Updating Zend_Auth storage after editing a user - zend-framework

Question

I use Zend_Auth to authenticate users and then store their details in the default Zend_Auth session. This means that when a user edits his details, these changes won't be reflected in the application until he re-authenticates.
I want to avoid this problem as so:
When the user logs in we only store his user ID in a Zend_Auth session
On each request we fetch the user's details from the database in a preDispatch() hook, using the user ID which was stored upon login in the Zend_Auth session:
class Plugin_Auth extends Zend_Controller_Plugin_Abstract
{
public function preDispatch(Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request)
{
if ($auth->hasIdentity())
{
$id = $auth->getIdentity()->id;
$userModel = new Model_User();
$user = $userModel->fetchOne($id);
// Where do I store this user object ???
}
}
}
The problem is: where do i store this User object? I think we shouldn't use sessions for this, since the goal of sessions is to persist data. There's no need for persistence though, since we re-fetch the data from the database on each request. Only the user ID must be persistent. Would storing the User object in Zend_Registry be an option here?

Answer 1

I think example would be the best to explain how to write new auth details to Zend_Auth storage object:
$userDetails = array('foo' => 'bar');
$storage = new Zend_Auth_Storage_Session();
// set sorage for Zend_Auth
Zend_Auth::getInstance()->setStorage($storage);
// write data to the storage
Zend_Auth::getInstance()->getStorage()->write($userDetails);
// read data from storage
var_dump(Zend_Auth::getInstance()->getStorage()->read());
// edit user's data
$userDetails = array('foo' => 'bar', 'foo', 'bar');
// write new data to storage
Zend_Auth::getInstance()->getStorage()->write($userDetails);
// read new written data from storage
var_dump(Zend_Auth::getInstance()->getStorage()->read());
I think this explains how to set Zend_Auth storage, and change it later.

Answer 2

Use Zend_Session_Namespace to store the object. It can be as temporary or permanent as you wish to make it.
Zend_Auth already uses this in the background as it's default storage mechanism using the namespace of Zend_Auth.
class Plugin_Auth extends Zend_Controller_Plugin_Abstract
{
public function preDispatch(Zend_Controller_Request_Abstract $request)
{
$session = new Zend_Session_Namespace('user');//instantiate session namespace
if ($auth->hasIdentity())
{
$id = $auth->getIdentity()->id;
$userModel = new Model_User();
$user = $userModel->fetchOne($id);
$session->user = $user;//store the object can be recalled anywhere
}
}
}
Of course Zend_Registry will work as well and as always the choice is yours. You may even find it appropriate to build this functionality into your auth adapter.

Answer 3

I believe using Zend_Registry is fine in your case.