Using BelongsToMany association in Cakephp 3 - cakephp

Question

I am trying to associate multiple games to a continuity in my database.
I have 3 tables: continuities, continuities_games and games. The continuities_games table has a continuity_id and a game_id. When I try to select the different games in my selection input, it creates a new game entry in the database and then creates a entry into the join table linking it to that new game entry instead of linking it to the originally selected game.
This is the initialize function in my ContinuitiesTable:
public function initialize(array $config){
parent::initialize($config);
$this->belongsToMany('Games');
}
And for my GamesTable:
public function initialize(array $config){
parent::initialize($config);
$this->displayField('name');
$this->addBehavior('Tree');
//Associations
$this->hasMany('Children', [
'className' => 'Games',
'foreignKey' => 'parent_id',
'dependant' => true,
'cascadeCallbacks' => true,
]);
$this->belongsTo('Parent', [
'className' => 'Games',
]);
$this->hasMany('Books');
$this->belongsToMany('Continuities');
}
This is my edit function in the ContinuitiesController:
public function edit($id=null){
$continuity = $this->Continuities->find()->where(['id'=>$id])->contain('Games')->first();
if ($this->request->is(['post', 'put'])) {
debug($this->request->data);
$continuity->start_date = $this->request->data['start_date']['year'].'-'.$this->request->data['start_date']['month'].'-'.$this->request->data['start_date']['day'];
$continuity->end_date = $this->request->data['end_date']['year'].'-'.$this->request->data['end_date']['month'].'-'.$this->request->data['end_date']['day'];
//$continuity->start_date = $this->request->data['start_date'];
//$continuity->end_date = $this->request->data['end_date'];
$continuity->games = $this->request->data['games'];
debug($this->Continuities->newEntity($this->request->data)->toArray());
debug($continuity);
if ($result = $this->Continuities->save($continuity, ['associated'=>['Games']])) {
$this->Flash->success(__('The continuity has been updated.'));
return $this->redirect(['action' => 'view', $continuity->id]);
}
$this->Flash->error(__('Unable to update the continuity.'));
}
$games = $this->Continuities->Games->getGamesList();
$this->set(compact('continuity', 'games'));
}
And finally the edit.ctp form:
<?= $this->Form->create($continuity) ?>
<fieldset>
<legend><?= __('Edit Continuity') ?></legend>
<?= $this->Form->input('start_date') ?>
<?= $this->Form->input('end_date') ?>
<?= $this->Form->input('games', ['multiple'=>true]) ?>
</fieldset>
<?= $this->Form->button(__('Submit')); ?>
<?= $this->Form->end() ?>
Thanks.

Answer 1

There were a few things that needed to be changed to make this work.
First is the Continuities table:
public function initialize(array $config){
parent::initialize($config);
$this->belongsToMany('Games',
[
'targetForeignKey' => 'game_id',
'foreignKey' => 'continuity_id',
'joinTable' => 'continuities_games',
]);
}
Next, the Games table:
public function initialize(array $config){
parent::initialize($config);
$this->belongsToMany('Continuities',
[
'targetForeignKey' => 'continuity_id',
'foreignKey' => 'game_id',
'joinTable' => 'continuities_games',
]);
}
Now, the ContinuitiesController edit() function:
public function edit($id=null){
$continuity = $this->Continuities->find()->where(['id'=>$id])->contain('Games')->first();
if ($this->request->is(['post', 'put'])) {
$this->Continuities->patchEntity($continuity, $this->request->data(), ['associated'=>['Games']]);
if ($result = $this->Continuities->save($continuity, ['associated'=>['Games']])) {
$this->Flash->success(__('The continuity has been updated.'));
return $this->redirect(['action' => 'view', $continuity->id]);
}
$this->Flash->error(__('Unable to update the continuity.'));
}
$games = $this->Continuities->Games->getGamesList();
$this->set(compact('continuity', 'games'));
}
And finally, the edit.ctp
<?= $this->Form->create($continuity) ?>
<fieldset>
<legend><?= __('Edit Continuity') ?></legend>
<?= $this->Form->input('start_date') ?>
<?= $this->Form->input('end_date') ?>
<?= $this->Form->input('games._ids', ['options' => $games, 'multiple'=>true]) ?>
</fieldset>
<?= $this->Form->button(__('Submit')); ?>
<?= $this->Form->end() ?>