Saving a model with no data in CakePHP (just create id in db) - cakephp

My CakePHP Cart model/table has only one field: id.
It hasMany LineItems.
I am not having success saving the Cart model alone:
$this->Cart->create();
$this->Cart->save();
Or, by passing it a $data array structured as follows and using saveAssociated():
$data = array(
'Cart' => array(),
'LineItem' => array(
array(
'item_id' => $item_id,
'qty' => $qty,
'price_option_id' => $price_option_id
)
)
);
If I add a useless_field to the Cart table/model, and pass some data in it saves. So obviously the problem lies in my having a model with a table with just a single id field and not passing in any other data to save. It won't create what it must be assuming is an 'empty' record.
I have passed 'validate' => false into the saveAssociated call but it doesn't make a difference (and there are no validations for this model to ignore).
Is there a way to do this? Am I missing something? Please enlighten me!

CakePHP tables require created and modified fields, or for you to define your own fields (ie you can call them whatever you want but they do the same thing).
In this instance you would use
$this->Cart->set($data);
$this->Cart->saveAll();

Related

CakePHP conditions clause on associations when using Model::find()

I just confused because of a find() result. This is my configurations:
First, users can have different User.role values: student, admin, and some others.
// Book
public $belongsTo = array(
'Student' => array(
'className' => 'User',
'foreignKey' => 'student_id'
'conditions' => array('User.role' => 'student')
);
);
When I chain Models like $this->Book->Student->find('list'); I was expecting to get only users whose role are 'student', but instead, it gets all users. What is going on here, what is conditions for on association definition, where can it and cannot be used. Any lead would help, thanks.
PS: I am aware that I could put conditions on find(), that's not the issue
There is a difference between associated data and accessing an associated model object. If you access $this->Book->Student you're accessing the Student model and work in it's scope. The conditions in the defined associations work only in the context of the accessed object.
So if you do a find on the Book and list the students for that book:
$this->Book->find('first', array('contain' => array('Student'));
Your code will work correctly. It will find the book plus the first user who has the role stundent. BUT your association is wrong then: It should be hasMany. because why would you filter a book by role if the book just belongsTo one student?
If you want to filter users by their role you can implement a query param that is checked in beforeFind(), pseudocode: if isset roleFilter then add contention to filter by that role from roleFilter.
Or, if you don't need to paginate just create a getStudents() method in the user model that will return a find('list') that has the conditions.
Or Student extends User and put the filter in the beforeFind() and use that model instead of the User model in your Book association.
If you want to filter on model level or per model I think the last one is a good option. Don't forget to set $useTable and $name or the inherited model will cause problems.
you have miss , inside your model.
try this:
public $belongsTo = array(
'Student' => array(
'className' => 'User',
'foreignKey' => 'student_id', //<------ miss
'conditions' => array('User.role' => 'student')
);
);
Yoi can debug your query to check what is the real query that you make.
Personally I have never use this approach, I prefer to use foreign key with another table for examples Rolesand User.role_id.
Is better for me to use this approach to have more flexibility inside your app.
After I prefer to use a conditions where inside controller to check well the query, because in your way every query you search always for student role not for the other and can be a problem for the rest of role, because inside controller you see a find without conditions but it doesn't take right value because in your model there is a particular conditions.
For me the good way is to create a new table, use foreign key and where conditions inside action of the controller to view well what are you doing.
For default all relations are "left join", you must set the parameter "type" with "inner" value
// Book
public $belongsTo = array(
'Student' => array(
'className' => 'User',
'foreignKey' => 'student_id'
'conditions' => array('Student.role' => 'student'), // <-- Fix That (field name)
'type' => 'inner', // <-- add that
);
);

CakePHP - Retrieving a list of options from another table, to use with form helper/ before Instering

