Saving multiple models in CakePHP with saveAll()

Question

I'm trying to build an invitation system with CakePHP. I have Invitation model which hasMany People, and Person hasOne and belongsTo Invitation. I believe the relationships are working, since my Invitation index view can properly access and display its associated People through the Invitation model. But heres what the relationship rules look like:

class Invitation extends AppModel {

    var $name = 'Invitation';
    var $hasMany = array(
        'People' => array(
            'className' => 'Person',
            'foreignKey' => 'invitation_id',
            'dependent'=> true
        )
    );

    ...
}

class Person extends AppModel {

    var $name = 'Person';
    var $hasOne = 'Invitation';
    var $belongsTo = 'Invitation';

    ...
}

UPDATED MODEL RELATIONSHIPS:

class Invitation extends AppModel {

    var $name = 'Invitation';
    var $hasMany = array('Person');

    ...
}

class Person extends AppModel {

    var $name = 'Person';
    var $belongsTo = array('Invitation');

    ...
}

In my Invitation add function, however, I am having trouble saving the data for new People. I want to simultaneously add one invitation and two people.

Heres my add function:

function add() {

        $this->autoRender = false;

        if($this->RequestHandler->isAjax()) {

            $this->layout = 'ajax';

            if(!empty($this->data)) {

                $this->Invitation->create();

             if($this->Invitation->saveAll($this->data)) {

                    //debug($this->data);       

                    $this->Session->setFlash('Saved');
                    $this->redirect('invitations/add_invitations');

                 } else {

                     echo('Didnt save<br />');

                 }

         }
       }

}

Here is the output of my debug($this->data):

Array
(
    [Invitation] => Array
        (
            [code] => 001
            [password] => 85c8a3735499bf91d25e5960ab4ed9deeb0b457e
            [type] => 1
            [num_people] => 2
        )

    [Person] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [fname] => Jane
                    [lname] => Doe

                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                    [fname] => John
                    [lname] => Doe
                )

        )

)

I don't get any errors. the Invitation data is saved properly, but the people are not.

UPDATE: I finally got this working with the above updated model relationships. Obviously the hasOne & belongsTo rules in the Person model were conflicting. After that I made a mistake (an embarrassing one) that was preventing saving to related the related Person model:

In the Invitation model, I hade $hasMany = array('People'); when it should have been $hasMany = array('Person').

I also had to change the configuration of my database to use InnoDB as the default, so that was certainly a necessary fix.

I guess your persons do not pass validation tests. Do you have people table? — bancer
Try debug($this->Invitation->invalidFields()) after the save operation. — deceze
I do of course have a "people" table, with an invitation_id field. Debugging as above outputs an empty array, so I assume that means the data validated. — Logic Artist

Leo Leo · Accepted Answer · 2010-10-25T09:57:27

var $hasOne = 'Invitation';
var $belongsTo = 'Invitation';

These relations to the same model should have different Aliases otherwise Cake will get confused, as I did trying to unpick it. See http://book.cakephp.org/view/1046/Multiple-relations-to-the-same-model

Saving multiple models in CakePHP with saveAll()

1 Answers