Entry in database not being overwritten when looking at ID - php

Question

I'm currently looking at a script that a previous developer made that is meant to look a table, if the id does not exist then create the new code, if it does exist, overwrite the existing one.
Sounds fairly simple, but I can't get my head around how Yii manages the overwrite and new verification code. It is only adding new records, not over writing.
$invitingUser = User::model()->findByPk(Yii::app()->user->id);
if ($invitingUser->isAttending($eventId)) {
// Event attending
$event = Event::model()->findByPk($eventId);
//
// Uncomment the following line if AJAX validation is needed
$this->performAjaxValidation(array($guestInviteForm));
if (isset($_POST['GuestInviteForm'])) {
$guestInviteForm->attributes = $_POST['GuestInviteForm'];
// Perform Validation
$valid = $guestInviteForm->validate();
if ($valid) {
// Check if a Verification Code entry for this user already exists
$existingVerificationCode = VerificationCode::model()->findByAttributes(array('user_id' => $user->user_id, 'type' => VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE));
//THE CODE ONLY SEEMS TO RUN THIS.
if (is_null($existingVerificationCode)) {
// Create Verification Code instance
$verificationCode = new VerificationCode();
$verificationCode->type = VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE;
$verificationCode->user_id = $invitingUser->id;
$verificationCode->verification_code = VerificationCode::generateVerificationCode();
$verificationCode->forename = $guestInviteForm->forename;
$verificationCode->surname = $guestInviteForm->surname;
$verificationCode->event_id = $eventId;
$verificationCode->save(false);
} else {
// Update existing Verification Code enty
$existingVerificationCode->type = VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE;
$existingVerificationCode->user_id = $invitingUser->id;
$existingVerificationCode->forename = $guestInviteForm->forename;
$existingVerificationCode->surname = $guestInviteForm->surname;
$code = $existingVerificationCode->verification_code = VerificationCode::generateVerificationCode();
$existingVerificationCode->save(false);
}
The code never seems to enter the else here
//THE CODE ONLY SEEMS TO RUN THIS.
if (is_null($existingVerificationCode)) {
// Create Verification Code instance
$verificationCode = new VerificationCode();
$verificationCode->type = VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE;
$verificationCode->user_id = $invitingUser->id;
$verificationCode->verification_code = VerificationCode::generateVerificationCode();
$verificationCode->forename = $guestInviteForm->forename;
$verificationCode->surname = $guestInviteForm->surname;
$verificationCode->event_id = $eventId;
$verificationCode->save(false);
} else {
// Update existing Verification Code enty
$existingVerificationCode->type = VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE;
$existingVerificationCode->user_id = $invitingUser->id;
$existingVerificationCode->forename = $guestInviteForm->forename;
$existingVerificationCode->surname = $guestInviteForm->surname;
$code = $existingVerificationCode->verification_code = VerificationCode::generateVerificationCode();
$existingVerificationCode->save(false);
}

Answer 1

1st. After form validation:
if ($valid) {
Verification code select done:
$existingVerificationCode = VerificationCode::model()->findByAttributes(array('user_id' => $user->user_id, 'type' => VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE));
If you translate it to SQL it will be something like this:
SELECT * FROM verification_code WHERE user_id=x AND type=x
2nd. Check if record exists
if (is_null($existingVerificationCode)) {
If its not - creating new, populating, saving.
Else updating:
$existingVerificationCode->type = VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE;
$existingVerificationCode->user_id = $invitingUser->id;
$existingVerificationCode->forename = $guestInviteForm->forename;
$existingVerificationCode->surname = $guestInviteForm->surname;
$code = $existingVerificationCode->verification_code = VerificationCode::generateVerificationCode();
$existingVerificationCode->save(false);
save(false) means save without validation. Consider model attributes - fields in your database table.

Answer 2

Seems like it ever goes in the ELSE because it never finds $existingVerificationCode.
We don't have the whole code, but from what I see, I suspect you're checking the wrong user, because it's weird to search for an event for $user, and if that doesn't exist, to create one related to $invitingUser.
$existingVerificationCode = VerificationCode::model()->findByAttributes(array('user_id' => $user->user_id, 'type' => VerificationCode::TYPE_GUEST_INVITE));
// ...
$verificationCode->user_id = $invitingUser->id;