In Yii, there is a "regular" and "active" version (almost?) Of each helper / widget of the CHtml field. With the "active" version, you pass to the ActiveRecord Model the attribute for which you want to create a form field. This more closely links the ActiveRecord model to the form field, which helps with a few things, such as:
- applying model-> attribute validation rules (especially ajax validation)
- creating the correct form of the $ _POST structure for assigning model-> attributes
- getting the appropriate field label
- etc.
Use activeRadioButtonList if you are creating a form for the ActiveRecord model and use radioButtonList if you are creating the correct form (for the CFormModel model).
Learn more about both versions of the radioButtonList helper: