cakephp call a plugin controller

Question

I'm developing a plugin in cakephp. I have created a controller inside called PermissionsController.php inside Plugin/Permissions/Controller

This controller extends another controller: PermissionManagerAppController.php in the same directory.

I would like to know how to call a function inside the plugin from another controller like UsersController.php

this is my plugin controller empty now:

class PermissionsController extends PermissionManagerAppController {
    public $uses = array('PermissionManager.Permission');

    public function index() {
    }

    public function test($string) {
        echo'<p>TEST: '.$string.'</p>';
    }
}

I would like to call action test from another controller.
I have tried this:

App::uses('Permissions', 'PermissionsController.Controller');

class UsersController extends AppController {
    public $name = 'Users';
    public $scaffold;

    public function beforeFilter () {
        parent::beforeFilter(); 
        $permissions = new Permissions();
        $permissions->test('test');
       }
}

I have also tried

App::uses('Permissions', 'Permissions.Controller');

return me always this error:

Fatal error: Class 'Permissions' not found

I have tried:

$this->permissions->test('test');

And I retrieve this error:

Fatal error: Call to a member function test() on a non-object 

how to solve this?

Answer 1

Just to build on Thorpe Obazee’s answer and my comment, it’s probably best to build something like permissions management as a controller component as opposed to a controller unto itself. As aforementioned, you really shouldn’t be calling controllers from controllers—this goes against the principles of MVC (and in turn CakePHP).

A component can be packaged within a plugin. If your plugin is called Permissions and your component is called Permissions too, then your directory structure would look like this:

• app
  • Plugin
    • Permissions
      • Controller
        • Component
          • PermissionsComponent.php

When you load your plugin, you can then use this component in your core app’s controller as any other component, just with the plugin syntax:

<?php
class UsersController extends AppController {

    public $components = array(
        'Permissions.Permissions'
    );
}

And your actual component within your plugin would look like this:

<?php
App::uses('Component', 'Controller');

class PermissionsComponent extends Component {

    public function checkPermission() {
        // code...
    }
}

You would then call any component methods as you would a core component method:

<?php
class UsersController extends AppController {

    public $components = array(
        'Permissions.Permissions'
    );

    public function beforeFilter() {
        $this->Permissions->checkPermission();
    }
}

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I suggest that you extract the functionality into a component that way functionality can be shared between Controllers.

<?php

App::uses('Component', 'Controller');

class TestingComponent extends Component {

    public function sayTesting($email) {
         return '<p>TEST: '.$string.'</p>';
    }
}

Update: To add this to a Controller,

public $components = array('Testing');

Then from a Controller method:

public function foobar() {
    $word = $this->Testing->sayTesting();
}

Answer 3

Just to add another note. I also notice that the sub-folders in '/app/Plugin' must have the correct permission (chmod 755). If not, Cakephp will not be able to find/load the plugin.

If you are on ubuntu, just send the command below. Remember to do this for your SUB-FOLDERS too!

chmod 755 /app/Plugin/YOUR_PLUGIN_NAME

More info about chmod here : Change all files and folders permissions of a directory to 644/755