CakePHP - Shell command can't bypass beforeFilter

Question

I'm trying to build a cronjob that calls a specific action in a controller. The shell script that I write doesn't seem to be able to bypass the controller's beforeFilter call.

I thought of using session but there's no luck so far. Here is the code:

<?php

if (!isset($_SESSION)) session_start();

class MyShell extends AppShell
{
    public function main() {
        $_SESSION['toBypassBeforeFilter'] = "true";

        CakeLog::write('debug', 'Calculating WIP...');
        $this->requestAction('/account/wip_reports');
        CakeLog::write('debug', 'Finishing WIP calculations...');
    }

}

The debug log writes out the first one before the action call.

2015-10-05 02:08:49 Debug: Calculating WIP...

But not the second one when that action call is done. What have I missed?

EDIT

It looks like that requestAction() call to the route is not recognizable even though I can still run it in the browser. Maybe it should have been a different route?

Answer 1

Do not call controllers from cli processes

Generally speaking using requestAction is an indicator of poor application architecture. The right approach to running cron jobs with CakePHP is to write a cli process that calls the methods that actually do things directly, not having a cli process that simulates a http request.

Fat models, skinny controllers

In a cli context, the shell is a controller - controller code should always be kept to a minium. Whereas currently you've got this:

class MyShell extends AppShell
{
    public function main()
    {
        $this->requestAction('/account/wip_reports');
    }
}

And this:

class AccountsController extends AppController
{
    public function wip_reports()
    {
        ... some code ...
    }
}

In principle what you should have is this:

class MyShell extends AppShell
{
    public function main()
    {
        $account = ClassRegistry::init('Account');
        $account->something();
}

And this:

class AccountsController extends AppController
{
    public function wip_reports()
    {
        $this->Account->something();
    }
}

With all the relevant logic in a model:

class Account extends AppModel
{
    public function something()
    {
        ... some code ...
    }
}

In this way the shell does not depend on, or even interact with, the controller at all - it just calls the same methods the controller action method does.

Answer 2

Well, you're abusing a controller for something it is not thought for and you now have to face the results of that abuse. A session won't be available in a shell environment either.

Refactor your code so that the business logic resides in a model or another class that is callable from a shell environment and has no dependencies on a web environment.