CakePHP Authentication/login with 'Employee' instead of 'User'

Question

I am trying to get my login working but I seemed to run into a problem. Could someone please help? I am using the 'Employees' as the user of the database. Below is my code for AppController, EmployeeController, Employee and login.ctp:

App Controller:

class AppController extends Controller {

    public $components = array(
    'DebugKit.Toolbar',
    'Session',
    'Auth' => array(
        'loginRedirect' => array('controller' => 'employees', 'action' => 'index'),
        'logoutRedirect' => array('controller' => 'employees', 'action' => 'login'),
        'authError' => 'You must be logged in to view this page.',
        'loginError' => 'Invalid Username or Password entered, please try again.'

    ));

// only allow the login controllers only
public function beforeFilter() {
    $this->Auth->allow('login');
}
}

Employees Controller:

class EmployeesController extends AppController {
//..other code
/**
 * Components
 *
 * @var array
 */
    //public $components = array('Paginator');
    public $paginate = array(
        'limit' => 25,
        'conditions' => array('status' => '1'),
        'order' => array('Employee.employee_username' => 'asc' ) 
    );

    public function beforeFilter() {
        parent::beforeFilter();
        $this->Auth->allow('login','add'); 

    }



    public function login() {

        //if already logged-in, redirect
        if($this->Session->check('Auth.Employee')){
            $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));      
        }

        // if we get the post information, try to authenticate
        if ($this->request->is('post')) {
            if ($this->Auth->login()) {
                $this->Session->setFlash(__('Welcome, '. $this->Auth->user('username')));
                $this->redirect($this->Auth->redirectUrl());
            } else {
                $this->Session->setFlash(__('Invalid username or password'));
            }
        } 
    }

    public function logout() {
        $this->redirect($this->Auth->logout());
    }

/**
 * index method
 *
 * @return void
 */
    public function index() {
        $this->paginate = array(
            'limit' => 6,
            'order' => array('Employee.employee_username' => 'asc' )
        );
        $employees = $this->paginate('Employee');
        $this->set(compact('employees'));
    }

Employee Model:

class Employee extends AppModel {
//..other code
function isUniqueUsername($check) {

        $username = $this->find(
            'first',
            array(
                'fields' => array(
                    'Employee.id',
                    'Employee.employee_username'
                ),
                'conditions' => array(
                    'Employee.employee_username' => $check['username']
                )
            )
        );

        if(!empty($username)){
            if($this->data[$this->alias]['id'] == $username['Employee']['id']){
                return true; 
            }else{
                return false; 
            }
        }else{
            return true; 
        }
    }

    /**
     * Before isUniqueEmail
     * @param array $options
     * @return boolean
     */
    function isUniqueEmail($check) {

        $email = $this->find(
            'first',
            array(
                'fields' => array(
                    'Employee.id'
                ),
                'conditions' => array(
                    'Employee.employee_email' => $check['email']
                )
            )
        );

        if(!empty($email)){
            if($this->data[$this->alias]['id'] == $email['Employee']['id']){
                return true; 
            }else{
                return false; 
            }
        }else{
            return true; 
        }
    }

    public function alphaNumericDashUnderscore($check) {
        // $data array is passed using the form field name as the key
        // have to extract the value to make the function generic
        $value = array_values($check);
        $value = $value[0];

        return preg_match('/^[a-zA-Z0-9_ \-]*$/', $value);
    }

    public function equaltofield($check,$otherfield) 
    { 
        //get name of field 
        $fname = ''; 
        foreach ($check as $key => $value){ 
            $fname = $key; 
            break; 
        } 
        return $this->data[$this->name][$otherfield] === $this->data[$this->name][$fname]; 
    } 

    /**
     * Before Save
     * @param array $options
     * @return boolean
     */
     public function beforeSave($options = array()) {
        if (isset($this->data[$this->alias]['password'])) {
        $this->data[$this->alias]['password'] = $passwordHasher->hash(
            $this->data[$this->alias]['password']
        );
    }
    // if we get a new password, hash it

        if (isset($this->data[$this->alias]['password_update'])) {

            $this->data[$this->alias]['password'] = AuthComponent::password($this->data[$this->alias]['password_update']);

        }
    // fallback to our parent

        return parent::beforeSave($options);
    //return true;
    }

}

Login page:

<div class=“employees form">
<?php echo $this->Session->flash('auth'); ?>
<?php echo $this->Form->create('Employee'); ?>
    <fieldset>
        <legend>
            <?php echo __('Please enter your username and password'); ?>
        </legend>
        <?php echo $this->Form->input('username');
        echo $this->Form->input('password');
    ?>
    </fieldset>
<?php echo $this->Form->end(__('Login')); ?>
</div>

Answer 1

1.Adapt the config of your Auth component regarding userModel, fields and passwordHasher:

public $components = array(
    'DebugKit.Toolbar',
    'Session',
    'Auth' => array(
        'loginRedirect' => array('controller' => 'Employee', 'action' => 'index'),
        'logoutRedirect' => array('controller' => 'Employee', 'action' => 'login'),
        'authError' => 'You must be logged in to view this page.',
        'loginError' => 'Invalid Username or Password entered, please try again.',
        'authenticate' => array(
            'Form' => array(
            'fields' => array('username' => 'username', 'password' => 'password'),
            'userModel'=>'Employee',
            'passwordHasher' => 'name of your password hasher'
            ))
    ));

2.Regarding CakePHP´s code convetion rename your controller to EmployeeController

3.In your Employee model instead your isUniqueUsername and isUniqueEmail you better use validation rule isUnique

4.Use same password hasher for creating password and update password

Answer 2

To use Employee table for Authentication:

public $components = array(
        'Auth' => array(
                'authenticate' => array(
                        'Form' => array(
                                'fields' => array('username' => 'username'),
                                'userModel'=>'Employee'
                        )
                )
        )
);