Saving data on GET request in CakePHP - php

Question

I am building a simple mechanism where a user can like a post by clicking on a link. I'm using GET rather than POST as I want to allow the method to fire via the URL.
That been said how do I save data using GET? As the request data doesn't exist in this scenario... My model looks like:
class Like extends AppModel
{
public $name = 'Like';
public $belongsTo = array('User','Post');
}
and the method for adding looks like:
public function add( $id )
{
$post = $this->Post->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array('Post.id'=>Tiny::reverseTiny($id))
));
if (!$post)
{
throw new NotFoundException('404');
}
if($post['Post']['user_id'] == $this->Auth->user('id'))
{
$this->Session->setFlash('You can\'t like your own post... That\'s just silly!');
}
if ($this->Like->create())
{
$liked = $this->Like->find('first', array(
'conditions' => array('Like.id'=>Tiny::reverseTiny($id), 'Like.user_id'=>$this->Auth->user('id') )
));
if(!$liked){
$this->Like->saveField('user_id', $this->Auth->user('id'));
$this->Like->saveField('post_id', $post['Post']['id']);
$this->redirect(array('controller'=>'posts','action'=>'view','id'=>Tiny::toTiny($post['Post']['id']),'slug'=>$post['Post']['slug']));
} else {
$this->Session->setFlash('You already like this post!');
}
else
{
$this->Session->setFlash('Server broke!');
}
}
Can anyone help?
<?php echo $this->Html->link('1', array('controller'=>'followers','action'=>'add','id'=>Tiny::toTiny($post['Post']['id'])),
array('title'=>'Follow','class'=>'follow')); ?>
This part all works fine. It's saving a new row in the DB on GET that I'm struggling with.

Answer 1

Hi you just need to make a link to your controller action and pass you variable in the url.
to be clear the link on the post to like is in your post view :
$this->Html->link('like this post', array('controller' => 'like', 'action' => 'add', $postId))
It should render a link like this :
www.yourWebSite/likes/add/1 to like the postId 1,
variables after your action (add) are interpreted as variable for your controller action
if your fonction add had been
public function add($postId, $wathever){
}
the url should look like www.yourWebSite/likes/add/1/blabla
where 1 is the first var for the add action and blabla the second one and so on.
this is the equivalent of a non rewriting url : ?postId=1&whatever=blabla
EDIT :
if(!$liked){
//simulate the post behaviour
$this->request->data['Like']['user_id'] = $this->Auth->user('id');
$this->request->data['Like']['post_id'] = $post['Post']['id'];
//save the data
if ($this->Like->save($this->request->data)) {
$this->Session->setFlash(__('Thanks for your support !'));
$this->redirect(array('controller'=>'posts','action'=>'view','id'=>Tiny::toTiny($post['Post']['id']),'slug'=>$post['Post']['slug']));
} else {
$this->Session->setFlash('Server broke!');
}
}

Answer 2

How about using save with id=0 instead of create?
<?php
$like = array(
"Like" => array
(
"id" => 0,
"user_id" => $this->Auth->user("id"),
"post_id" => $post['Post']['id']
)
);
$result = $this->Like->save($like);
if(!$result){$this->Session->setFlash('Server broke!');}
$this->redirect(array('controller'=>'posts','action'=>'view','id'=>Tiny::toTiny($post['Post']['id']),'slug'=>$post['Post']['slug']));
?>