Store variable length Array in MongoDB with Mongoose

Question

I'm using a form on the client side where the user could upload files, as many as he wants to, and then I send it all over with axios.

Receiving it in NodeJS, I'm using Multer to get the files and its informations with req.files, like that:

[ { fieldname: 'file1',
    originalname: 'someimage.jpg',
    encoding: '7bit',
    mimetype: 'image/jpeg',
    destination: './uploads/',
    filename: '71027041755f49366c132555066d5b89',
    path: 'uploads\\71027041755f49366c132555066d5b89',
    size: 69336 } ]

As we can see, it's a Array, which could contain more than one file, which is nice, but here comes my problem.

I want to store the informations of those files in MongoDB using Mongoose, so that I know how the file is called, its destination, size, etc.

I defined a Schema in Mongoose like that:

const someSchema = new Schema({
  files: {
    originalname: String,
    filename: String,
    mimetype: String,
    size: String,
    destination: String,
    path: String
  }
});

But this would only allow me to store one file information. I also tried earlier with:

const someSchema = new Schema({
  files: Array
});

But this won't work (TypeError: Cannot set property 'originalname' of undefined). I also tried setting Object, which also errors out (TypeError: Cannot read property '0' of undefined).

By the way, I'm reading the "files" with:

 for (let i = 0; i < req.files.length; i++) {
      someschema.files[i].originalname = req.files[i].originalname;
      someschema.files[i].filename = req.files[i].filename;
      someschema.files[i].mimetype = req.files[i].mimetype;
      someschema.files[i].size = req.files[i].size;
      someschema.files[i].destination = req.files[i].destination;
      someschema.files[i].path = req.files[i].path;
    }

Logging every req.files[i].XXX above, everything is defined as it should.

Is there a way to make a schema which accepts multiple "files"?

In other words: Is there a way to make a schema which accepts a Array with multiple Objects, if possible with those exact keys?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I came up with files: [Object], but this also won't work (TypeError).

Hardik Shah · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-31 13:02:00Z

1

Use $addToSet to push another object to an array.

You can use $push instead of $addToSet but this will allow you to insert duplicate object.

Schema:

var UserSchema = new Schema({
  files: [{
    originalname: String,
    filename: String,
    mimetype: String,
    size: String,
    destination: String,
    path: String
  }]
});

To insert another object into array.

let obj = {
  originalname: "11",
  filename: "11",
  mimetype: "11",
  size: "11",
  destination: "11",
  path: "11"
}

User.update({
  _id: mongoose.Types.ObjectId("5bd99f95f255307d51f32578")
}, {
    $addToSet: { files: obj}
}).exec(function(err, updated){
  console.log(updated);
})

======== Update =======

Your someschema.files has some lowest length. For eg 2 and you are iterating more than that with i index. Try below:

for (let i = 0; i < req.files.length; i++) {
  let obj = {};
  obj.originalname = req.files[i].originalname;
  obj.filename = req.files[i].filename;
  obj.mimetype = req.files[i].mimetype;
  obj.size = req.files[i].size;
  obj.destination = req.files[i].destination;
  obj.path = req.files[i].path;

  someschema.files.push(obj); // lastly push whole object.
}

edited Oct 31, 2018 at 13:02

answered Oct 31, 2018 at 12:30

Hardik Shah

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4 Comments

Fusseldieb Over a year ago

Storing it with req.files[i] this Schema also gives a TypeError: Cannot set property 'originalname' of undefined. I believe my error is writing it with [i] to a Array, but how should it be done?

Hardik Shah Over a year ago

This is because your someschema.files has some lowest length. For eg 2 and you are iterating more than that with index

Fusseldieb Over a year ago

It worked. Thank you very much. Also thanks for your explanation on why it hadn't worked before.

Hardik Shah Over a year ago

@Fusseldieb, My Pleasure.

mehta-rohan · Accepted Answer · 2018-10-31 12:46:01Z

0

Try to wrap your fields inside []

const someSchema = new Schema({
  files: [{
    originalname: String,
    filename: String,
    mimetype: String,
    size: String,
    destination: String,
    path: String
  }]
});

answered Oct 31, 2018 at 12:46

mehta-rohan

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1 Comment

Fusseldieb Over a year ago

Thanks for your answer, but this is basically what the other answer also proposed.

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