Yii ajax post to php

1A_ajax_via_serializeArray.js

return $.ajax({
    context: this,
    type: 'post',
    dataType: 'json',
    url: this.$element.attr('action'),
    data: $form.serializeArray(), // send data as a serialized array
});

1B_php_via_serializeArray.php

public function actionHandleForm()
{
    if (Yii::app()->request->isAjaxRequest) {
        /**
         * Get post data of `FooForm`
         * Form should be set up with fields as such:
         * @example:
         * <input name="FooForm['field1']" />
         * <input name="FooForm['field2']" />
         */
        $data = Yii::app()->request->getPost('FooForm');
        
        if ($data) {
            return $data;
        } else {
            throw new CHttpException(400, 'Invalid request.');
        }
    } else {
        throw new CHttpException(403, 'Forbidden.');
    }
}

2A_ajax_via_serialize.js

return $.ajax({
    context: this,
    type: 'post',
    dataType: 'json',
    url: this.$element.attr('action'),
    data: { myData: $form.serialize() }, // <<< notice we are using object wrapper with key `data` and serialize() method instead
});

2B_php_via_serialize.php

public function actionHandleForm()
{
    if (Yii::app()->request->isAjaxRequest) {
        /**
         * Get post data without naming form
         * In this method, inputs don't have to share a common name
         * @example
         * <input name="field1" ... />
         * <input name="field2" ... />
         * Native php function `parse_str` converts a serialized string
         * into the object in the second argument. In this case `$data`.
         */
        parse_str(Yii::app()->request->getPost('myData'), $data);
        
        if ($data) {
            return $data;
        } else {
            throw new CHttpException(400, 'Invalid request.');
        }
    } else {
        throw new CHttpException(403, 'Forbidden.');
    }
}