Cakephp 2.x-自定义验证不起作用

我有以下代码，它根本不工作

在我看来，我有这样的想法：

echo $this->Form->input('User.code', array(
            'between' => '<div class="input-group">',
            'after' => '</div>',
            'label' => array('text' => 'Geschenkcode<span>*</span><br><div class="form-small">Geben Sie hier den Geschenkcode<br>aus dem DVD-Flyer an!</div>', 'class' => 'control-label'),
            'div' => 'form-group',
            'class' => 'form-control'
        ));

控制器：

public function contest($slug = null) {
    if (!$this->Contest->findBySlug($slug)) {
        throw new NotFoundException(__('Invalid Contest'));
    }
    if ($this->request->is(array('post', 'put'))) {
        if (!$this->User->validates()) {
            $errors = $this->User->validationErrors;
            debug($errors);
        }
        debug($this->request->data); exit();
        return $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
    }
    $this->Contest->recursive = 0;
    $contest = $this->Contest->findBySlug($slug);
    $this->set('contest', $contest);
}

这根本不起作用。验证会像不进入函数一样运行。有什么建议吗

---

关于在调用

$this->User->validates（）之前，您需要使用
$this->User->set（$this->request->data）
，同时显示控制器代码。我更新了帖子。。。
public function contest($slug = null) {
    if (!$this->Contest->findBySlug($slug)) {
        throw new NotFoundException(__('Invalid Contest'));
    }
    if ($this->request->is(array('post', 'put'))) {
        if (!$this->User->validates()) {
            $errors = $this->User->validationErrors;
            debug($errors);
        }
        debug($this->request->data); exit();
        return $this->redirect(array('action' => 'index'));
    }
    $this->Contest->recursive = 0;
    $contest = $this->Contest->findBySlug($slug);
    $this->set('contest', $contest);
}