Multiple identical entitiy relation - php

Question

I've got a products, attributes, and product_attributes table.
Each product can have multiple attributes and these relations were stored in product_attributes, so far so good.
But a product can have the same attribute multiple times. I just only can link different attributes to a product.
For example:
Audi(product) has Wheel(attribute): Amount(joinData) = 2;
Value(joinData) = "front";
And
Audi(product) has Wheel(attribute): Amount(joinData) = 2;
Value(joinData) = "rear";
Only the attribute wheel with value rear is saved the front wheels are lost.
No errors in controller.
This is the output of $this->request->getData()
/src/Controller/ProductsController.php (line 62)
[
'type_id' => '12',
'name' => 'Audi',
'thumbnail' => '',
'image' => '',
'attributes' => [
(int) 0 => [
'unique_id' => '9',
'_joinData' => [
'amount' => '2',
'value' => '1',
'information' => 'front'
]
],
(int) 1 => [
'unique_id' => '9',
'_joinData' => [
'amount' => '2',
'value' => '1',
'information' => 'rear'
]
]
]
]
This is the output of $product after patchEntity:
object(App\Model\Entity\Product) {
'type_id' => (int) 12,
'name' => 'Audi',
'thumbnail' => '',
'image' => '',
'attributes' => [
(int) 0 => object(App\Model\Entity\Attribute) {
'unique_id' => (int) 9,
'category_id' => (int) 8,
'name' => 'VDSL2',
'unit' => '',
'_joinData' => object(App\Model\Entity\ProductsAttribute) {
'amount' => (int) 2,
'value' => (float) 1,
'information' => 'rear',
'[new]' => true,
'[accessible]' => [
'*' => true
],
'[dirty]' => [
'amount' => true,
'value' => true,
'information' => true
],
'[original]' => [],
'[virtual]' => [],
'[errors]' => [],
'[invalid]' => [],
'[repository]' => 'ProductsAttributes'
},
'[new]' => false,
'[accessible]' => [
'*' => true
],
'[dirty]' => [
'_joinData' => true
],
'[original]' => [
'_joinData' => [
'amount' => '2',
'value' => '0',
'information' => 'front'
]
],
'[virtual]' => [],
'[errors]' => [],
'[invalid]' => [],
'[repository]' => 'Attributes'
},
(int) 1 => object(App\Model\Entity\Attribute) {
'unique_id' => (int) 9,
'category_id' => (int) 8,
'name' => 'VDSL2',
'unit' => '',
'_joinData' => object(App\Model\Entity\ProductsAttribute) {
'amount' => (int) 2,
'value' => (float) 1,
'information' => 'rear',
'[new]' => true,
'[accessible]' => [
'*' => true
],
'[dirty]' => [
'amount' => true,
'value' => true,
'information' => true
],
'[original]' => [],
'[virtual]' => [],
'[errors]' => [],
'[invalid]' => [],
'[repository]' => 'ProductsAttributes'
},
'[new]' => false,
'[accessible]' => [
'*' => true
],
'[dirty]' => [
'_joinData' => true
],
'[original]' => [
'_joinData' => [
'amount' => '2',
'value' => '0',
'information' => 'front'
]
],
'[virtual]' => [],
'[errors]' => [],
'[invalid]' => [],
'[repository]' => 'Attributes'
}
],
'[new]' => true,
'[accessible]' => [
'type_id' => true,
'name' => true,
'thumbnail' => true,
'image' => true,
'type' => true,
'attributes' => true
],
'[dirty]' => [
'type_id' => true,
'name' => true,
'thumbnail' => true,
'image' => true,
'attributes' => true
],
'[original]' => [],
'[virtual]' => [],
'[errors]' => [],
'[invalid]' => [],
'[repository]' => 'Products'
}
ProductController Add function:
public function add(){
$product = $this->Products->newEntity();
if ($this->request->is('post')) {
$product = $this->Products->patchEntity($product, $this->request->getData(), [
'associated' => [
'Attributes',
'Attributes._joinData'
]
]);
/*debug($this->request->getData());
debug($product);
die();*/
if ($this->Products->save($product)) {
$this->Flash->success(__('The product has been saved.'));
return $this->redirect(['action' => 'index']);
}
$this->Flash->error(__('The product could not be saved. Please, try again.'));
}
$types = $this->Products->Types->find('list', ['limit' => 200]);
$attributes = $this->Products->Attributes->find('list', ['limit' => 200]);
$this->set(compact('product', 'types', 'attributes'));
}
It has something to do with my relations.
Product Table:
$this->belongsToMany('Attributes', [
'foreignKey' => 'product_id',
'targetForeignKey' => 'attribute_id',
'joinTable' => 'products_attributes'
]);
Attribute Table:
$this->belongsToMany('Products', [
'foreignKey' => 'attribute_id',
'targetForeignKey' => 'product_id',
'joinTable' => 'products_attributes'
]);
These are the attributes product_attributes have in the DB:
unique_iq INT,
product_id INT,
attribute_id INT,
amount INT,
value DOUBLE,
information VARCHAR(150)
Save Strategy doesn't solve my problem. Still same result.

Answer 1

Just a workaround but it should work. Waiting for a more cake way
Since you basically want to fill products and product_attributes tables you can set a new relationship this way
Product Table:
$this->hasMany('ProductsAttributes', [ /* configure keys here */ ]);
And shape you data this way
[
'type_id' => '12',
'name' => 'Audi',
'thumbnail' => '',
'image' => '',
'products_attributes' => [
[
'attribute_id' => '9',
'amount' => '2',
'value' => '1',
'information' => 'front'
],
[
'attribute_id' => '9',
'amount' => '2',
'value' => '1',
'information' => 'rear'
]
]
]
This will create a new row in products and two new rows in product_attributes