mongoose: create new element in X collection, update another in Y collection - node.js

Question

I am trying to develop a CRUD app for users to store, add, delete and update recipes. It's built on MEVN stack. As I need to show the user, which recipes they have created, I am trying to create a recipe based on this model:
const RecipeSchema = new Schema({
title: {
type: String,
required: [true, 'Title of the recipe is required'],
},
category: {
type: Array,
required: [true, 'Category is required'],
},
description: {
type: String,
required: [true, 'Description is required'],
},
imgUrl: {
type: String,
required: [true, 'Image is required'],
},
ingredients: {
type: Array,
required: [true, 'Ingredients are required'],
},
timeOfPreparation: {
type: String,
required: true,
},
preparation: {
type: String,
required: true,
},
sourceName: {
type: String,
required: true,
},
sourceUrl: {
type: String,
required: true,
},
author: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'User' }],
});
const Recipe = mongoose.model('Recipe', RecipeSchema);
module.exports = Recipe;
And at the same time update User model, based on this:
const UserSchema = Schema({
googleId: String,
name: String,
favorites: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Recipe' }],
authoredRecipes: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Recipe' }],
});
const User = mongoose.model('User', UserSchema);
module.exports = User;
In the controller, I have this method (as per #Stock Overflaw comment):
exports.create_new_recipe = (req, res, next) => {
Recipe.create(req.body)
.then(recipe => {
User.update(
{ _id: req.body.author },
{
$push: { authoredRecipes: recipe.id },
}
);
res.send(res.status);
})
.catch(error => {
res.status(500).json({ error });
});
};
This method is called when I go to /create endpoint. However, even though I do get all the correct ids (req.body.author and recipe.id), I cannot get this to work. In my mLab recipe collection the recipe is displayed correctly (all data that I have inserted with authorId), however in the User collection, the array of authoredRecipes stays empty.
How can I get mongoose to both create an object in one collection as well as update another object based on their ids?

Answer 1

The documentation for findByIdAndUpdate requires the _id field as its value, not an object:
User.findByIdAndUpdate(req.body.author, {
$push: { authoredRecipes: recipe.id }
});
// equivalent to the more general method:
User.findOneAndUpdate({ _id: req.body.author }, {
$push: { authoredRecipes: recipe.id }
});
// and if you don't need the modified document in your callback, this should be faster:
// EDIT: this is advised against (we should use a user object, not the collection)
User.update({ _id: req.body.author }, { // or updateOne
$push: { authoredRecipes: recipe.id }
});
Edit: a working, minimal example
Mind {new: true} maybe? Depending on how you test whether it works...
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const fs = require('fs');
const userIdFile = './tmp.txt'; // just for this test
mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/meuh', {
useNewUrlParser: true, // removes a deprecation warning
useFindAndModify: false // removes another deprecation warning
});
// make schemas/models
const RecipeSchema = mongoose.Schema({
title: { type: mongoose.Schema.Types.String }
});
const UserSchema = mongoose.Schema({
name: { type: mongoose.Schema.Types.String },
data: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Recipe' }]
});
const RecipeModel = mongoose.model('Recipe', RecipeSchema);
const UserModel = mongoose.model('User', UserSchema);
// user precreation
// UserModel.create({
// name: 'me, myself and I'
// }).then((user) => {
// fs.writeFile(userIdFile, user.id, console.log.bind(null, 'error writing file:'));
// mongoose.connection.close();
// });
// return;
// fetch user
const userId = fs.readFileSync(userIdFile);
let pushedRecipeId; // to test everything went smooth
RecipeModel.create({
title: 'pasta solo'
}).then((recipe) => {
console.log('created recipe:', recipe);
pushedRecipeId = recipe.id;
return UserModel.findOneAndUpdate(
{ _id: userId },
{ $push: { data: recipe.id } },
{ new: true } // forces callback to be passed a fresh object
);
}).then((user) => {
console.log('updated user:', user);
console.log('izok:', !!~user.data.indexOf(pushedRecipeId));
mongoose.connection.close();
}).catch((err) => {
console.log('error', err);
mongoose.connection.close();
})
Example output I got:
# creating user (uncommented this part)
ubuntu#ubuntu-VirtualBox:~/web/test$ node .
error writing file: null
# calling for $push (re-commented user creation)
ubuntu#ubuntu-VirtualBox:~/web/test$ node .
created recipe: { _id: 5c72be7032bd2f1acad37c95, title: 'pasta solo', __v: 0 }
updated user: { data: [ 5c72be7032bd2f1acad37c95 ],
_id: 5c72be6a8143fd1aa9416d85,
name: 'me, myself and I',
__v: 0 }
izok: true
# again $push
ubuntu#ubuntu-VirtualBox:~/web/test$ node .
created recipe: { _id: 5c72c020c2ac7a1b8c65fa36, title: 'pasta solo', __v: 0 }
updated user: { data: [ 5c72be7032bd2f1acad37c95, 5c72c020c2ac7a1b8c65fa36 ],
_id: 5c72be6a8143fd1aa9416d85,
name: 'me, myself and I',
__v: 0 }
izok: true
# and again
ubuntu#ubuntu-VirtualBox:~/web/test$ node .
created recipe: { _id: 5c72c023bf62331b97ef096b, title: 'pasta solo', __v: 0 }
updated user: { data:
[ 5c72be7032bd2f1acad37c95,
5c72c020c2ac7a1b8c65fa36,
5c72c023bf62331b97ef096b ],
_id: 5c72be6a8143fd1aa9416d85,
name: 'me, myself and I',
__v: 0 }
izok: true
# end
ubuntu#ubuntu-VirtualBox:~/web/test$
I don't see what's wrong in your code, but at least you have something to compare with... hope this helps!