrors($validator);

and in your view you should be able to get

Session::get("user_name");