Working with the CakePHP framework can be incredibly rewarding, but it does come with its own set of challenges due to its intricate nature. Mastering this framework requires dedicated effort and a comprehensive understanding of its principles.

Over the course of my seven years of experience using CakePHP, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with numerous talented individuals within the CakePHP community. This journey has provided me with invaluable insights into both the strengths and potential pitfalls of working with this framework.

In this CakePHP tutorial, I’ll delve into some common missteps that I’ve encountered over the years and offer guidance on how to avoid them. While I don’t claim to write flawless code, I firmly believe that continuous learning is paramount in the world of programming. By embracing best practices and adapting as we learn, we elevate the quality of our work.

The insights shared in this article are drawn from a post by CakeCoded. To further expand your knowledge of CakePHP, I encourage you to explore the wealth of resources available in our learning section: here.

Common Mistake #1: Straying from CakePHP Coding Conventions

Adhering to CakePHP’s coding conventions is viewed here. Let’s shed light on some frequent oversights I’ve come across when reviewing code written by fellow developers.

Control Structures: This is where many programmers, sometimes influenced by practices from other languages, stumble. CakePHP adheres to a specific syntax:

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if ((expr_1) || (expr_2)) {
    // action_1;
} elseif (!(expr_3) && (expr_4)) {
    // action_2;
} else {
    // default_action;
}

Note that there should be a single space before the opening parenthesis and another single space between the closing parenthesis and the opening curly brace. Therefore, this example would be incorrect:

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if($this->request->data){

}

Pay attention to the spacing between if and (, as well as between ) and {.

For enhanced readability and to minimize logical errors, always use curly braces in control structures, even when they might seem optional.

Therefore, the following example is not ideal:

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if ($foo)
    $bar = true

It’s best to format it like this:

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if ($foo) {
    $bar = true
}

Finally, be mindful of where you place your curly braces. Opening braces should not start on a new line. Ensure all your braces are aligned, with each opening brace directly above its corresponding closing brace.

Let’s illustrate some incorrect examples:

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if ($foo)
{
    $bar = true;
}

In this case, the opening brace should be on the first line:

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if ($foo) {    
    $bar = true;
if ($action) {
    $to = false;
}
}

The indentation requires adjustment for proper alignment.

I’ve often heard programmers say, “I’m pressed for time to worry about neat code.” My response is always, “Trust me, neat code is an investment in the future.” When you return to CakePHP code that lacks readability after a few months, making changes can feel like navigating a maze.

Common Mistake #2: Misusing Containable Behaviors and Recursive Levels in ORM

Recently, I had the opportunity to have a casual conversation with a database developer from Facebook. We got to talking about CakePHP, and he remarked, “Oh, that uses ORM, doesn’t it? That can be risky.” When I asked him to elaborate, he explained that Object-relational mapping (ORM) can inadvertently lead to bloated SQL queries.

He raises a valid point. The elegance of CakePHP lies partly in its use of ORM and its ability to seamlessly connect various database table relationships. However, by default, CakePHP automatically retrieves data from all related ‘Belongs To’, ‘Has One’, and ‘Has Many’ associations, which has the potential to generate massive SQL queries. These queries might not pose an issue in the initial development stages when data is limited. However, as your application accumulates data over time (say, six months), you may notice a significant performance hit. In some cases, if the queries aren’t optimized, it could even lead to crashes.

When I audit existing websites, I focus on two key aspects. Firstly, has the default recursive level been adjusted? CakePHP sets the default recursive level to 1, which I personally find to be excessive. My approach is to set it to -1 and then leverage the containable behavior to selectively retrieve related models.

This brings me to the second aspect I pay attention to—the utilization of the Containable behavior. I frequently encounter new clients who complain about CakePHP’s slow performance. The culprit is almost always the absence of Containable! Regardless of how much “auto-magic” happens behind the scenes, a skilled CakePHP programmer understands the importance of SQL query optimization.

Although the containable behavior wasn’t introduced until CakePHP 1.2, it has made a world of difference! Make it a habit to use ‘containable’ whenever feasible, as it’s an incredibly effective way to streamline your SQL queries. To delve deeper into the implementation and usage of the Containable behavior, refer to click here.

Common Mistake #3: Confining Business Logic to Controllers Instead of Models

Well-structured CakePHP code delegates logic to the model files. While this might require a shift in thinking, the benefits are substantial once you’ve adopted this approach. The role of a controller file within the MVC pattern is to handle control flow. Use your controller files to manage user interactions, allowing your model files to house the business logic.

A straightforward CRUD operation serves as a good illustration. Let’s examine the default ‘add posts’ function from a blog tutorial:

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public function add() {
    if ($this->request->is('post')) {
        $this->Post->create();
        if ($this->Post->save($this->request->data)) {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('Your post has been saved.'));
            return $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
        }
        $this->Session->setFlash(__('Unable to add your post.'));
    }
}

This controller action suffices for a basic addition. However, consider scenarios where you need to perform additional actions, such as sending an email notification to the administrator upon post creation or updating another model association. Such logic shouldn’t clutter your controller file.

