I recently wrote a code for an email verification system using cakephp. Well, before you use it there are few things. This is written by a cake noob so may not be the best there is. I have not written it as a general stand alone piece of code. So its need modifications for use. And I am a sucker when it comes to commenting and formatting my code so please dont mind. My thanks to Edward and the CakePhP Google Groups. And finally cake rocks!!!

cheers

Database Table

A basic user table with the following columns

id - primary key and auto increment
username
email
password
[...]
tokenhash*
activate *

*columns with which we are concerned with

Controller code

<?php
class UsersController extends AppController {
var $name = 'Users';
var $helpers = array('Html', 'Form');
var $components = array('Email');
[...]
function register() {
if (!empty($this->data)) {
$this->User->data = $this->data;
$hash=sha1($this->data['User']['username'].rand(0,100));
//Create Token using form data and random number to ensure its unique and cannot be replicated
$this->User->data['User']['tokenhash']=$hash;
if ( $this->User->validates()) {
$this->User->save($this->data);
//Save all form data including the tokenhash
$ms='Click on the link below to complete registration ';
$ms.='www.sitename.com/users/verify/t:'.$hash.'/n:'.$this->data['User']['username'].'';
$ms=wordwrap($ms,70);
//create mail body
$this->Email->from = 'yourName <email>';
$this->Email->to=$this->data['User']['email'];
$this->Email->subject = 'Confirm Registration for Niwiki - reg.';
$this->Email->send($ms);
//send mail
$this->Session->setFlash('Please Check your email for validation Link');
$this->redirect('/users/login');
exit;
}
}
}

function verify(){
	//check if the token is valid
	if (!empty($this->passedArgs['n']) && !empty($this->passedArgs['t'])){
$name = $this->passedArgs['n'];
$tokenhash = $this->passedArgs['t'];
$results = $this->User->findByUsername($name);
//check if the user is already activated
	if ($results['User']['activate']==0){
	//check the token
if($results['User']['tokenhash']==$tokenhash)
{
//Set activate to 1
	$results['User']['activate']=1;
	//Save the data
$this->User->save($results);
$this->Session->setFlash('Your registration is complete');
$this->redirect('/users/login');
exit;
}
else{
$this->Session->setFlash('Your registration failed please try again');
$this->redirect('/users/register');
}
}
else {
$this->Session->setFlash('Token has alredy been used');
$this->redirect('/users/register');
}
}else
{
$this->Session->setFlash('Token corrupted. Please re-register');
$this->redirect('/users/register');
}
}else
{
$this->Session->setFlash('Token corrupted. Please re-register');
$this->redirect('/users/register');
}
}
function login() {
if (!empty($this->data)) {
if ( $this->User->validates()) {
	$this->User->data = $this->data;
	$results = $this->User->findByEmail($this->data['User']['email']);
	//find the user based on the data from your login form
	if ($results['User']['activate']==1)
	//check if his activation is set to 1 by the verify function
	{
	// check if the passwords match
	if ($results && $results['User']['password'] == md5($this->data['User']['password'])) {
	$this->Session->write('User', $results['User']);
	//logged in
	} else {
	$this->Session->setFlash('Invalid Username or Password please try again');
  }
  }
  else  {
	$this->Session->setFlash('Your Email is not verified. Please verify and try again.');
  }
}
}
}
[...]
}
?>

Model Code

<?php
class User extends AppModel {
var $name = 'User';
var $validate = array(
[...]
);
?>

Views – register.ctp

<?php echo $form->create(null, array('url' => '/users/register'));?>
<h2> Fill out the form below to register </h2>
<?php echo $form->input('User.username') ?>
<?php echo $form->input('User.password',array('size' => '30',)) ?>
<?php echo $form->input('User.confirmpassword', array('size' => '30','type'=>'password',)) ?>
<?php echo $form->input('User.email') ?>
<?php echo $form->Submit('register') ?>
<?php echo $form->end(); ?>

Views – login.ctp

<?php echo $form->create(null, array('url'=>'/users/login'));?>
<h2>Please log in.</h2>
<?php echo $form->input('User.email') ?>
<?php echo $form->input('User.password') ?>
<?php echo $form->submit('login') ?>
<?php echo $form->error('User.email', $login_error) ?>
<?php echo $form->end(); ?>