req.session is not saving data - node.js

Question

For now, I'm using the default store for sessions (i.e. not yet saving session data to a DB). I have a POST route that uses a middleware that checks a DB for a user, and if the user is present it saves the user object to the session, this is working fine, then a little further down in that same middleware I add to that same session based on a condition, this second write to the session is not occurring, not even at the completion of the route.
app.post('/', searchDb(db), (req, res) => {
res.redirect(`/someplace`);
});
In a middleware folder ...
searchDB = (db) => {
return async (req, res, next) => {
{ email } = req.body;
const user = await db.findOne({ emailAddress: `${email}` })
if (user) {
req.session.validUser = user;
if (condition) {
req.session.validUser.storeMoreStuff = "something"
} else {
req.session.validUser.storeMoreStuff = "somethingelse"
}
return next();
}
}
}
module.exports = { searchDB };
What am I not understanding?
Update#1: 1/14/22: Although it felt a little hacky, I tried modifying the user object prior to saving it to the session.
searchDB = (db) => {
return async (req, res, next) => {
{ email } = req.body;
let user = await db.findOne({ emailAddress: `${email}` })
if (user) {
user.storeMoreStuff = "something"
req.session.validUser = user;
return next();
}
}
}
module.exports = { searchDB };
However, only the original version of the user object that was pulled from the DB got written to the session.
Update#2: 1/14/22: Tried also to modify a copy of the user object, before saving to the session.
searchDB = (db) => {
return async (req, res, next) => {
{ email } = req.body;
let user = await db.findOne({ emailAddress: `${email}` })
let test = user;
test.storeMoreStuff = "something"
req.session.validUser = test;
}
}
module.exports = { searchDB };
Same result. I'm wondering now if "user", which comes from the DB find operation, is even an object (even though it seems to look like one). Perhaps this is why seemingly normal object operations are not working as expected. Going to add a "mongodb" tag, in case this is a Mongo idiosyncrasy / misunderstanding.

Answer 1

I'm reluctant to call this an answer, because I don't understand why, however, by copying each key-value pair of the user object into a temporary object before making the additional key-value pair assignment I was able to update the object and then write it to the session:
searchDB = (db) => {
return async (req, res, next) => {
{ email } = req.body;
const user = await db.findOne({ emailAddress: `${email}` })
if (user) {
const copyUser = {
key1: user.value1,
key2: user.value2,
key3: user.value3
}
req.session.validUser = copyUser;
if (condition) {
req.session.validUser.storeMoreStuff = "something"
} else {
req.session.validUser.storeMoreStuff = "somethingelse"
}
return next();
}
}
}
module.exports = { searchDB };