Change Client id to Client Name with CakePHP - php

Question

Okay, so I have a form in CakePHP that submits to a database. In this form it submits a field called client_id and it is stored in the database as such as well.
Then I have a view to allow me to view all of the invoices that have ever been created. To view the client responsible for the invoice, I can currently only see the id entered in the form by placing: <?php echo $invoice['Invoice']['client_id']; ?> in the view.
The invoices go to one database called: invoices
The clients name is not stored in the invoices table, just the id
The clients information is stored in one database called: clients
I want to be able to actually display out the clients real name in the invoices view rather than the client id.
I tried adding the following query to my index controller, But i'm not sure what to do after this or if this is even right.
$this->set('clients', $this->Invoice->query("SELECT * FROM clients WHERE id='89545'"));
In order to keep this question short in the first place, Please request specific code by commenting. i.e. Controller code, view code, etc... Thank you in advance.
Additional Thoughts
If I wasn't using CakePHP I could use something like the following, So I guess I just don't know how to put this into cakephp "language".
<?php
query($con, "SELECT name FROM clients WHERE id='$client_id'");
echo $row['name'];
?>
roughly!
Update
Here are my models
First one being the Client.php
<?php
class Client extends AppModel {
public $hasMany = array(
'Invoice' => array(
'className' => 'Invoice',
'foreignKey' => 'client_id'
)
);
}
?>
Second one being the Invoice.php
<?php
class Invoice extends AppModel {
public $belongsTo = array(
'Client' => array(
'className' => 'Client',
'foreignKey' => 'client_id'
)
);
}
?>
And finally, to get my invoices from the database, I am using the following inside: InvoicesController.php
public function index() {
$this->set('invoices', $this->Invoice->find('all'));
}

Answer 1

Have you properly set up your model associations? If so you should be able to do something like $invoice['Client']['client_name'] assuming you didn't use recursive = -1.
/edit: Ok I don't mind throwing some code out, but this is a fundamental concept you'll have to try to wrap your head around. Every model that is connected to another model has to have the association set up or things will be painful.
I am assuming a Client hasMany Invoice. So each invoice is specific to a client, and they can have multiple invoices (ex. October 2013 vs November 2013 invoice). From the CakePHP page we see:
class User extends AppModel {
public $hasMany = array(
'Comment' => array(
'className' => 'Comment',
'foreignKey' => 'user_id',
'conditions' => array('Comment.status' => '1'),
'order' => 'Comment.created DESC',
'limit' => '5',
'dependent' => true
)
);
}
So using that as our template, we end up with:
public $hasMany = array(
'Invoice' => array(
'className' => 'Invoice',
'foreignKey' => 'client_id'
)
);
And that goes in Client.php. As the inverse of hasMany is belongsTo, we have an Invoice belongsTo Client. Again, using the CakePHP page as the template, we end up with:
public $belongsTo = array(
'Client' => array(
'className' => 'Client',
'foreignKey' => 'client_id'
)
);
And that goes in Invoice.php. Once you set up those associations, whenever you do something like $this->Invoice->find('all'); or $this->paginate('Invoice');, with proper $recursive settings, Cake will grab the corresponding Client record. This allows you to do what I said before, something like $invoice['Client']['client_name'].

Answer 2

You can also use the $actsAs = array('Containable'); in the model in order to use the 'contain' directive in your controller's find method (instead of using recursive which most likely will get unwanted data on models with many relations)