Problems Relating Models in Cakephp

Question

This and the Model User

class User extends AppModel
{
public $name = 'User';
public $useTable = 'users';
public $displayField = 'name';
public $belongsTo = array(
        'Role' => array(
        'className' => 'Role',
        'foreignKey' => 'role_id'
    )
);
}

and this and the Model Role

class Role extends AppModel
{
public $name = 'Role';
public $useTable = 'roles';
public $displayField = 'name';
public $hasMany = array(
        'User' => array(
        'className' => 'User',
        'foreignKey' => 'role_id',
        'dependent' => false
    )
);

}

but when trying to make the following request

$roles = $this->User->Role->find('list');

these are the tables referenced by Models

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `roles` (
`id` int(11) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
`name` varchar(100) NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY (`id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `users` (
  `id` int(10) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `email` varchar(50) DEFAULT NULL,
  `password` varchar(50) DEFAULT NULL,
  `name` varchar(50) DEFAULT NULL,
  `activation_code` varchar(50) DEFAULT NULL,
  `status` int(10) DEFAULT NULL,
  `created` datetime DEFAULT NULL,
  `modified` datetime DEFAULT NULL,
`role_id` int(10) DEFAULT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
 KEY `FK_users_roles` (`role_id`),
CONSTRAINT `FK_users_roles` FOREIGN KEY (`role_id`) REFERENCES `roles` (`id`)
) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;

is informed that Role is a null object, someone knows what is wrong?

Answer 1

Let me give you an example of two Models that work perfectly for this purpose

Model User.php

<?php
App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');
/**
 * User Model
 *
 * @property Group $Group
 */
class User extends AppModel {

/**
 * Validation rules
 *
 * @var array
 */
    public $validate = array(
        'group_id' => array(
            'numeric' => array(
                'rule' => array('numeric'),
                //'message' => 'Your custom message here',
                //'allowEmpty' => false,
                //'required' => false,
                //'last' => false, // Stop validation after this rule
                //'on' => 'create', // Limit validation to 'create' or 'update' operations
            ),
        ),
    );

    //The Associations below have been created with all possible keys, those that are not needed can be removed

/**
 * belongsTo associations
 *
 * @var array
 */
    public $belongsTo = array(
        'Group' => array(
            'className' => 'Group',
            'foreignKey' => 'group_id',
            'conditions' => '',
            'fields' => '',
            'order' => ''
        )
    );
}

Model Group.php

<?php
App::uses('AppModel', 'Model');
/**
 * Group Model
 *
 * @property User $User
 */
class Group extends AppModel {

/**
 * Validation rules
 *
 * @var array
 */
    public $validate = array(
        'name' => array(
            'notempty' => array(
                'rule' => array('notempty'),
                //'message' => 'Your custom message here',
                //'allowEmpty' => false,
                //'required' => false,
                //'last' => false, // Stop validation after this rule
                //'on' => 'create', // Limit validation to 'create' or 'update' operations
            ),
        ),
    );

    //The Associations below have been created with all possible keys, those that are not needed can be removed

/**
 * hasMany associations
 *
 * @var array
 */
    public $hasMany = array(
        'User' => array(
            'className' => 'User',
            'foreignKey' => 'group_id',
            'dependent' => false,
            'conditions' => '',
            'fields' => '',
            'order' => '',
            'limit' => '',
            'offset' => '',
            'exclusive' => '',
            'finderQuery' => '',
            'counterQuery' => ''
        )
    );
}