Here is Yet another cakePHP question! I have table called blood_groups which has blood_group_id and group fields.. Then I have another table called donors, which has several fields such as name, surname etc. Another field included inside this table is the foreign key 'blood_group_id' which will need to map to the blood_group table on retrieval. in the donor registration view, i want to be able to retrieve the values from the blood_groups table, and display them using the formHelper (with their respective id's).
I have gone through CAKE doc, and I understand that I would need to create the association between my models, but I am struggling to figure this one out. Should I create $hasOne association inside the Donor Model (considering that the Donor table has the fk of the other table). And how would I go about retrieving the options of blood_groups from the blood_groups Model?
Should It work like this?(and are any other prerequisites involved?) :
In my DonorController -
$this->set('blood_groups', $this->Donor->Blood_Group->find('all'));
in Views/Donor/add.ctp
echo $this->Form->input('blood_group_id');
Accessing data through associations is fine. But for radios or checkboxes you want to do a find('list). Your model and variable name does not match the CakePHP convention, there should be no underscore.
Properly named this should be already enough to populate the input.
// controller
$this->set('bloodGroups', $this->Donor->BloodGroup->find('list'));
// view
echo $this->Form->input('blood_group_id');
If you don't follow the conventions for some reason:
echo $this->Form->input('blood_group_id', array(
'options' => $bloodGroups
));
See:
Linking Models Together
The Form Helper
Create one function in BloodGroup Model
function getDonors(){
$options = array(
// 'conditions' => array('Donor.blood_group_id'=>$id),
'joins' => array(
array(
'alias' => 'Donor',
'table' => 'donors',
'type' => 'LEFT',
'conditions' => array(
'Donor.blood_group_id = BloodGroup.blood_group_id',
),
)
),
'fields' => array('Donor.name','Donor.surname','Donor.blood_group_id',
'BloodGroup.blood_group_id')
);
$returnData = $this->find('all',$options);
return $returnData;
}
Now from controller call this function
App::import('model','BloodGroup');
$BloodGroup = new BloodGroup;
$donorList = $BloodGroup->getDonors();
$this->set('donorList',$donorList);
In view file you will get list of donors in $donorList.

How to sort data of bind table in cakephp 2.0

I need the data from various table. I bind them by using cakephp's $hasMany variable. The data is fetched successfully. But I need to sort the result coming from $hasMany table.
for eg. I have two tables
Survey
Questions
Now Survey table contains the data related to Survey like title, id, purpose and Questions table contains question for related survey. I bind questions table with survey in survey model. Now I have a field in Questions table with name ordering. I need to fetch data in that order.
How can I fetch it in that way?
Please help me.
If you want to sort the data directly when it is fetched from db
You can define default order when adding relations between tables in your models. In your Survey model:
var $hasMany = array(
'Question' => array(
'order' => 'ordering DESC'
)
);
See http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/models/associations-linking-models-together.html#hasmany.
You can also define custom ordering when retrieving data from your controller in your conditional array, http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/models/retrieving-your-data.html#find:
$conditions = array(
'order' => array('Question.ordering DESC')
);
If you are paginating your result with the paginator component, you can setup it like in following example book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/core-libraries/components/pagination.html#query-setup:
public $paginate = array(
'order' => array(
'Question.ordering' => 'desc'
)
);
If you want to sort the data presented in the view
Here you can use the pagination helper (together with the pagination component in the controller) as:
echo $this->Paginator->sort('Question.ordering');
see book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/core-libraries/helpers/paginator.html#creating-sort-links
Sorry for removing 'http://' on the two last links, but I am not allowed to post more than two links (<10 rep).
In CakePHP you can sort by associated tables. but you need to sort by column, you should use something like this in your view:
<?php echo $this->Paginator->sort('Question.ordering'); ?>

Can a virtualfield be based upon linked data in cakephp?

