[FIXED] Cakephp 3.1, Why does $this->Auth->identify(); always return false?

Issue

login action of UsersController.php =>

public function login()
{

    if ($this->request->is('post')) {
        $user = $this->Auth->identify();        

        if ($user) {
            $this->Auth->setUser($user);
            return $this->redirect($this->Auth->redirectUrl());
        } else {
            $this->Flash->error(__('Username or password is incorrect'), [
                'key' => 'auth'
            ]);
        }
    }
}

I have created a user. add action of UsersController.php =>

public function add()
    {
        $this->set('groups', $this->Users->Groups->find('list'));       

        $user = $this->Users->newEntity();
        if ($this->request->is('post')) {
            $article = $this->Users->patchEntity($user, $this->request->data);
            if ($this->Users->save($article)) {
                $this->Flash->success(__('New user has been saved.'));
                return $this->redirect(['controller' => 'posts', 'action' => 'index']);
            }
            $this->Flash->error(__('Unable to add new user.'));
        }
    }

User entity =>

<?php

namespace App\Model\Entity;

use Cake\Auth\DefaultPasswordHasher;
use Cake\ORM\Entity;

class User extends Entity
{
    protected function _setPassword($password)
    {
        if (strlen($password) > 0) {
          return (new DefaultPasswordHasher)->hash($password);
        }
    }
}

Auth configuration in AppController.php =>

public function initialize()
{
    parent::initialize();

    $this->loadComponent('RequestHandler');
    $this->loadComponent('Flash');
    $this->loadComponent('Auth', [          
        'loginAction' => [
        'controller' => 'Users',
        'action' => 'login'            
        ],
        'loginRedirect' => [
        'controller' => 'Posts',
        'action' => 'index'
        ],
        'logoutRedirect' => [
        'controller' => 'Posts',
        'action' => 'index'
        ]           
    ]);
    $this->Auth->allow();   
}

login.ctp =>

<h2>Login</h2>
<?php
    echo $this->Form->create('User', array('url' => array('controller' => 'users', 'action' =>'login')));
    echo $this->Form->input('User.username',array('style'=>'width:50%'));
    echo $this->Form->input('User.password',array('style'=>'width:50%'));
    echo $this->Form->submit('Login');
    echo $this->Form->end();
?>

$this->request->data returns these=>

[
    'User' => [
        'username' => 'user2',
        'password' => 'userpassword'
    ]
]

The password saved in database users table in this format: $2y$10$ZP9WngYH74tdlOfBKpix2ORfvs/NN2.WIstWpg7qgGpoSwDhaMU8q

Why can't i login? Why does $this->Auth->identify(); always return false?

Any help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Solution

You do need to add the fields you want to be checked in the Auth config like:

'Form' => [
  'fields' => [
    'username' => 'username',
    'password' => 'password'
  ]
]

Additionally your form is wrong, it needs to read like the following, passing an entity from your controller.

$this->Form->create($userEntity);

Don't prefix the fields with the (wrong) model, but just use:

$this->Form->input('username');
$this->Form->input('password');

Answered By - hmic