Username in URL using Regex & Route - regex

Question

I have a method in my Users Controller called view, which should display a specified (by URL) user:
public function view($username = null) {
$this->User->username = $username;
if (!$this->User->exists()) {
throw new NotFoundException('Няма такъв потребител!');
}
if (!$username) {
$this->Session->setFlash('Няма такъв потребител!');
$this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
}
$this->set('user', $this->User->read());
}
And in the route config:
Router::connect('/:username', array('controller' => 'users', 'action'=> 'view'), array('username' => '^([a-z0-9])+$'));
But when I try: www.example.com/Username it returns a fatal error: Missing controller.
I tried also this:
Router::connect('/users/:username', array('controller' => 'users', 'action'=> 'view'), array('pass' => array('username'), 'username' => '^([a-z0-9])+$'));

Answer 1

Unfortunately for this sort of setup using /:username is too simple, it will pretty much override every single other route. To do this effectively ( + the proper CakePHP way) you need to setup a custom route, here is mine which pretty much achieves the same thing. Just replace "product" with "user" for most cases, read through it though, to make sure you understand what's going on..
Look at my routes config as well if you still can't work it out.
If you want to route /user/dunhamzz to a profile you would set it up like this:
Router::connect('/user/:username',
array('controller' => 'users', 'action' => 'view'),
array('pass' => array('username')
);
Then your view action simply gets the username as the first argument:
public function view($username) {
}