title: Method to check record exist in database, and then if true return record in CakePHP?
body: <p>I'm a new dev in CakePHP and I'm consfusing about this case : </p>
  
  <p>Now I have a table users with model User, I want check the exist of record with id = 4 : If the record exists, return it, if not return message error, there are 2 methods that I think :</p>
  
  <p>Solution 1 : </p>
  
  <pre><code>$this-&gt;Model-&gt;id = 4;
  
  if ($this-&gt;Model-&gt;exists()) {
   return $this-&gt;Model-&gt;read();
  } else {
   return "ERROR";
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Solution 2 : </p>
  
  <pre><code>$data = $this-&gt;Model-&gt;find('first', array(
   'conditions' =&gt; array('Model.id' =&gt; 4)
  ));
  
  if (!empty($data)) {
   return $data;
  } else {
   return "ERROR";
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I don't know what is better or more optimized (I think in Solution 1 Cake will do 2 queries, is it ?), please give me answer for the best solution.Sorry for my bad English.</p>