Not able to redirect page in CAKE PHP

Question

When i follow $this->Auth->allow('login'); this approach, we are not able to redirect to dashboard page. If i follow $this->Auth->allow(); this approach we are able to redirect to dashboard page.

But i need to use first approach for login.

I have a AppController.php which is performed Login Action.

Below is the AppController.php Code

function beforeFilter() {

    Security::setHash('md5');

    // Authenticate
    $this->Auth->authorize = 'Controller';
    $this->Auth->autoRedirect = false;
    $subdomain = substr( env("HTTP_HOST"), 0, strpos(env("HTTP_HOST"), ".") );


    if($this->params['controller']=="moderator")
    {

        //$this->Auth->allow(); // if i use this one my code is working fine.
        $this->Auth->allow('login');            

        $this->Auth->loginAction = array('controller' => 'moderator', 'action' => 'login');
        $this->Auth->loginRedirect = array('controller' => 'moderator', 'action' => 'dashboard');
        $this->Auth->loginError = 'No username and password was found with that combination.';
        $this->Auth->logoutRedirect = array('controller' => 'moderator', 'action' => 'login');
        AuthComponent::$sessionKey = 'Auth.Admin';
    }

}

when we are login the page it will goto ModeratorController.php controller page and then check the usename and password using Auth , if username & password correct it will call the dashboard function.

Below is the ModeratorController.php Code

class ModeratorController extends AppController {

public $components = array('RequestHandler','Session',
        'Auth'=>array(
                'authenticate' => array(
                        'Form' => array(
                                'fields'=>array(
                                        'username'=>'username',
                                        'password'=>'password'
                                ),
                                'userModel'=> 'Admin'
                        ),
                ),
                'loginAction' =>array(
                        'Controller' => 'moderator',
                        'action' => 'login'
                ),
                'loginRedirect'=>array('Controller'=>'moderator', 'action'=>'index'),
                'logoutRedirect'=>array('Controller'=>'moderator', 'action'=>'index'),
                'authError'=>"You can't access that page",
                'authorize'=>'Controller',
                'loginError'=> 'Login error',


        )
);
public $helpers = array('Js' => array('Jquery'),'Html','Paginator');


    function beforeFilter() {
        //used version cake 2.3.0.

        parent::beforeFilter();

    }


    // for moderator login process

    public function login() {

        if($this->Session->read('Auth.Admin.admin_id'))
        {           
             $this->redirect('dashboard');
        }

        if($this->request->data)
        {

         $this->Admin->set($this->data);
         if($this->Admin->validates())
         {
            if($this->Auth->login()){


                //$this->redirect('/moderator/dashboard');  // result: redirect to moderator/login              
                //$this->redirect(array('controller' => 'moderator', 'action' => 'dashboard')); // result: redirect to moderator/login
                //$this->redirect($this->Auth->redirect()); // result: redirect to moderator/login
                //$this->redirect(array('action' => 'dashboard')) // result: redirect to moderator/login
                //$this->redirect('dashboard12'); // result: redirect to moderator/dashboard12 and give me 404. That result is correct
                //$this->redirect('/dashboard'); // result: redirect to /dashboard and give me 404. That result is also correct
                $this->redirect('dashboard')) // result: redirect to moderator/login
            }
            else
            {
                $this->Session->setFlash(__('Invalid email or password, try again'));
            }
        }
     }


    }


    public function dashboard()
    {
        echo "I am in dashboard";
        exit();
    }
}

Thanks

Answer 1

I see a few things that are technically wrong:

1. When building in CakePHP you should follow its standards

   You should have moderators as your controller and not moderator

2. You make reference to dashboard.php

   Is that a controller? or are you referring to the method

If you have a controller name ModeratorsController.php and a method there name dashboard(), then you can redirect like this:

$this->redirect(array('controller' => 'moderators', 'action' => 'dashboard'));

or you could even redirect like this

$this->redirect('/moderators/dashboard');

If the dashboard.php file you make reference is actually the controller, which in this case should be DashboardsControler.php, then you have to redirect to

$this->redirect('controller' => 'dashboards');

or

$this->redirect('/dashboards');

Answer 2

$this->redirect('dashboard');

Should be

$this->redirect(array('action' => 'dashboard'));

if this action is also in the dashboards controller.

Never use strings for links and redirects to internal pages of your app, only external links should use the string notation.

Also, is there any specific reason why you're not using the CookieComponent? Your cookie content won't be encrypted at all and you set a ton of cookies. Use the component.