README.md

mongoose-fill

mongoose-fill is mongoose.js add-on that adds simple api for virtual async fields.

why?

This just gives you a simple and easy to use API for:

• implementing db joins without keeping refs to related objects (with refs you can use populate)
• joining mongoose object with any kind of data (with any async service - other db or web service)

api use cases - learn by example

basic use case fills single filed

// import of 'mongoose-fill' patches mongoose and returns mongoose object, so you can do:
var mongoose = require('mongoose-fill')
 ...
// note you should set virtual properties options 
// on you schema to get it mongoose-fill work
var myParentSchema = new Schema({
    ....
}, {
  toObject: {
    virtuals: true
  },
  toJSON: {
    virtuals: true 
  }
}

myParentSchema.fill('children', function(callback){
    this.db.model('Child')
        .find({parent: this.id})
        .select('name age')
        .order('-age')
        .exec(callback)
})
...
Parent.findById(1).fill('children').exec().then(function(parent){
    //parent.children <- will be array of children with fields name and age ordered by age
})

filling property using single query for multiple objects

myParentSchema.fill('childrenCount').value(function(callback){
    // `this` is current (found) instance
    this.db.model('Child')
        .count({parent: this.id})
        .exec(callback)
    // multi is used for queries with multiple fields
    }).multi(function(docs, ids, callback){     
    // query childrenCount for all found parents with single db query
    this.db.model('Child')
        .aggregate([{
            $group: {
                _id: '$parent',
                childrenCount: {$sum: 1}
            }},
            {$match: {'_id': {$in: ids}}}
        ], callback)
})
...

// you can place property name that should be filled in `select` option
Parent.find({}).select('name childrenCount').exec().then(function(parents){
    //parent.childrenCount <- will contain count of children
})

using fill options with default values

myParentSchema.fill('children', function(select, order, callback){
    this.db.model('Child')
        .find({parent: this.id})
        .select(select)
        .order(order)
        .exec(callback)
}).options('', '-age')
...

// fill children with only `name age` properties ordered by `age`
Parent.findById(1).fill('children', 'name age', 'age').exec().then(function(parent){
    //parent.children <- will be array of children with fields name and age ordered by age
})

Also check the code of test for more use cases

how does it work

• adds fill method to mongoose schema object
• adds fill and filled prototype methods to mongoose model
• patches mongoose query exec method extending query api with fill method
• implemented using mongoose virtual setters/getters (actual value is stored in __propName property)

Installation

npm install mongoose-fill

Run tests

npm test