Find to mime the LeftJoin in CakePhp - mysql

Question

I have 3 models:
User
Like
Post
Like has 2 foreign key set using CakePHP convention on user_id and post_id (that are the id column of the other 2 models).
I want to run a find that mime the LEFT JOIN in sql on Post with a condition on the foreign key.
In detail i want:
1: all the posts.
1a: if the post have a like from the user XXX I want it included in the result
1b: else the post doesn't have a ->Like attribute.
So, if i do this:
$posts = $this->Post->find('all');
in $posts i have all the posts, and for each posts all the likes.
Reading the book, I feel like i should write something like:
$options['joins'] = array(
array('table' => 'likes',
'alias' => 'Likes',
'type' => 'LEFT',
'conditions' => array(
'Post.id = Likes.post_id',
'Likes.user_id = 536f6a29-babc-4724-a74d-2ce100000000'
)
)
);
$posts = $this->Post->find('all', $options);
But this doesn't work.
Hope this is clear.

Answer 1

well you need put in your models
class User extends AppModel
{
public $useTable = 'users';
public $primaryKey = 'id';
public $hasMany = array(
'Post',
'Like'
);
}
class Post extends AppModel
{
public $useTable = 'posts';
public $primaryKey = 'id';
public $belongsTo = array('User');
public $hasMany = array(
'Like'
);
}
class Like extends AppModel
{
public $useTable = 'likes';
public $primaryKey = 'id';
public $belongsTo = array('Post','User');
}
and in you controller
$this->loadModel("User");
$query = $this->User->find('all', array(
'joins' => array(
array(
'table' => 'posts',
'alias' => 'Post',
'type' => 'LEFT',
'conditions' => array(
'User.id = Post.user_id'
)
),
array(
'table' => 'likes',
'alias' => 'Like',
'type' => 'LEFT',
'conditions' => array(
'User.id = Like.user_id'
)
)
),
'conditions' => array(
'Post.id = Likes.post_id',
'Likes.user_id = 536f6a29-babc-4724-a74d-2ce100000000'
),
'order' => array(
'Post.id' => 'ASC'
),
'fields' => array('Post.*','User.id'),
'recursive' => -1
));