Loading additional data for authenticated user with CakePHP Auth Component

Question

I have some additional data I want to load on each request for the authenticated user. I recently adopted the Auth Component. Previously, I was loading this additional data in my AppController's beforeFilter. I suppose I could leave it there and wrap the code within a test against $this->Auth->user();, but wanted to see if there were better way for both these items.

So the question is two part:

• Is there a built in method of the Auth Component where I can load in additional data on each request for the authenticated user.
• If not, is there a better way to do so than checking $this->Auth->user(); in the AppController's beforeFilter

Answer 1

• no
• few options
  • overloading auth component
  • roll your own
  • do the auth check, if they are logged in and the extra data is not around get it. it will obviously be an extra query, but its once per login... hardly a server killer.