MEAN-Stack MongoDB Sub Array Delete - Works in IDE, not in API

Question

I have a [user] document stored that contains a nested sub-array [profiles],[favorites]. I am simply trying to delete($pull) a favorites from a given profile based on the favorites name.

{
"_id" : ObjectId("558d53eebdd9804820090fa1"),    
"name" : "Frank",
"email" : "[email protected]",   
"profiles" : [ 
    {
        "avatar" : "div-male",
        "age" : "35",
        "gender" : "Male",
        "profilename" : "Oly Lifter",
        "_id" : ObjectId("558d5404bdd9804820090fa2"),
        "favorites" : [ 
            {
                "name" : "Power Clean"
            }, 
            {
                "name" : "Hang Clean"
            }, 
            {
                "name" : "Clean and Jerk"
            }
        ],
        "createdAt" : ISODate("2015-06-26T13:30:44.661Z")
    }
    ],
    "createdAt" : ISODate("2015-06-26T13:30:22.884Z"),
    "role" : "user",
    "__v" : 0
}

Using a MongoDB IDE robomongo, I'm able to successfully remove a favorite item from a known User and Profile ID using this

 db.users.update($find: {
        'profiles': {
            'profiles._id': ObjectId("558d5404bdd9804820090fa2")
        },
        {
            $pull: {
                'profiles.$.favorites': {
                    'name': 'Hang Clean'
                }
            }
        })

However, when I call from my server API using the following syntax, I receive an error, note req.body._id = "558d5404bdd9804820090fa2" and req.body.favorites.name = "Hang Clean"

User.findByIdAndUpdate(_user._id, {
    'profiles._id': req.body._id
    }, {
    $pull: {
        'profiles.$.favorites': {
            'name': req.body.favorites.name
        }
    }
    }, {
    safe: true,
    upsert: true
    },
    function(err, model) {
    if (err) {
        console.log(err);
        return res.status(500).send('Error Deleting Profile');
    }
    return res.status(200).send('Profile Deleted!');
    });

{ [MongoError: exception: The positional operator did not find the match needed from the query. Unexpanded update: profiles.$.favorites] name: 'MongoError', errmsg: 'exception: The positional operator did not find the match needed from the query. Unexpanded update: profiles.$.favorites', code: 16836, ok: 0 } — CampbellGolf
– CampbellGolf, Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 14:36
Can you update your question with the exact schema, it seems rather unclear what the actual document is as you have a top level user key on the document? — chridam
– chridam, Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 14:41
Done, that's exactly how it reads in robomongo's document editor. — CampbellGolf
– CampbellGolf, Commented Jun 26, 2015 at 14:52

chridam · Accepted Answer · 2015-06-26 14:39:24Z

1

Try updating using the findOneAndUpdate() method since you are supplying the findByIdAndUpdate() method with the wrong parameters: the second argument { 'profiles._id': req.body._id } should be part of the first query object hence you need to use the findOneAndUpdate() method as follows, making sure you convert the string ids into ObjectId's:

var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var id = mongoose.Types.ObjectId(_user._id),
    profileId = mongoose.Types.ObjectId(req.body._id),
    query = {
        "_id": id,
        "profiles._id": profileId 
    },
    update = {
        "$pull": { 
            "profiles.$.favorites": { "name": req.body.favorites.name }
        }
    },
    options = { "multi": true, "upsert": true };

User.findOneAndUpdate(query, update, options, function(err, model) {
     if(err){
        console.log(err);
        return res.status(500).send('Error Deleting Profile');
     }
     return res.status(200).send('Profile Deleted!');       
});

edited Jun 26, 2015 at 14:39

answered Jun 26, 2015 at 14:07

chridam

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2 Comments

CampbellGolf Over a year ago

This worked perfectly! Also like the argument structure, much more readable.

chridam Over a year ago

@CampbellGolf No worries!!

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