Trying to update object with Mongoose gives TypeError: Object #<Object> has no method 'save'

Question

Why does this code produce an TypeError: Object #<Object> has no method 'save'? The project object exists and is singular.

/** Update project */
exports.update = function (req, res, next) {
    var projectId = req.params.id;

    Project.findById(projectId, function (err, project) {

        if (project) {
            project.screens[0] = project.screens[0] || {};
            project.screens[0].name = 'Test screen';
            project.screens[0].data = req.body.data;
            project.save(function(err) {
                if (err) {
                    res.json(500, err);
                }
                else {
                    res.json(200, 'Update complete');
                }
            });
        }
        else {
            res.json(404, 'PROJECT_NOT_FOUND');
        }
    });
};

Schema:

'use strict';

var mongoose = require('mongoose'),
    Schema = mongoose.Schema;

var ProjectSchema = new Schema({
    name: String,
    slug: String,
    dateCreated: Date,
    dateUpdated: Date,
    createdByUserId: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
    screens: [ { name: String, data: Schema.Types.Mixed } ]
    //awesomeness: Number
    //Schema.Types.Mixed
    // ProjectSchema.methods.greet = function() { return 'Hello, ' + this.name; }; 
});

mongoose.model('Project', ProjectSchema);

Console output just before project.save:

Logged 'project': { name: 'My First Project',
  slug: 'my-first-project',
  dateCreated: Wed Jan 29 2014 22:26:22 GMT+0100 (CET),
  _id: 52e971fe003687a492000002,
  __v: 0,
  screens: [ { data: 'testWeld', name: 'Test screen' } ] }

I'm having the same problem, and I don't know how to solve it — Ragnar
– Ragnar, Commented Nov 3, 2014 at 22:16

klall · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-20 19:37:43Z

2

I just completed debugging a problem with the same symptoms.

In your schema you have the following mongoose subdocument:

screens: [ { name: String, data: Schema.Types.Mixed } ]

I would agree with you that it would be intuitive if the following steps worked:

project.screens[0] = project.screens[0] || {};
project.screens[0].name = 'Test screen';
project.screens[0].data = req.body.data;

project.save(function(err)

However, after re-reading the mongoose documents (Mongoose subdocs) the appropriate apis to add subdocuments need to be used as there is some casting/extra work that goes on.

For example, this got rid of the error message:

project.screens.push({ name: 'Test screen', data: req.body.data });

Hope that helps someone.

answered Dec 20, 2014 at 19:37

klall

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Comments

Neil Lunn · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-30 21:37:00Z

0

Wasn't seeing the forest for the trees before. Glad you posted log output because now it's obvious something is logging. Save either takes no arguments or a three element callback which you can see in the documentation.

So your code should be more like:

// project.save(err) { <-- is an object and not a callback
project.save(function(err, project, numAffected) {
    if (err) {
        res.json(500, err);
    }
    else {
        res.json(200, 'Update complete');
    }
});

The whole Object#< Object > thing is because there is no reference at all. Hope that clears it up.

edited Jan 30, 2014 at 21:37

answered Jan 30, 2014 at 9:17

Neil Lunn

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5 Comments

Tom Söderlund Over a year ago

Sorry, still gives the same error. And me omitting the project, numAffected parameters shouldn't void the method call, based on what I know about JS methods. And Project.findById sure returns something...

Tom Söderlund Over a year ago

Seems like project just contains the JSON structure and is not a proper Mongoose Model. Hmm...

Tom Söderlund Over a year ago

I've done a workaround using Project.update instead.

Neil Lunn Over a year ago

Actually if you look at the code you posted you omitted the callback function, which is the only parameter to .save. Guessing you got the update call right then. BTW .save only differs from .update as what MongoDB calls an "upsert" which will insert or update an additional fields. But this is unlikely to matter to you under Mongoose.

Tom Söderlund Over a year ago

The code reads project.save(function(err) { ... }); - that function is the callback, right?

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