Planet CakePHP

The chapter “Cake 1.2 Functions and Properties” is now available for readers of Beginning CakePHP: From Novice to Professional. It contains 47 pages of reference material about the CakePHP framework which is useful for looking up functions and properties of the various classes. A preview is also available [PDF], if you’re interested in checking it out.
I’m thrilled about this chapter for a couple of reasons. First of all, I like cheatsheets, and this is like a cheatsheet for the whole CakePHP framework. Sure, for some things, the API is the only way to go for looking up specifics about functions and properties. But often, I just need to flip through a chart or a couple of pages to look up something, and having it right there in front of me is sometimes more accessible than bouncing back-and-forth between one tab on the API and another on my project or text editor.
Second, I’m thrilled about this chapter because it was not only fun to compile, but also has been useful for me as I’ve developed my own Cake apps. I’m excited to pass it along to you and make your life easier. There’s nothing worse than building something and then finding out that you could have accomplished the same method by calling out a one-line command from a Cake helper or component. This chapter will provide you with a concise view of what’s available in Cake and save you from this kind of disappointment.
So, dear reader, enjoy Appendix C: Cake 1.2 Functions and Properties and be sure to let me know if it has been beneficial for you. As always, I love hearing your feedback.