Question

I am following the
http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/tutorials-and-examples/simple-acl-controlled-application/simple-acl-controlled-application.html tutorial and I am at the part where you add the group and user accounts…

However, when I access to add new user, the drop down for the group is is empty… What can be wrong?

here is how User.php model looks like

<?php
App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');
/**
 * User Model
 *
 * @property Group $Group
 * @property Image $Image
 */
App::uses('AuthComponent', 'Controller/Component');
class User extends AppModel {
/**
 * Display field
 *
 * @var string
 */
    //The Associations below have been created with all possible keys, those that are not needed can be removed

    public $actsAs = array('Acl' => array('type' => 'requester'));

    public function beforeSave() {
        $this->data['User']['password'] = AuthComponent::password($this->data['User']['password']);
        return true;
    }   
    public function bindNode($user) {
            return array('model' => 'Group', 'foreign_key' => $user['User']['group_id']);
    }   

    public function parentNode() {
        if (!$this->id && empty($this->data)) {
            return null;
        }   
        if (isset($this->data['User']['group_id'])) {
            $groupId = $this->data['User']['group_id'];
        } else {
            $groupId = $this->field('group_id');

       }
        if (!$groupId) {
            return null;
        } else {
            return array('Group' => array('id' => $groupId));
        }
    }
      public $belongsTo = array(
        'Group' => array(
            'className' => 'Group',
            'foreignKey' => 'group_id',
            'conditions' => '', 
            'fields' => '', 
            'order' => ''
            )   
        );  



    public $hasMany = array(
            'Image' => array(
                'className' => 'Image',
                'foreignKey' => 'user_id',
                'dependent' => false,
                'conditions' => '',
                'fields' => '',
                'order' => '',
                'limit' => '',
                'offset' => '',
                'exclusive' => '',
                'finderQuery' => '',
                'counterQuery' => ''
                )
            );

}

Here is how Group.php model looks like

<?php
App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');
/**
 * Group Model
 *
 * @property User $User
 */
class Group extends AppModel {
/**
 * Display field
 *
 * @var string
 */
    public $displayField = 'name';
/**
 * Validation rules
 *
 * @var array
 */
        //The Associations below have been created with all possible keys, those that are not needed can be removed

/**
 * hasMany associations
 *
 * @var array
 */
    public $actsAs = array('Acl' => array('type' => 'requester'));

    public function parentNode() {
        return null;
    }   
    public $hasMany = array(
            'User' => array(
                'className' => 'User',
                'foreignKey' => 'group_id',
           'dependent' => false,
                'conditions' => '',
                'fields' => '',
                'order' => '',
                'limit' => '',
                'offset' => '',
                'exclusive' => '',
                'finderQuery' => '',
                'counterQuery' => ''
                )
            );

}

my tables look like this
‘users’ table

>     > Field   Type    Null    Key Default Extra
>     > id  int(11) NO  PRI NULL    auto_increment
>     > username    varchar(64) NO  UNI NULL      password  varchar(82) NO      NULL     
>     > first_name  varchar(64) NO      NULL      last_name varchar(64) NO      NULL     
>     > created datetime    YES     NULL      group_id  int(11) NO      NULL

‘groups’ table

Field   Type    Null    Key Default Extra
id  int(11) NO  PRI NULL    auto_increment
name    varchar(100)    NO      NULL     
created datetime    YES     NULL     
modified    datetime    YES     NULL     

View/Users/add.ctp code

<div class="users form">
<?php echo $this->Form->create('User');?>
    <fieldset>
        <legend><?php echo __('Add User'); ?></legend>
    <?php
        echo $this->Form->input('username');
        echo $this->Form->input('password');
        echo $this->Form->input('first_name');
        echo $this->Form->input('last_name');
        echo $this->Form->input('group_id');
    ?>  
    </fieldset>
<?php echo $this->Form->end(__('Submit'));?>
</div>
<div class="actions">
    <h3><?php echo __('Actions'); ?></h3>
    <ul>

        <li><?php echo $this->Html->link(__('List Users'), array('action' => 'index'));?></li>
        <li><?php echo $this->Html->link(__('List Groups'), array('controller' => 'groups', 'action' => 'index')); ?> </li>
        <li><?php echo $this->Html->link(__('New Group'), array('controller' => 'groups', 'action' => 'add')); ?> </li>
        <li><?php echo $this->Html->link(__('List Images'), array('controller' => 'images', 'action' => 'index')); ?> </li>
        <li><?php echo $this->Html->link(__('New Image'), array('controller' => 'images', 'action' => 'add')); ?> </li>
    </ul>
</div>

I created 2 groups. One is “visitors” and one is “admin”..
here is how aros table looks like right now now

id  parent_id   model   foreign_key alias   lft rght
        2   NULL    Group   4       1   2
        3   NULL    Group   5       3   4

Answer 1

Have you added group first? First you have to add the group then try adding the user.

Please verify you have a belongsTo relationship setup in the user model User.php

public $belongsTo = array(
    'Group' => array(
        'className' => 'Group',
        'foreignKey' => 'group_id',
        'conditions' => '',
        'fields' => '',
        'order' => ''
    )
);

Check your UserController Add method has the following code
Please verify the $groups = $this->User->Group->find('list');
$this->set(compact('groups')); part

    public function add() {
    if ($this->request->is('post')) {
        $this->User->create();
        if ($this->User->save($this->request->data)) {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('The user has been saved'));
            $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
        } else {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('The user could not be saved. Please, try again.'));
        }
    }
    $groups = $this->User->Group->find('list');
    $this->set(compact('groups'));
}