findByAttributes Example - yii

Question

Explanation for the use of $condition and $param in findByAttributes in Yii
In most case, this is how I use findByAttributes
Person::model()->findByAttributes(array('first_name'=>$firstName,'last_name'=>$lastName));

Answer 1

Copy from this thread http://www.yiiframework.com/forum/index.php/topic/21178-findbyattributes-example/
Explain what you want to do and where is your errors.
Try to read documentation http://www.yiiframework.com/doc/api/1.1/CActiveRecord#findByAttributes-detail

Answer 2

When you do a find in Yii's CActiveRecord using the attributes of the model, you would most likely find by some equality.
Person::model()->findByAttributes(array(
'first_name' => $firstName,
'last_name' => $lastName,
));
In English, this translates to "Find me a person whose last name is $lastname and whose first name is $firstname". But this is a bad example. Consider the following.
Person::model()->findByAttributes(array(
'age' => 18,
));
This is a better example which translates, in English, to "Fetch me all eighteen year olds" (that is, "where age = 18). This can be re-written with conditions like so
Person::model()->findByAttributes(array(
'condition' => 'age = :age',
'params' => array(
':age' => 18,
),
));
So far, there may seem to be little benefits. But such expressions make us able to use more boolean operators. For example...
Person::model()->findByAttributes(array(
'condition' => 'age < :age',
'params' => array(
':age' => 18,
),
));
...can now help us find all those below a certain age.
The query can grow as complex as you wish with $conditions and $params, but with your normal method, you may only use assignment queries.