Sending correct JSON content type for CakePHP

Question

In my CakePHP app I return JSON and exit for certain requests. An example of this would be trying to access the API for a login as a GET request:

header(\'Co         


        

Answer 1

You can leverage the new 2.x response object:

public function youraction() {
    // no view to render
    $this->autoRender = false;
    $this->response->type('json');

    $json = json_encode(array('message'=>'GET request not allowed!'));
    $this->response->body($json);
}

See http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/controllers/request-response.html#cakeresponse

Also you could use the powerful rest features and RequestHandlerComponent to achieve this automatically as documented: http://book.cakephp.org/2.0/en/views/json-and-xml-views.html

You just need to allow the extension json and call your action as /controller/action.json. Then cake will automatically use the JsonView and you can just pass your array in. It will be made to JSON and a valid response by the view class.

Both ways are cleaner than your "exit" solution - try to unit-test code that contains die()/exit(). This will end miserably. So better never use it in your code in the first place.