Why Mongoose Populate Required? - node.js

Using mongoose populate:
http://mongoosejs.com/docs/populate.html
It seams that mongoose is forcing me to declare a ref value for populate when I first create the document but in my case i don't have the ref info yet. When I try to create a new document while providing an empty string I get to my developer field I get:
{"message":"Cast to ObjectId failed for value \"\" at path \"developer\"","name":"CastError","type":"ObjectId","value":"","path":"developer"}
Object that I'm saving through mongoose:
var Project = {
name: 'Coolproject',
status: 'pending',
developer: '',
type: 'basic',
};
Project.create(req.body, function(err, project) {
if(err) { return handleError(res, err); }
return
});
My Model:
var ProjectSchema = new Schema({
name: String,
status: {type:String, default:'pending'},
developer:{type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'User'},
type:String
});
Basically I need to set it later, but it doesn't seam like this is possible. Currently my work around is populate it with a dummy user until later but this is less than desirable.
Thoughts?
Update
Realized that if i provide a object id like value (55132a418b3cde5546b01b37) it lets me save the document. Very odd. Guess it just figured it can find the document moves on. Wondering why this doesn't happen for a blank value.

The problem is explained in the error message. You cannot save an Empty String in the place of an ObjectId. The field is not listed as 'required', so there is no problem leaving it out and saving the document.
Code correction:
// you can save this
var Project = {
name: 'Coolproject',
status: 'pending',
type: 'basic',
};

You need to use the sparse index in model.
So, the valid model can have developer equal to nil
var ProjectSchema = new Schema({
name: String,
status: {type:String, default:'pending'},
developer:{type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'User', sparse:true},
type:String
});
See
http://mongoosejs.com/docs/api.html#schematype_SchemaType-sparse and
http://docs.mongodb.org/manual/core/index-sparse/
for additional info

Related

mongoose: Insert a subdocument NOT an array

I am struggling to insert a document inside another document. I've looked at all the entries like this but they aren't quite what I am looking for.
Here is the scenario:
I have a common document that has its own schema. Lets call it a related record:
(function(){
'use strict';
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var Schema = mongoose.Schema;
var relatedRecordSchema = new Schema({
params: {
recordId: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
recordType: String,
recordTitle: String
},
metadata: {
dateCreated: {type: Date, default: Date.now}
}
},{ _id : false });
mongoose.model('RelatedRecord', relatedRecordSchema);
})();
I have no trouble inserting this in an ARRAY inside document that require it. I.e its configured this way:
//Embedded
relationships: {
following: [mongoose.model('RelatedRecord').schema],
followers: [mongoose.model('RelatedRecord').schema],
blocked: [mongoose.model('RelatedRecord').schema]
}
This works perfectly.
The scenario that does not work is where there is a single related record, lets say the source of a notification:
var notificationSchema = new Schema({
params: {
title: String,
imageUrl: String,
source: mongoose.model('RelatedRecord').schema
},
metadata: {
dateCreated: { type: Date, default: Date.now },
dateViewed: Date
}
});
So when I am creating the notification I try and assign the previously prepared RelatedRecord
returnObj.params.source = relatedRecord;
The record appears during a debug to be inserted (it is inside a _docs branch but far deeper than I would expect) but when the object is saved (returnObj.save()) the save routine is abandoned without error, meaning it does not enter into the callback at all.
So it looks to me that i'm confusing mongoose as the dot assignment is forcing the subdoc into the wrong location.
So the question is simple:
How do I set that subdocument?
What the question isn't:
No I don't want to populate or advice on how you would solve this problem differently. We have sensible reasons for doing things how we are doing them.
Cheers
b
As Hiren S correctly pointed out:
1) Sub-Docs = array, always. Its in the first line in the docs :|
2) By setting the type to mixed, assignment of the object worked.
I'm a dumdum.

When using mongoose, how can I imply required validation only to the field inside the object where the object itself can be null?

here is my simple schema for my model
var schema = new mongoose.Schema({
User: {{
Name:{ type: String, required: true }
}
},
Amount: { type: Number, required: true }
})
var model = cnn.model("test", schema);
var first = new model({Amount:12});
What I am expecting is that the'required option only apply if I create an object with User. When I create a object without User, I don't need to check.
That is if the path is without User, it should have also User.Name, if it doesn't, it's also ok
But the way I set up the schema seems failed when I try to store the object without User and it says that: Path User.Name is required.
So is there anyway in monoose library that can realize my intention?