A better approach would be to create a dedicated function within your Post.php model, something along these lines:

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public function addPost($data = array(), $emailAdmin = true) {
    $this->create();
    $this->save($data);

    // update any other tables

    // send the email to the admin user
    if ($emailAdmin) {
    
    }

    // if all is successful
    return true;
}

This would then simplify your controller action, like so:

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public function add() {
    if ($this->request->is('post')) {
        if ($this->Post->addPost($this->request->data)) {
            $this->Session->setFlash(__('Your post has been saved.'));
            return $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
        }
        $this->Session->setFlash(__('Unable to add your post.'));
    }
}

Notice how the new action is actually a line shorter because $this->Post->create() has been relocated to the model file.

This exemplifies the advantage of shifting logic to model files—it results in a significantly cleaner codebase.

Common Mistake #4: Overcomplicating Code Instead of Embracing Early Returns

While this remains a point of debate, I find that adopting the practice of returning early and frequently contributes to cleaner code, particularly within model methods.

What do I mean by this? Let’s revisit the method we introduced in the earlier CakePHP tutorial example:

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public function addPost($data = array(), $emailAdmin = true) {
    $this->create();
    $this->save($data);

    // update any other tables

    // send the email to the admin user
    if ($emailAdmin) {
    
    }

    // if all is successful
    return true;
}

Returning often and early implies that as we progress through our function, we consistently verify that everything is in order. If we encounter an issue, we immediately return false or a CakePHP error, preventing further execution.

An example will best illustrate this concept. There are two ways to write the above function:

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public function addPost($data = array(), $emailAdmin = true) {
    if ($data) {
        $this->create();
        $result = $this->save($data);

        if ($result) {
            // update any other tables

            // send the email to the admin user
            if ($emailAdmin) {
                // send the admin email
            }
        } else {
            // problem saving the data
            return false;
        }

        // if all is successful
        return true;
    } else {
        // no data submitted
        return false;
    }
}

Notice how quickly the code becomes difficult to parse? The excessive use of if and else statements, along with the deep indentation, hinders readability. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate well-indented code, but let’s observe how the function transforms when we adhere to the principle of returning often and early.

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public function addPost($data = array(), $emailAdmin = true) {
    if (!$data) {
        // no data submitted
        return false;
    }

    $this->create();
    $result = $this->save($data);

    if (!$result) {
        // problem saving the data
        return false;
    }

    // update any other tables

    // send the email to the admin user
    if ($emailAdmin) {
        // send the admin email
    }

    // if all is successful
    return true;
}

In this concise example, the benefits are already evident. The code has only a single level of indentation, making it significantly more readable. The logic is also more intuitive—we process the code line by line, and if an error arises, we return the error and terminate execution.

This approach encourages CakePHP programmers to write code in a way that mirrors how we read it—from left to right, top to bottom—instead of forcing us to decipher code blocks that can easily introduce confusion.

Common Mistake #5: Neglecting the DRY Principle

DRY, which stands for Don’t Repeat Yourself, is a fundamental philosophy that should guide your CakePHP coding practices. In object-oriented programming, there’s no justification for duplicating blocks of code.

Here are a few CakePHP tips to help you uphold the DRY principle:

• As mentioned earlier, strive to centralize your logic within model files to promote reusability.

• When dealing with repetitive views, create view code as Elements or even custom helpers.

• Utilize configuration settings—the app/Config/bootstrap.php file is an ideal location for this. This practice prevents hardcoding values like application names and primary email addresses. You don’t want to find yourself manually updating hundreds of files simply because a client requests an email address change.

• Continuously ask yourself, “If I’m repeating code, is there a better way to write it, and am I placing it in the most suitable location?” If you find yourself duplicating code, it often signals an opportunity for improvement.

Common Mistake #6: Underestimating the Power of Code Comments

My final point emphasizes the significance of comments. First and foremost, prioritize doc blocking. A doc block serves as documentation for a method or action. Taking a moment to briefly describe the purpose of a function significantly enhances code readability.

In CakePHP, doc blocks should be aligned with the left margin of the page. Let’s demonstrate this with a simple example using the code we discussed earlier:

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/**
 * Adds & saves a post as well as emails the admin to let them know the post has been added.
 * Also performs some saving to another table
 *
 * @param   array $data The post data
 * @param   bool $emailAdmin If set to true, will email the website admin
 * @return  bool Returns true if successful
 */
public function addPost($data = array(), $emailAdmin = true) {

As you can see, crafting a doc block doesn’t require much effort, yet it significantly improves the maintainability of your code. Ultimately, it ensures that your code can outlive your tenure as the developer.

The same applies to inline comments. Don’t hesitate to explain the functionality and rationale behind your code! This makes it substantially easier to understand your code in the long run, especially for other developers who might work with it.

In Conclusion

CakePHP is a comprehensive and feature-rich framework. Its adherence to convention over configuration makes it more opinionated than some other PHP frameworks. It guides developers towards a specific way of structuring their code, which, while potentially viewed as a limitation by some, generally leads to a more consistent, readable, and understandable codebase. By adhering to CakePHP’s conventions, development teams can ensure consistency without the need for lengthy debates about coding styles.

By applying the guidelines outlined in this CakePHP tutorial and prioritizing well-written code, your applications will be equipped to stand the test of time. Always write code with the future in mind. If another developer encounters a specific code block years down the line, they should be able to readily grasp its purpose and adhere to the established standards. CakePHP is no exception to this rule, and I hope this guide helps to rectify some common bad habits.