CakePHP Containable: Same model in deep association

Question

I searched quite some for this, but I don't even know what to call it.

In a simplified version, I have these Models:

• Person (id, name) - hasMany: ArrivalDate
• Country (id, name) - hasMany: Person
• ArrivalDate (id, arrival_date, salesman_id) - belongsTo: Person, Salesman (className => Person)

As you can see, I'm trying to have the people with arrival dates and the salesmen in ONE TABLE.

Upon retrieving the data I use the containable behavior to get only the models I want.

$person = $this->Person->find('first', array(
    'conditions' => array('Person.id' => $id),
    'contain' => array(
        'Country',
        'ArrivalDate'
    )
));

But the question is: How do I "contain" the Salesman in this?

Salesman is just an alias for the Person and if I contain the Person model I just get the parent data. If I try to contain the alias (Salesman) I get an error.

Answer 1

'contain' => array(
        'Country',
        'ArrivalDate',
        'ArrivalDate.Salesman' => array( insert needed fields here ... )
    )

should work in your case