How to popoulate recursive schema references Mongodb, Mongoose, Express? - node.js

Question

Using mongoose and Express with mongodb
So right now I have a schema for boxes, a box can contain objects or it can contain other boxes:
my schema for boxes looks like this:
var box = new Schema({
boxId: ObjectId,
boxContents: [{
contentType: {
type: String,
enum: ["box", "object"]
},
typeId: {
subBox: {
type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'box'
},
subObject: {
type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'object'
}
}
}]
});
I made sure to have my 'ref' labeled accordingly with the model names so I don't believe that is the problem. I create a new document like so:
var box1 = new Box({
contents: [{
contentType: 'object',
typeId: {
subObject: object1._id
}
}]
});
When I use:
Control.find({}).populate('contents.typeId')
.exec(function(error, posts) {
console.log(JSON.stringify(posts, null, "\t"));
});
It doesn't populate the subBox and subObject fields :( If I try to access the subBox or subObject fields, it gives me undefined.
What am I doing incorrectly?

Answer 1

First of all, you need to get a model of the collection:
var BoxModel = mongoose.connect(dbURI).model("box", box);
boxContents is in schema, but in the object is contents, that should be modified.
To create an object to be save, you need to use the model in that way, and then you can get your populated data this way:
var box1 = new BoxModel({
boxContents: [{
contentType: 'object',
typeId: {
subObject: object1._id
}
}]
});
BoxModel.find({}).populate('boxContents.typeId');
OR
BoxModel.find({}).populate({path:'boxContents.typeId'});