CakePHP find method with JOIN

Question

Hi,

I need to do the following query using the CakePHP find method:

SELECT *
FROM `messages`
INNER JOIN users ON messages.from = users.id
WHERE messages.to = 4
ORDER BY messages.datetime DESC

Basically I have:

• messages table with a Message model
• users table with User model

and want to retrieve information from both tables in one query. The users.id field is the same as the messages.from field, so that's what the join is on.

I am doing it in my MessagesController so it would need to be something like:

$this->Message->find();

Thanks

Solution 1

There are two main ways that you can do this. One of them is the standard CakePHP way, and the other is using a custom join.

It's worth pointing out that this advice is for CakePHP 2.x, not 3.x.

The CakePHP Way

You would create a relationship with your User model and Messages Model, and use the containable behavior:

class User extends AppModel {
    public $actsAs = array('Containable');
    public $hasMany = array('Message');
}

class Message extends AppModel {
    public $actsAs = array('Containable');
    public $belongsTo = array('User');
}

You need to change the messages.from column to be messages.user_id so that cake can automagically associate the records for you.

Then you can do this from the messages controller:

$this->Message->find('all', array(
    'contain' => array('User')
    'conditions' => array(
        'Message.to' => 4
    ),
    'order' => 'Message.datetime DESC'
));

The (other) CakePHP way

I recommend using the first method, because it will save you a lot of time and work. The first method also does the groundwork of setting up a relationship which can be used for any number of other find calls and conditions besides the one you need now. However, cakePHP does support a syntax for defining your own joins. It would be done like this, from the MessagesController:

$this->Message->find('all', array(
    'joins' => array(
        array(
            'table' => 'users',
            'alias' => 'UserJoin',
            'type' => 'INNER',
            'conditions' => array(
                'UserJoin.id = Message.from'
            )
        )
    ),
    'conditions' => array(
        'Message.to' => 4
    ),
    'fields' => array('UserJoin.*', 'Message.*'),
    'order' => 'Message.datetime DESC'
));

Note, I've left the field name messages.from the same as your current table in this example.

Using two relationships to the same model

Here is how you can do the first example using two relationships to the same model:

class User extends AppModel {
    public $actsAs = array('Containable');
    public $hasMany = array(
        'MessagesSent' => array(
            'className'  => 'Message',
            'foreignKey' => 'from'
         )
    );
    public $belongsTo = array(
        'MessagesReceived' => array(
            'className'  => 'Message',
            'foreignKey' => 'to'
         )
    );
}

class Message extends AppModel {
    public $actsAs = array('Containable');
    public $belongsTo = array(
        'UserFrom' => array(
            'className'  => 'User',
            'foreignKey' => 'from'
        )
    );
    public $hasMany = array(
        'UserTo' => array(
            'className'  => 'User',
            'foreignKey' => 'to'
        )
    );
}

Now you can do your find call like this:

$this->Message->find('all', array(
    'contain' => array('UserFrom')
    'conditions' => array(
        'Message.to' => 4
    ),
    'order' => 'Message.datetime DESC'
));

Solution 2

Otro example, custom Data Pagination for JOIN

CODE in Controller CakePHP 2.6 is OK:

