Creating multiple models from one model in CakePHP - php

Question

I have a users and a clients table.
They are linked as follows:
-- -----------------------------------------------------
-- Table `users`
-- -----------------------------------------------------
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `users` (
`id` INT(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
`email` VARCHAR(45) NOT NULL,
`password` VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
`usertype` CHAR(2) NOT NULL,
`created` DATETIME NOT NULL,
`modified` DATETIME NULL DEFAULT NULL,
`firstname` VARCHAR(45) NOT NULL,
`lastname` VARCHAR(45) NOT NULL,
`phonenumber` VARCHAR(45) NOT NULL,
`suburb` VARCHAR(45) NOT NULL,
`state` VARCHAR(10) NOT NULL,
`businessname` VARCHAR(45) NULL DEFAULT NULL,
`image` BLOB NULL DEFAULT NULL,
`valid` INT NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
UNIQUE INDEX `email_UNIQUE` (`email` ASC))
ENGINE = InnoDB
DEFAULT CHARACTER SET = utf8;
-- -----------------------------------------------------
-- Table `clients`
-- -----------------------------------------------------
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `clients` (
`id` INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
`user_id` INT NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
INDEX `CLIENTS_FK_idx` (`user_id` ASC),
CONSTRAINT `CLIENTS_FK`
FOREIGN KEY (`user_id`)
REFERENCES `users` (`id`)
ON DELETE NO ACTION
ON UPDATE NO ACTION)
ENGINE = InnoDB;
I have baked these two tables and I have created a users registration page. Upon form submission I want the database to create both a user and a client object.
Here is my UsersController method form CakePHP:
public function clientregistration()
{
//Register a new client. Client enters all details and the system sets usertype=CL
$user = $this->Users->newEntity();
if ($this->request->is('post')) {
$user = $this->Users->patchEntity($user, $this->request->getData());
$user->usertype = 'CL';
$user->valid = 1;
if ($this->Users->save($user) && $this->Coaches->($coach)) {
$this->Flash->success(__('You have successfully registered.'));
return $this->redirect(['action' => 'login']);
}
$this->Flash->error(__('Registration failure. Please, try again.'));
}
$this->set(compact('user'));
$this->set('_serialize', ['user']);
I want the code to automatically pre-fill all data in the clients table as well.
How do I do this?

Answer 1

I do not know what you want to prefill, you have only user_id field to save. So if your associations are set correctly in UsersTable.php, you can save Client entity after you saved User:
$client = $this->Users->Clients->newEntity();
$client->user_id = $user->id;
$this->Users->Clients->save($client);