Updating user with or without password - CakePHP - php

Question

I try to find a good and clean way to deal with an admin panel "edit user" in cakePHP v.2.7.
To be clear : I want to be able to edit my user with or without overwriting their password, but the cakePHP validator tool don't let me do what I want...
I've already take a look at CakePHP: Edit Users without changing password and Updating user email and password with CakePHP but it seem really dirty :
the first one don't apply the rules onUpdate
the second display the hash (just no... u_u")
There is no other way to do it ? (with as few line as possible)

Answer 1

TL;DR :
View
// add in your view `app/View/Users/edit.ctp`
// a 'fake' field you'll only use on the controller
echo $this->Form->input('new_password');
Controller
// add in your controller `app/Model/User.php#edit()`
// if we have a new password, create key `password` in data
if(!empty($new_password = $this->request->data['User']['new_password']))
$this->request->data['User']['password'] = $new_password;
else // else, we remove the rules on password
$this->User->validator()->remove('password');
Ok, I finally get what I want, here is my code :
On your app/View/Users/edit.ctp you add a field to your form (a custom one, don't add it to your DB)
<?php
// app/View/Users/edit.ctp
echo $this->Form->create('User');
// your other fields
// a 'fake' field you'll only use on the controller
echo $this->Form->input('new_password');
Don't change your app/Model/User.php ; here is mine :
<?php
// app/Model/User.php
App::uses('AuthComponent', 'Controller/Component');
class User extends AppModel {
public $validate = array(
// [...] other rules
'password' => array(
'passwordLength'=>array(
'rule' => array('minLength', 8),
'message' => 'Too short...',
),
'passwordNotBlank'=>array(
'rule' => 'notBlank',
'required' => true,
'allowEmpty' => false,
'message' => 'A password is required',
),
),
);
public function beforeSave($options = array()) {
if (!empty($pwd = $this->data[$this->alias]['password']))
$this->data[$this->alias]['password'] = AuthComponent::password($pwd);
return true;
}
}
And on your app/Controller/UsersController.php you use this :
<?php
public function edit($id = null) {
$this->User->id = $id;
if (!$this->User->exists())
throw new NotFoundException(__('Invalid user'));
if ($this->request->is('post') || $this->request->is('put')) {
// IMPORTANT >>>>>>>>>>>
// if we have a new password, create key `password` in data
if(!empty($new_password = $this->request->data['User']['new_password']))
$this->request->data['User']['password'] = $new_password;
else // else, we remove the rules on password
$this->User->validator()->remove('password');
// <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
// then we try to save
if ($this->User->save($this->request->data)) {
$this->Flash->success(__('The user has been updated'));
$this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
}
else
$this->Flash->warning(__('The user could not be updated.'));
}
else {
$this->request->data = $this->User->read(null, $id);
unset($this->request->data['User']['password']);
}
}
With the 4 important lines, you are now able to set a new password if needed or disable the validation on the password.
I used this for reference
http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/models/data-validation.html#removing-rules-from-the-set