$this->SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds->recursive = -1;
    // Filtro
    $where = array(
        'joins' => array(
            array(
                'table' => 'usuarios',
                'alias' => 'Usuarios',
                'type' => 'INNER',
                'conditions' => array(
                    'Usuarios.usuario_id = SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.usuarios_id'
                )
            ),
            array(
                'table' => 'senasa_pedidos',
                'alias' => 'SenasaPedidos',
                'type' => 'INNER',
                'conditions' => array(
                    'SenasaPedidos.id = SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.senasa_pedidos_id'
                )
            ),
            array(
                'table' => 'clientes',
                'alias' => 'Clientes',
                'type' => 'INNER',
                'conditions' => array(
                    'Clientes.id_cliente = SenasaPedidos.clientes_id'
                )
            ),
        ),
        'fields'=>array(
            'SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.*',
            'Usuarios.usuario_id',
            'Usuarios.apellido_nombre',
            'Usuarios.senasa_establecimientos_id',
            'Clientes.id_cliente',
            'Clientes.consolida_doc_sanitaria',
            'Clientes.requiere_senasa',
            'Clientes.razon_social',
            'SenasaPedidos.id',
            'SenasaPedidos.domicilio_entrega',
            'SenasaPedidos.sds',
            'SenasaPedidos.pt_ptr'
        ),
        'conditions'=>array(
            'Clientes.requiere_senasa'=>1
        ),
        'order' => 'SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.created DESC',
        'limit'=>100
    );
    $this->paginate = $where;
    // Get datos
    $data = $this->Paginator->paginate();
    exit(debug($data));

OR Example 2, NOT active conditions:

$this->SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds->recursive = -1;
    // Filtro
    $where = array(
        'joins' => array(
            array(
                'table' => 'usuarios',
                'alias' => 'Usuarios',
                'type' => 'INNER',
                'conditions' => array(
                    'Usuarios.usuario_id = SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.usuarios_id'
                )
            ),
            array(
                'table' => 'senasa_pedidos',
                'alias' => 'SenasaPedidos',
                'type' => 'INNER',
                'conditions' => array(
                    'SenasaPedidos.id = SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.senasa_pedidos_id'
                )
            ),
            array(
                'table' => 'clientes',
                'alias' => 'Clientes',
                'type' => 'INNER',
                'conditions' => array(
                    'Clientes.id_cliente = SenasaPedidos.clientes_id',
                    'Clientes.requiere_senasa = 1'
                )
            ),
        ),
        'fields'=>array(
            'SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.*',
            'Usuarios.usuario_id',
            'Usuarios.apellido_nombre',
            'Usuarios.senasa_establecimientos_id',
            'Clientes.id_cliente',
            'Clientes.consolida_doc_sanitaria',
            'Clientes.requiere_senasa',
            'Clientes.razon_social',
            'SenasaPedidos.id',
            'SenasaPedidos.domicilio_entrega',
            'SenasaPedidos.sds',
            'SenasaPedidos.pt_ptr'
        ),
        //'conditions'=>array(
        //    'Clientes.requiere_senasa'=>1
        //),
        'order' => 'SenasaPedidosFacturadosSds.created DESC',
        'limit'=>100
    );
    $this->paginate = $where;
    // Get datos
    $data = $this->Paginator->paginate();
    exit(debug($data));

Solution 3

        $services = $this->Service->find('all', array(
            'limit' =>4,
            'fields' => array('Service.*','ServiceImage.*'),
            'joins' => array(
                array(
                        'table' => 'services_images',
                        'alias' => 'ServiceImage',
                        'type' => 'INNER',
                        'conditions' => array(
                        'ServiceImage.service_id' =>'Service.id'
                        )
                    ),
                ),
            )
        );

It goges to array is null.

Comments

[geoffs3310]

Hi thanks for your response, I cant change the name of the messages.from column because ive also got a messages.to column that has the recipient user id in it so i cant have two user_id fields. I can do it easy enough with my mysql query is there not a simple way to do it in cake without having to change my tables?

[geoffs3310]

I did it 'The (other) cakephp way' i think thats much better. Thanks for all your help your a life saver!

[Stephen]

@geoffs3310 Gave you an even better way in the third example.

[Smern]

@Stephen, I'm looking to do something like this now but I heard that contain will cause an extra query to be ran internally for each row of the main table... rather than just doing a single query with a join. Thoughts on this?

[Stephen]

@smerny I'm not sure, but you could look at your sql logs to verify.

[Smern]

@Stephen, I actually did look and noticed that in addition to the normal query there is an extra query for each result. I've posted a question here if you'd like to look.

[Jaime Montoya]

It is worth pointing out that the advice "The (other) CakePHP way" works in CakePHP 1.3.