CakePHP switch database (using same datasource) on the fly? - php

Question

I have tried to build a small function that would be use in controller to switch database on the fly, i must use only one datasource.
On my database.php :
function __construct() {
$server = Configure::read('Server');
if(!empty($server['database'])) $this->local['database'] = $server['database'];
$this->default = $this->{$server['datasource']};
}
Is used to switch database depending on server config. It is working great.
I tried to build up this :
/**
* Connects to specified database
*
* #param array $config Server config to use {datasource:?, database:?}
* #return array db->config on success, false on failure
* #access public
*/
function dbConnect($config = array()) {
ClassRegistry::init('ConnectionManager');
//debug($config['datasource']);
//$dbInstance =& ConnectionManager::getInstance();
//$dbInstance->config->{$config['datasource']}['database'] = $config['database'];
$db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource($config['datasource']);
$db->disconnect();
$db->cacheSources = false;
$db->config['database'] = $config['database'];
$db->config['persistent'] = false;
debug($db->config);
$db->connect();
if(!$db->isConnected()) {
$this->error('!$db->isConnected()');
return false;
}
return $db->config;
}
But sadly, everything seems to work but i alwas get data from the same DB using $this->Player->find('list') for instance. I tried $this->Player->cacheQueries = false; with no more success.

Answer 1

Made it work using this (create a new connection on the fly) :
$newDbConfig = $this->dbConnect($serverConfig);
$this->Model->useDbConfig = $newDbConfig['name'];
$this->Model->cacheQueries = false;
With :
/**
* Connects to specified database
*
* #param array $config Server config to use {datasource:?, database:?}
* #return array db->config on success, false on failure
* #access public
*/
function dbConnect($config = array()) {
ClassRegistry::init('ConnectionManager');
$nds = $config['datasource'] . '_' . $config['database'];
$db =& ConnectionManager::getDataSource($config['datasource']);
$db->setConfig(array('name' => $nds, 'database' => $config['database'], 'persistent' => false));
if($ds = ConnectionManager::create($nds, $db->config)) return $db->config;
return false;
}

Answer 2

I just wanted to tell that nowadays it's really simple to change current model's datasource (database connection):
For example in my PersonsController index:
public function index() {
//change to a different datasource which is already written in App/Config/database.php-file
$this->Person->setDataSource('testdb2');
$persons = $this->Person->find('all');
$this->set('db1persons', $persons);
//change to a different database
$this->Person->setDataSource('testdb');
$persons = $this->Person->find('all');
$this->set('db2persons', $persons);
}
As you can see the key here is to use $this->Model->setDataSource()