The required attribute does not work properly on subdocuments

I have a schema containing a property that is an array of another schema (a subdocument), which I would like to be required. I’ve tried to set the required attribute to true for the property, but it does not work as I would like to.

I think it’s best that I show you an example test code:

var should = require('should');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');

// My subdocument schema simplified...
var ThingSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: String
});

// My main document schema...
var CollectionSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: String,
    things: { type: [ThingSchema], required: true } // I don't want this property to be able to be empty...
});

var Collection = mongoose.model('Collection', CollectionSchema);

describe('Saving a Collection', function () {
    var db;

    before(function (done) {
        db = mongoose.connect("localhost", "mongotests");
        done();
    });

    it('fails when it has no things', function (done) {
        var collection = new Collection({
            name: "A collection"
            // I do not set the things property here...
        });
        collection.save(function (err) {
            should.exist(err); // This does not work, but I think it should...
            done();
        });
    });

    it('fails when it has NULL things', function (done) {
        var collection = new Collection({
            name: "A collection",
            things: null
        });

        collection.save(function (err) {
            should.exist(err); // This does work
            done();
        });
    });

    after(function (done) {
        mongoose.disconnect(done);
    });
});

I’ve also tried to set the default property to null for things in the example above, but that does not help either…

[joakimbeng]

I’ve already tried that as well, like this:

var should = require('should');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');

// My subdocument schema simplified...
var ThingSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: String
});

// My main document schema...
var CollectionSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: String,
    things: { type: [ThingSchema], validate: [function (value) { return value.length > 0; }, "Rows missing!"] } // I don't want this property to be able to be empty...
});

var Collection = mongoose.model('Collection', CollectionSchema);

describe('Saving a Collection', function () {
    var db;

    before(function (done) {
        db = mongoose.connect("localhost", "mongotests");
        done();
    });

    it('fails when it has no things', function (done) {
        var collection = new Collection({
            name: "A collection"
            // I do not set the things property here...
        });
        collection.save(function (err) {
            should.exist(err); // This does not work, but I think it should...
            done();
        });
    });

    after(function (done) {
        mongoose.disconnect(done);
    });
});

But the validator function isn’t even executed…

[Malusia]

Hello, I have a similar problem.

I have a sub document I cannot modify, because it’s a schema from a global package. In this case a few properties of the child schema are required. I have created a schematic reenactment of my case. It should be noted that the interleaving is lower than on the next level. I have installed Mongoose 3.8.9.

This is the definition of an external source.

var mongoose = require('mongoose');

// comes from a package I cannot edit
var childSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: String,
    age: Number,
    lastMod: Date
});

// this works, but i can not us it
//childSchema.path('name').required(true);

This is my schema.

var mongoose = require('mongoose');

// my schema
var parentSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
    name: {
        type: String,
        required: true
    },
    age: Number,
    child: [childSchema]
});

// does not work.
parentSchema.path('child').schema.path('name').required(true);

// my model
var Parent = mongoose.model('Parent', parentSchema);

// does not work.
Parent.schema.path('child').schema.path('name').required(true);

This is my test.

var should = require('should');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');

describe('Saving the parent', function () {

    before(function () {
        mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/parent-child-test', {db: {safe: true}});
    });

    after(function (done) {
        mongoose.disconnect(done);
    });

    beforeEach(function (done) {
        Parent.remove({}, function (err) {
            if (err) {
                return done(err);
            }

            done();
        });
    });

    it('should trigger the required validation', function (done) {
        var entity = new Parent({
            name: 'Max',
            child: [{age: 12}] // no name set in the sub doc, but no error occurs
        });

        entity.save(function (err) {
            err.should.instanceof(Error);
            done();
        });

    });
});