CakePHP - How do I join a table on a joined table? - cakephp

Question

I am in the FilesController and I'm trying to get a file based on the condition that its order belongs to the current user.
FilesController
// Check the file exists and that it belongs to the user
$this->File->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array(
'File.id' => $id,
'Order.Customer.id' => $this->Auth->user('id')
),
'recursive' => 2
));
Cake SQL Error
Unknown column 'Order.Customer.id' in 'where clause'
I'm trying to get the SQL to left join orders onto files and then left join customers onto orders, but I can't figure out how to join the customers table, although I'm sure I've done this before. I've tried everything I can think of with the conditions, and using contains.
Here's my model relationships:
Customer Model
class Customer extends AppModel {
public $hasMany = array('Order');
}
Order Model
class Order extends AppModel {
public $belongsTo = array('Customer');
public $hasMany = array('File');
}
File Model
class File extends AppModel {
public $belongsTo = array('Order');
}

Answer 1

Try joining the tables using the 'joins' parameter. Sometimes 'contains' doesn't work and you need to fall back on this.
$this->File->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array(
'File.id' => $id,
'Order.Customer_id' => $this->Auth->user('id')
),
'joins' => array(
array(
'table' => 'orders',
'alias' => 'Order',
'type' => 'LEFT',
'conditions' => array('File.orders_id = Order.id')
),
array(
'table' => 'customers',
'alias' => 'Customer',
'type' => 'LEFT',
'conditions' => array('Customer.orders_id = Order.id')
)
)
));

Answer 2

You may want to use Containable (http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/core-libraries/behaviors/containable.html) as it is the easiest solution. You can not use Order.Customer.id as Cake does not nest conditions like that. Manual joins would also work.

Answer 3

$this->loadModel('Customer');
$customer = $this->Customer->findById($this->Auth->user('id'), array(
'conditions' => array(
'File.id' => $id
),
'recursive' => 2
));
Orders will be accessible as:
pr($customer['Order']);
File will be accessible as:
pr($customer['File']);

Answer 4

I realised there is no need to actually join the customers table in this instance, because the orders table already has the customer_id.
$this->File->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array(
'File.id' => $id,
'Order.customer_id' => $this->Auth->user('id')
)
));