jquery - if(isset($_POST.... not being set with ajax request -

i'm having zii.widgets.jui.cjuidialog box send form via ajax controller. however, when test controller presence of post if(isset($_post['item'])). isn't present , don't know why. i'm adapting post http://www.yiiframework.com/wiki/145/cjuidialog-for-create-new-model/ fit own needs.

this form within model:

<div class="form">  <form id="email-item-form" action="/www.mywebsite.ca/item/1/my-first-item" method="post">   <div id="email-item-success" class="label label-success"></div> <div id="email-item-failure" class="label label-important"></div>  <div class="row">     <label for="item_email_item">email item to:</label>        <input placeholder="send to..." name="item[email_item]" id="item_email_item" type="text" />        <div class="errormessage" id="item_email_item_em_" style="display:none"></div>   </div><!-- row --> <div class="row">     <label for="item_email_item_sender">email sent from:</label>         <input placeholder="sent from..." name="item[email_item_sender]" id="item_email_item_sender" type="text" />        <div class="errormessage" id="item_email_item_sender_em_" style="display:none"></div>    </div><!-- row -->  <br /> </form> 

controller

public function actionemail($id) {         if(isset($_post['item']))     {                // rest of code             } }  

the data being sent via chtml::ajax , declaring 'type'=>'post'. process has been working in terms of sending item id controller , sending responses modal box. problem has started since tried confirm presence of $_post['item'] in order set $model->attributes=$_post['item'];

any in solving great thank you.

update show chtml::ajax()

var url = '<?php echo yii::app()->createurl("item/email", array("id"=>$model->id)); ?>';  <?php echo chtml::ajax(array(         'url'=>'js:url',         'data'=> "js:$(this).serialize()", ....// rest of code 

i don't see inputs or other form data name="item". however, if change php code exact names of form, should find them:

public function actionemail($id) {         if(isset($_post['item[email_item_sender]']))     {                // rest of code             } }  

edit:

if want see post data debugging purposes, can use code php: possible automatically posted data?

foreach ($_post $key => $value) echo "field ".htmlspecialchars($key)." ".htmlspecialchars($value)."<br>";