Deep populate self referencing schema in mongoose

I have an self referencing employee schema in mongoose.
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var Schema = mongoose.Schema;
var Employee = new Schema({
name: String,
description: {
type: String,
default: 'No description'
},
manager: {
type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'Employee',
default: null
},
reportee: [{
type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'Employee'
}]
});
An employee can a manager & can have several reportee. If manager is null then the employee is treated as top level employee.
I need to created hierarchy based on this model. I am struggling to generate desired output.
So far I have tried to use popluate() & mongoose-deep-populate module but I am unable to get the desired output. I wonder its becuase I have a self referencing model. Or may be I am not using these two options properly.
This is what I have tried with deep-populate module. It seems to be populating reportee model but not repotree of reportee model. In short its only populating 1 level of records.
Employee.deepPopulate(employees, 'reportee.reportee.reportee.reportee.reportee', function (err, _employee) {
employees.forEach(function (employee) {
});
});
Please suggest how can I retrive all the employee hierarchy ?
To answer my own question, I am using mongoose-deep-populate library.
To use it we need to install the module:
npm install mongoose-deep-populate
//Register the plugin
var deepPopulate = require('mongoose-deep-populate');
Employee.plugin(deepPopulate);
And then use this code:
Employee.deepPopulate(employees, 'reportee.reportee.reportee.reportee.reportee', function (err, _employee) {
employees.forEach(function (employee) {
});
});
This will load 5 levels of reportees as we have mentioned reportee.reportee.reportee.reportee.reportee

Skip or Disable validation for mongoose model save() call

I'm looking to create a new Document that is saved to the MongoDB regardless of if it is valid. I just want to temporarily skip mongoose validation upon the model save call.
In my case of CSV import, some required fields are not included in the CSV file, especially the reference fields to the other document. Then, the mongoose validation required check is not passed for the following example:
var product = mongoose.model("Product", Schema({
name: {
type: String,
required: true
},
price: {
type: Number,
required: true,
default: 0
},
supplier: {
type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: "Supplier",
required: true,
default: {}
}
}));
var data = {
name: 'Test',
price: 99
}; // this may be array of documents either
product(data).save(function(err) {
if (err) throw err;
});
Is it possible to let Mongoose know to not execute validation in the save() call?
[Edit]
I alternatively tried Model.create(), but it invokes the validation process too.
This is supported since v4.4.2:
doc.save({ validateBeforeSave: false });
Though there may be a way to disable validation that I am not aware of one of your options is to use methods that do not use middleware (and hence no validation). One of these is insert which accesses the Mongo driver directly.
Product.collection.insert({
item: "ABC1",
details: {
model: "14Q3",
manufacturer: "XYZ Company"
},
}, function(err, doc) {
console.log(err);
console.log(doc);
});
You can have multiple models that use the same collection, so create a second model without the required field constraints for use with CSV import:
var rawProduct = mongoose.model("RawProduct", Schema({
name: String,
price: Number
}), 'products');
The third parameter to model provides an explicit collection name, allowing you to have this model also use the products collection.
I was able to ignore validation and preserve the middleware behavior by replacing the validate method:
schema.method('saveWithoutValidation', function(next) {
var defaultValidate = this.validate;
this.validate = function(next) {next();};
var self = this;
this.save(function(err, doc, numberAffected) {
self.validate = defaultValidate;
next(err, doc, numberAffected);
});
});
I've tested it only with mongoose 3.8.23
schema config validateBeforeSave=false
use validate methed
// define
var GiftSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
name: {type: String, required: true},
image: {type: String}
},{validateBeforeSave:false});
// use
var it new Gift({...});
it.validate(function(err){
if (err) next(err)
else it.save(function (err, model) {
...
});
})

Use mongoose populate to "join" matching subrecords

Using node.js, mongoose (3.5+), mongodb. Have got two collections in the DB:
var AuthorSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
name: { type: String },
});
var StorySchema = new mongoose.Schema({
title: { type: String },
author: { type: type: Schema.Types.ObjectId },
});
What I would like to do is retrieve an author and populate it with a subcollection (say, "stories") that is looked up from Story and match the author. Yes, much like a SQL join.
All of the examples out there work on the AuthorSchema having an array of objectids that reference StorySchema objects - that works fine. But I want to go the opposite direction; partly due to minimizing insert/updates. If I follow the example, adding a new store requires adding a new Story document and updating the Author. I want to just insert a new Story that references the Author.
I suspect that populate() is the right way to go, but can't get it to work. I'm doing something like this:
Author.find({name: 'Asimov').populate({
path: 'stories',
model: 'Story',
match: {'author': this['_id']},
}).exec(function(err, authors) {
console.log(authors);
})
But this doesn't return any stories member in the returned authors. Is this not a populate() solution? Do I really need to structure the schemas differently? Or is there some other feature of mongoose/mongo that would do what I'm looking for.
In the story schema, do this:
author: { type: type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref:'Author' }, //or whatever the model name is
then you can run
Story.find({}).populate('author').exec(function(err,stories) {...});

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