Acl\Model\Table\AclNodesTable::node PHP Method

    public function node($ref = null)
    {
        $db = $this->connection();
        $type = $this->alias();
        $table = $this->table();
        $result = null;
        if (empty($ref)) {
            return null;
        } elseif (is_int($ref) || ctype_digit($ref)) {
            $ref = ['id' => $ref];
        } elseif (is_string($ref)) {
            $path = explode('/', $ref);
            $start = $path[0];
            unset($path[0]);
            $queryData = ['conditions' => ["{$type}.lft" . ' <= ' . "{$type}0.lft", "{$type}.rght" . ' >= ' . "{$type}0.rght"], 'fields' => ['id', 'parent_id', 'model', 'foreign_key', 'alias'], 'join' => [['table' => $table, 'alias' => "{$type}0", 'type' => 'INNER', 'conditions' => ["{$type}0.alias" => $start]]], 'order' => "{$type}.lft" . ' DESC'];
            foreach ($path as $i => $alias) {
                $j = $i - 1;
                $queryData['join'][] = ['table' => $table, 'alias' => "{$type}{$i}", 'type' => 'INNER', 'conditions' => ["{$type}{$i}.lft" . ' > ' . "{$type}{$j}.lft", "{$type}{$i}.rght" . ' < ' . "{$type}{$j}.rght", "{$type}{$i}.alias" => $alias, "{$type}{$j}.id" . ' = ' . "{$type}{$i}.parent_id"]];
                $queryData['conditions'] = ['or' => ["{$type}.lft" . ' <= ' . "{$type}0.lft" . ' AND ' . "{$type}.rght" . ' >= ' . "{$type}0.rght", "{$type}.lft" . ' <= ' . "{$type}{$i}.lft" . ' AND ' . "{$type}.rght" . ' >= ' . "{$type}{$i}.rght"]];
            }
            $query = $this->find('all', $queryData);
            $result = $query->toArray();
            $path = array_values($path);
            if (!isset($result[0]) || !empty($path) && $result[0]->alias != $path[count($path) - 1] || empty($path) && $result[0]->alias != $start) {
                return false;
            }
        } elseif (is_object($ref) && $ref instanceof Entity) {
            list(, $alias) = pluginSplit($ref->source());
            $ref = ['model' => $alias, 'foreign_key' => $ref->id];
        } elseif (is_array($ref) && !(isset($ref['model']) && isset($ref['foreign_key']))) {
            $name = key($ref);
            list(, $alias) = pluginSplit($name);
            if (TableRegistry::exists($name)) {
                $bindTable = TableRegistry::get($name);
            } else {
                $connection = Configure::read('Acl.database');
                $bindTable = TableRegistry::get($name, ['connection' => ConnectionManager::get($connection)]);
            }
            $entityClass = $bindTable->entityClass();
            if ($entityClass) {
                $entity = new $entityClass();
            }
            if (empty($entity)) {
                throw new Exception\Exception(__d('cake_dev', "Entity class {0} not found in AclNode::node() when trying to bind {1} object", [$type, $this->alias()]));
            }
            $tmpRef = null;
            if (method_exists($entity, 'bindNode')) {
                $tmpRef = $entity->bindNode($ref);
            }
            if (empty($tmpRef)) {
                $ref = ['model' => $alias, 'foreign_key' => $ref[$name][$this->primaryKey()]];
            } else {
                if (is_string($tmpRef)) {
                    return $this->node($tmpRef);
                }
                $ref = $tmpRef;
            }
        }
        if (is_array($ref)) {
            if (is_array(current($ref)) && is_string(key($ref))) {
                $name = key($ref);
                $ref = current($ref);
            }
            foreach ($ref as $key => $val) {
                if (strpos($key, $type) !== 0 && strpos($key, '.') === false) {
                    unset($ref[$key]);
                    $ref["{$type}0.{$key}"] = $val;
                }
            }
            $queryData = ['conditions' => $ref, 'fields' => ['id', 'parent_id', 'model', 'foreign_key', 'alias'], 'join' => [['table' => $table, 'alias' => "{$type}0", 'type' => 'INNER', 'conditions' => ["{$type}.lft" . ' <= ' . "{$type}0.lft", "{$type}.rght" . ' >= ' . "{$type}0.rght"]]], 'order' => "{$type}.lft" . ' DESC'];
            $query = $this->find('all', $queryData);
            if ($query->count() == 0) {
                throw new Exception\Exception(__d('cake_dev', "AclNode::node() - Couldn't find {0} node identified by \"{1}\"", [$type, print_r($ref, true)]));
            }
        }
        return $query;
    }