Problem when trying to validate email that already exists in database - php

Question

I am building custom mvc framework in php in order to learn and when I am trying to submit my form with an mail that already exists in the database, my validation should prevent me to do so, instead I get this error:
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to a member function findUserByEmail() on null in C:\xampp\htdocs\gacho\App\Controllers\UsersController.php:
UsersController.php
<?php
namespace App\Controllers;
use App\Models\User;
use Core\Controller;
class UsersController extends Controller
{
public function __construct($controller, $action)
{
parent::__construct($controller, $action);
$this->userModel = $this->load_model('User');
}
public function registerAction()
{
if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST') {
$data = [
'email' => trim($_POST['email']),
];
}
if (empty($data['email'])) {
$data['email_err'] = "Please enter your email!!!";
} else {
if ($this->userModel->findUserByEmail($data['email'])) {
$data['email_err'] = "Email is already taken!";
}
}
}
User.php
<?php
namespace App\Models;
use Core\Database;
class User
{
private $db;
public function __construct()
{
$this->db = new Database();
}
public function findUserByEmail($email)
{
$this->db->query('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = :email');
$this->db->bind(':email', $email);
$row = $this->db->single();
if ($this->db->rowCount() > 0) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
}
Controller.php:
<?php
namespace Core;
class Controller
{
protected $_controller;
protected $_action;
public $view;
public function __construct($controller, $action)
{
$this->_controller = $controller;
$this->_action = $action;
$this->view = new View();
}
protected function load_model($model)
{
$modelPath = 'App\Models\\' . $model;
if (class_exists($modelPath)) {
$this->{$model.'Model'} = new $modelPath();
}
}
}
I think the mistake is about $this->userModel , but I'm stuck and any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

The problem is that in __construct of UsersController you have:
$this->userModel = $this->load_model('User');
So you assign to userModel property the return value of load_model method.
load_model method doesn't return anything so $this->userModel is always set to NULL, doesn't matter if load_model succeeded or not.
You should just return new $modelPath(); in load_model if you want to assign it to a property by return value.
Also add throw new Exception($modelPath. 'not found'); at the end of load_model method to be sure it did load the model, and not just failed silently to find it.
Note that $this->userModel is not the same as $this->UserModel (case sensitive) and $modelPath = 'App\Models\\' . $model; - why \ after App, and two \ after Models?

Answer 2

I think you need to access your model in $this->UserModel, since User was passed into the load_model method.