Is there a way to insert a row with no data - mysql

Question

Using CakePHP 3.3, I have a table that only contains a primary key. This is used as a sequence. In CakePHP, I insert a row with no data and it generates a new row.
Cake 2.7
class Identity extends AppModel {
function nextVal() {
$data = [];
$this->create();
$this->save($data);
return $this->id;
}
}
I am attempting to duplicate this behavior in CakePHP 3.3 and it isn't doing what I expect.
CakePHP 3.3
class IdentityTable extends Table
{
public function generate() {
$identity = $this->newEntity();
if ( $this->save($identity) ) {
// The $ccn entity contains the id now
\Cake\Log\Log::debug(__METHOD__. ' success');
return $identity->id;
}
\Cake\Log\Log::debug(__METHOD__. ' failed');
return false;
}
//
public function initialize(array $config)
{
parent::initialize($config);
$this->table('identity');
$this->displayField('identityId');
$this->primaryKey('identityId');
}
}
MySQL is perfectly happy with this:
INSERT INTO `identity` () VALUES()
I am thinking that the CakePHP 3.x ORM sees that I am not inserting anything and it bailing on the save.
Is there a way in CakePHP 3 to insert a row with no data?

Answer 1

You have to tell cake that something is cahenged in the entity and mark it as 'dirty'. i.e.
$identity ->dirty('id', true);
so the resulting query will be
INSERT INTO sic_suppliers (id) VALUES (NULL)
that I guess is ok for you
PS
don't know if this is the best way to achieve this but it seems to work.
Edit: following #ndm suggestion you can also insert the record directly (see the cookbook)
$this->query()->insert(['id'])
->values([null])
->execute();