CakePHP query returns two rows instead of one

Question

I'm trying to translate an SQL query into a CakePHP query. Where the SQL query returns one row, the CakePHP query returns 2 rows with the columns id & cover in the first row & files_with_cover in the second. Naturally I'd like one row with all columns.

SQL query:

SELECT s1.id, s1.cover, COUNT(s2.id) files_with_cover FROM songs s1 LEFT JOIN songs s2 ON s2.cover=s1.cover WHERE s1.source_path=$path

CakePHP query:

$result = $this->Song->find('first', array(
    'joins' => array(
        array(
            'table' => 'songs',
            'alias' => 'Song2',
            'type' => 'LEFT',
            'conditions' => array('Song2.cover = Song.cover')
        )
    ),
    'fields' => array('Song.id', 'Song.cover', 'count(Song2.id) as files_with_cover'),
    'conditions' => array('Song.source_path' => $file)
));

EDIT, example data set:

id  cover   source_path
-----------------------
1   image1  /example/1
2   image1  /example/2
3   image1  /example/3
4   image2  /example/4

When doing a select with the conditional source_path "/example/1" I want the following result: id = 1, cover = image1, files_with_cover = 3.

The printout from the $result array may give a clue. Not sure why the files_with_cover column ends up in a separate row.

Array
(
    [Song] => Array
        (
            [id] => 1
            [cover] => cover1.jpeg
        )

    [0] => Array
        (
            [files_with_cover] => 3
        )

)

Using CakePHP 2.8.1 & MySQL

Answer 1

What you receive there isn't two (database) rows, just a not entirely grouped single row. You need to use virtual fields if you want everything grouped under the main model alias.

$this->Song->virtualFields['files_with_cover'] = 'count(Song2.id)';

'fields' => array('Song.id', 'Song.cover', 'files_with_cover'),

See also Cookbook > Models > Virtual Fields