Modifying Model data in beforeSave of Behavior when using saveAll - php

Question

I'm trying to write a Meta behavior for a project I am working on that will allow me to assign custom variables/attributes to a model, similar to how you can create custom fields in a wordpress post.
I have created a Meta behavior that binds the meta model to the model it is acting on and also has a beforeSave callback that loops through the models data variable and puts the model name into the meta array.
Everything is saving but when I check the database the model field is coming back empty.
The database structure for the Meta is
id - A unique if for the meta
model - The name of the model that this meta entry is associated with
foreign_id - The id of the above model that this meta entry is associated with
key - Name of the meta variable
value - Value of the meta variable
The data that comes to the saveAll function from the form is
Array
(
[Page] => Array
(
[id] => 12
[name] => Test
[slug] => a/b/c/d
[layout] => 0
[body] => Test multilevel
)
[Meta] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 1
[key] => page_title
[value] => About Us
)
[1] => Array
(
[id] => 6
[key] => test4
[value] => test
)
[2] => Array
(
[key] => test3
[value] => lala
)
)
)
and after it has run through the behavior beforeSave it is
Array
(
[Page] => Array
(
[id] => 12
[name] => Test
[slug] => a/b/c/d
[layout] => 0
[body] => Test multilevel
[modified] => 2010-05-04 15:56:54
)
[Meta] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 1
[key] => page_title
[value] => About Us
[model] => Page
)
[1] => Array
(
[id] => 6
[key] => test4
[value] => test
[model] => Page
)
[2] => Array
(
[key] => test3
[value] => lala
[model] => Page
)
)
)
The code from the behavior is
<?php
/**
* Meta Model Behavior
*
* Adds custom variables to models
*
**/
class MetaBehavior extends ModelBehavior {
/**
* Contains configuration settings for use with individual model objects.
* Individual model settings should be stored as an associative array,
* keyed off of the model name.
*
* #var array
* #access public
* #see Model::$alias
*/
var $__settings = array();
var $__defaults = array(
'class' => 'Meta',
'foreign_key' => 'foreign_id',
'dependent' => true,
'auto_bind' => true
);
/**
* Initiate Meta Behavior
*
* #param object $model
* #param array $config
* #return void
* #access public
*/
function setup(&$model, $settings = array()) {
$default = $this->__defaults;
$default['conditions'] = array('Meta.model' => $model->alias);
if (!isset($this->__settings[$model->alias])) {
$this->__settings[$model->alias] = $default;
}
$this->__settings[$model->alias] = array_merge($this->__settings[$model->alias], ife(is_array($settings), $settings, array()));
if ($this->__settings[$model->alias]['auto_bind']) {
$hasManyMeta = array(
'Meta' => array(
'className' => $this->__settings[$model->alias]['class'],
'foreignKey' => $this->__settings[$model->alias]['foreign_key'],
'dependent' => $this->__settings[$model->alias]['dependent'],
'conditions' => $this->__settings[$model->alias]['conditions']
)
);
$metaBelongsTo = array(
$model->alias => array(
'className' => $model->alias,
'foreignKey' => $this->__settings[$model->alias]['foreign_key']
)
);
$model->bindModel(array('hasMany' => $hasManyMeta), false);
$model->Meta->bindModel(array('belongsTo' => $metaBelongsTo), false);
}
}
function beforeSave(&$model) {
foreach($model->data[$this->__settings['class']] as $key => $value) {
$model->data[$this->__settings['class']][$key]['model'] = $model->alias;
}
return true;
}
} // End of MetaBehavior
?>
I have a feeling it may be because of the relationships and the saveall is using the passed data (original) when saving the associations.
The only other way I thought of doing it would be to remove the relationships and put some code into the afterSave function of the behavior to handle the saving and then put some other code into the afterFind to retrieve them.
Any ideas?
Cheers,
Dean

Answer 1

I don't believe you'll have any luck with this as Model::saveAll() doesn't call beforeSave() at all. In fact, it loads associations before then calling $this->save().
Line 1652 of the Model source shows the associations being loaded prior to any real call to Model::__save() that doesn't just validate the data.
What this means is, at first glance, it looks like the magic bindModel() call in your MetaBehavior won't have any affect. To be honest, I'd not really bother with something like that as it's just simpler to set the association in your Page Model class definition.
Of course, you could:
Create an afterSave in your MetaBehavior that facilitates the saving of the Meta Model data or,
Override saveAll() in the model to add the binding and then call parent::saveAll()
Ultimately, I feel it's more sane to utilise Model::saveAll() and set a real association in your Model class definition anyway. Utilising behaviours to promote DRY practices is very noble but it doesn't mean you need to make things less trivial as part of a development methodology that you or another person follows
TLDR; You've already added Meta to your behaviors array, adding an association is only another few lines of code within the same file.