Is it possible for a virtualFields var to be the sum of a field from a linked table?
For example, in, say, an Invoice model, could you have
public $virtualFields = array(
'invoiceNett' => 'SUM(InvoiceLine.nett)'
);
but obviously only SUMming the lines that belong to that invoice?
Thanks.
== Using CakePHP 2.0
You could use the afterFind callback to get the sum. This avoids storing the calculated values​​, which should be avoided when possible.
function afterFind($results)
{
foreach($results as &$result)
{
/*
Use something like:
$this->InvoiceLine->find('all', array('fields' => array('SUM(InvoiceLine.nett) as total'),
'conditions' => array('invoice_id' => $result['Invoice']['id'])));
*/
}
unset($result);
}
As far as I know, the best way to do that would be to have an actual total field, and update it anytime the data is saved (likely with a afterSave callback method).
So - anytime an InvoiceLine is saved, you run some code to update it's associated Invoice with a new total.
//InvoiceLine model
public function beforeSave() {
//code to update Invoice's "total" field
}
Theoretically, yes, if that linked table is an associate that is joined (belongsTo and hasOne).
However this would be a poor idea because if you decide not to include that table you would generate a SQL error.
You'd be better off having a separate function grab the data or creating a virtual field that was a nested SQL query.
Defining your virtual field in the respective Model would make more sense.
If not done so, you will be breaking the MVC pattern.
You can use that virtual field from other related models.
If you don't want using them in all related models, you can always use the field
attribute whilst defining relations.
public $hasMany = array(
'IwantVirtualField' => array(
'className' => 'MyModel',
...
)
);
In a model where you don't want virtual field
public $belongsTo = array(
'IwantVirtualField' => array(
'className' => 'MyModel1',
'fields' => array('MyModel1.id', 'MyModel1.name')
...
)
);

CakePHP AutoComplete Question

I am working on a book review application and I am using autoComplete to search for titles in when creating a review. The review model has an associated book_id field and the relationship is setup as the review hasOne book and a book hasMany reviews.
I am trying to pass the Book.id (into the book_id field), but I want to display Book.name for the user to select from. With the default setup (accomplished via CakePHP's tutorial), I can only pass Book.name. Is it possible to display the name and pass the id?
Also, I am passing it via the following code in the create() action of the review controller:
$this->data['Review']['book_id'] = $this->data['Book']['id'];
Is that the proper way to do it in CakePHP? I know in Ruby on Rails, it is automatic, but I can't seem to make it work automagically in CakePHP. Finally, I am not using the generator because it is not available in my shared hosting environment... so if this is the wrong way, what do I need other than associates in my models to make it happen automatically?
Thanks for the help and I promise this is my question for awhile...
UPDATE- I tried the following, but it is not working. Any ideas why?
function autoComplete() {
$this->set('books', $this->Book->find('all', array(
'conditions' => array(
'Book.name LIKE' => $this->data['Book']['name'].'%'
),
'fields' => array('id','name')
)));
$this->layout = 'ajax';
}
The problem is that when I use the code above in the controller, the form submits, but it doesn't save the record... No errors are also thrown, which is weird.
UPDATE2:
I have determine that the reason this isn't working is because the array types are different and you can't change the array type with the autoComplete helper. As a workaround, I tried the follow, but it isn't working. Can anyone offer guidance why?
function create() {
if($this->Review->create($this->data) && $this->Review->validates()) {
$this->data['Review']['user_id'] = $this->Session->read('Auth.User.id');
$this->Book->find('first', array('fields' => array('Book.id'), 'conditions' => array('Book.name' => $this->data['Book']['name'])));
$this->data['Review']['book_id'] = $this->Book->id;
$this->Review->save($this->data);
$this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
} else {
$errors = $this->Review->invalidFields();
}
}
FINAL UPDATE:
Ok, I found that the helper only takes the find(all) type or array and that the "id" field wasn't passing because it only applied to the autoComplete's LI list being generated. So, I used the observeField to obtain the information and then do a database lookup and tried to create a hidden field on the fly with the ID, but that didn't work. Finally, the observeField would only take the characters that I put in instead of what I clicked, due to an apparent Scriptaculous limitation. So, I ended up going to a dropdown box solution for now and may eventually look into something else. Thanks for all of the help anyway!
First of all, $this->data will only contain ['Book']['id'] if the field exists in the form (even if it's hidden).
To select something by name and return the id, use the list variant of the find method, viz:
$selectList = $this->Book->find('list', array(
'fields' => array(
'id',
'name'
)));
$this->set('selectList', $selectList);
In the view, you can now use $selectList for the options in the select element:
echo $form->input('Book.id', array('type' => 'hidden'));
echo $form->input('template_id', array(
'options' => $selectList,
'type' => 'select'
));

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