CakePHP trouble linking data from 2 tables in models - php

Question

I am having trouble with linking data like first name from the table Users in the view of chats using cakePHP. Below is my code and whatever I do, the script does not select the user_id from the chats database table to display the first name. I must be overseeing something, but the loop I'm thinking in is giving me some headaches. Can someone please get me out of this loop?
User.php
<?php
class User extends AppModel {
public $hasMany = array(
'Ondutylog',
'Chat'
);
}
?>
Chat.php
<?php
class Chat extends AppModel {
public $belongsTo = array(
'User'
);
}
?>
ChatsController.php
<?php
class ChatsController extends AppController {
var $uses = array('User', 'Chat');
public function view() {
$chats = $this->Chat->find('all', array(
'order' => array('id' => 'ASC'),
'recursive' => -1
));
$this->set('chats', $chats);
$id = $chats['Chat']['user_id'];
$userdetails = $this->Chat->User->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array(
'id' => $id
),
recursive' => -1
));
return $userdetails;
}
}
?>
view.ctp
<?php
foreach($chats as $chat) :
echo "<tr>";
echo "<td>".$userdetails['User']['firstname']."</td>";
echo "<td>".$chat['Chat']['user_id']."</td>";
echo "<td>".$chat['Chat']['text']."</td>";
echo "<td>".$chat['Chat']['created']."</td>";
echo "</tr>";
endforeach
?>
The array I get returned in $chats
[Chat] => Array
(
[id] => 1
[user_id] => 11
[text] => hello
[created] => 2014-05-21 19:56:16
[modified] => 2014-05-21 19:56:16
)

Answer 1

Change
return $userdetails;
to
$this->set(compact('userDetails'));
You are supposed to set the view var not return the info.
Though why are you making a separate query for it instead of just using 'recursive' => 0 which would get the associated user record through table join and you can just use $chat['User']['firstname'] in view.
Also get rid of var $uses = array('User', 'Chat');. It's not needed. $this->Chat is already available and the User model is accessed through association as $this->Chat->User as you have already done.

Answer 2

You need charge the model in your controller
class ChatsController extends AppController {
public function view() {
$this->loadModel('User');
$this->loadModel('Chat');
$chats = $this->Chat->find('all', array(
'order' => array('id' => 'ASC'),
'recursive' => -1
));
$this->set('chats', $chats);
$id = $chats['Chat']['user_id'];
$userdetails = $this->Chat->User->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array(
'id' => $id
),
recursive => -1
));
$this->set(compact('userDetails'));
}
}

Answer 3

I found the solution and it's closer than I thought of myself. Because the Models User and Chat were already joined I just had to use a couple of lines in the Controller. So I modified it like this:
public function view() {
$chats = $this->Chat->find('all');
$this->set('chats', $chats);
}
And nothing more...