How to POST empty <select .. multiple> HTML elements if empty?

Answer 1

If you add a hidden input before the multiple select element, it will send the hidden input value if none of the multiple select items have been selected. As soon as you select an option though, that selected value is used instead.

This way I was able to distinguish 2 different scenarios in Laravel/php, being:

• Set all myitems to empty (requiring the hidden input, so PHP receives an empty string for myitems)
• Update other properties of the model without touching myitems (so excluding any myitems input form the form. PHP will not receive the myitems key)

Sample code: