how to use countercache for different alias in cakephp model? - cakephp

Question

I have the following models: Attachment and PurchaseOrder hence the datatables attachments and purchase_orders.
In PurchaseOrder, I have
class PurchaseOrder extends AppModel {
public $hasMany = array(
'Pdf' => array(
'className' => 'Attachment',
'foreignKey' => 'foreign_key',
'conditions' => array(
'Pdf.model' => 'PurchaseOrder'
)
),
'Zip' => array(
'className' => 'Attachment',
'foreignKey' => 'foreign_key',
'conditions' => array(
'Zip.model' => 'PurchaseOrder'
)
),
In Attachment, I have the following:
public $belongsTo = array(
'PurchaseOrder' => array(
'className' => 'PurchaseOrder',
'foreignKey' => 'foreign_key',
'counterCache' => array(
'attachment_count' => array('Pdf.model' => 'PurchaseOrder'),
)
),
My problem is when I try to use $this->PurchaseOrder->Zip->save($data); I run into problem because the alias Pdf is not found.
How do I overcome this while maintaining the countercache behavior of updating the attachment_count inside purchase_orders?
Note that if a PurchaseOrder is associated with 3 Pdf Attachments and 2 Zip Attachments, the attachment_count should read 3.
I am using cakephp 2.4.2

Answer 1

I stopped using counterCache and used afterSave instead.
/**
* Called after each successful save operation.
*
* #param boolean $created True if this save created a new record
* #param array $options Options passed from Model::save().
* #return void
* #link http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/models/callback-methods.html#aftersave
* #see Model::save()
*/
public function afterSave($created, $options = array()) {
// update the PurchaseOrder based on pdf
if (isset($this->data['Pdf'])) {
$this->updatePurchaseOrderAttachmentCount($this->data);
}
}
/**
*
* #param Array $data where we expect key Pdf
*/
public function updatePurchaseOrderAttachmentCount($data) {
// check for Pdf
$pdfSet = isset($data['Pdf']);
if (!$pdfSet) {
throw new Exception('we expect Pdf as a key in your $data');
}
// check for foreign_key and model
$pdfFKSet = isset($data['Pdf']['foreign_key']);
$pdfModelSet = isset($data['Pdf']['model']);
if (!$pdfFKSet || !$pdfModelSet) {
throw new Exception('we expect foreign_key and model as keys in your $data["Pdf"]');
}
$count = $this->find('count', array(
'conditions' => array(
'model' => 'PurchaseOrder',
'type' => 'application/pdf',
'foreign_key' => $data['Pdf']['foreign_key'],
)
));
if (!is_numeric($count)) {
throw new Exception('we expect numeric in the $count');
}
$poData = array(
'PurchaseOrder' => array(
'id' => $data['Pdf']['foreign_key'],
'attachment_count' => $count,
)
);
return $this->PurchaseOrder->save($poData);
}

Answer 2

I know this post is very old, but I recently faced a similar issue and found another way to handle the same problem. You can continue using the counterCache approach with multiple counterCache, the only difference would be, you need to add you association on the fly, in the __construct method of your model.
public function __construct($id = false, $table = null, $ds = null) {
parent::__construct($id, $table, $ds);
/**
* When using Aliases, associations need to be added on the fly, otherwise, the CounterScope conditions would result in an SQL Error, during counterCache updates
*/
$this->bindModel(
array('belongsTo' => array(
'PurchaseOrder' => array(
'className' => 'PurchaseOrder',
'foreignKey' => 'foreign_key',
'counterCache' => array(
'attachment_count' => array($this->alias . '.model' => 'PurchaseOrder'),
'attachment_count' => array($this->alias . '.model' => 'PurchaseOrder')
)
)
)
)
);
}