Understanding CakePHP Associations

CakePHP uses the Model-View-Controller (MVC) concept as a framework to encapsulate the three basic layers of an application. Models, the component of the MVC framework that connect the application to the data, are especially good at describing relational databases. One of the questions that seems to come up alot on the CakePHP Group in one form or another, is what the practical difference is between the various relationship types (or associations) that CakePHP models can implement. I'll try to explain what's helped me keep them straight...