Before you start

Editor's note: This series was originally published in 2006, and has undergone several revisions since in order to keep up with ongoing developments on CakePHP. This revision was written for CakePHP V1.3.4.

This "Cook up Web sites fast with CakePHP" series is designed for PHP application developers who want to start using CakePHP to make their lives easier. In the end, you will have learned how to install and configure CakePHP, the basics of Model-View-Controller (MVC) design, how to validate user data in CakePHP, how to use CakePHP helpers, and how to get an application up and running quickly using CakePHP. It might sound like a lot to learn, but don't worry — CakePHP does most of it for you.

About this series

• Part 1 focuses on getting CakePHP up and running, and the basics of how to put together a simple application allowing users to register for an account and log in to the application.
• Part 2 demonstrates how to use scaffolding and Bake to get a jump-start on your application, and how to use CakePHP's access control lists (ACLs).
• Part 3 shows how to use Sanitize, a handy CakePHP class, which helps secure an application by cleaning up user-submitted data. It also covers the CakePHP security component, handling invalid requests, and other advanced request authentication.
• Part 4 focuses primarily on the Session component of CakePHP, demonstrating three ways to save session data, as well as the Request Handler component to help you manage multiple types of requests (mobile browsers and requests containing XML or HTML).
• Part 5 deals with caching, specifically view and layout caching, which can help reduce server resource consumption and speed up your application.

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About this tutorial

There are multiple ways of saving session data using CakePHP's Session component, and each method has its advantages. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use the Session component by incorporating all three ways into your application, so you'll be able to pick the best one that works for you. On top of that, you'll learn how to use the Request Handler component to aid in your handling of various HTTP requests, including requests from mobile browsers, or requests containing XML or HTML content.

This tutorial is divided into two main topics:

• The different types of session handling covered by CakePHP — You will learn the advantages and disadvantages of each, and how to implement them.
• How to use the Request Handler in your controllers — We will use it for two purposes: to add an RSS feed of your products and to implement Ajax functionality.

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Prerequisites

This tutorial assumes you have already completed Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, and that you still have the working environment you set up for those tutorials. If you do not have CakePHP installed, you should run through Parts 1 and 2 before continuing.

It is assumed that you are familiar with PHP, have a fundamental grasp of database design, and are comfortable getting your hands dirty.

For the section on Ajax, it is also assumed that you have a basic understanding of Ajax. See Resources for links to help you get started with Ajax.

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System requirements

Before you begin, you need to have an environment in which you can work. CakePHP has reasonably minimal server requirements:

1. An HTTP server that supports sessions (and preferably mod_rewrite). This tutorial was written using Apache V2.2.4 with mod_rewrite enabled.
2. PHP V4.3.2 or later (including PHP V5). This tutorial was written using PHP V5.3.2.
3. A supported database engine. This tutorial was written using MySQL V5.0.67.

You'll also need a database ready for your application to use. The tutorial will provide syntax for creating any necessary tables in MySQL.

The simplest way to download CakePHP is to visit CakePHP.org and download the latest stable version from the Downloads section. This tutorial was written using V1.3.4 (see Resources).

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Table of contents

• Before you start
• Tor, so far
• Session handling
• Utilizing the Request Handler
• Summary
• Download
• Resources
• About the author

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