Error in referencing custom schemas in node.js app

Question

Node.js newbie here... I have a two schemas and I am referencing one within the other.

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

/*Model for user settings */

var SettingsSchema = new Schema({
shoppingDay: {type: String, default : "Friday"},
shoppingFrequency : {type: String, default : "weekly"},
reminderEmails : {type: Boolean, default : true}
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('Settings', SettingsSchema);

and

var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var Schema = mongoose.Schema;    
var Settings = require('./Settings.js');
var SettingsSchema = Settings.Schema;   

/*Model for user settings */
var UserTrendSchema = new Schema({
    email : String,    
    settings  : SettingsSchema
},
{collection : 'UserTrends'});

module.exports = mongoose.model('UserTrend', UserTrendSchema);

I am running into this error

throw new TypeError('Invalid value for schema path `'+ prefix + i +'`');

but if I make it an array, it works.

settings  : [SettingsSchema]

I don't want it to be an array. Just a single instance of settings. All the examples I see use their custom types as arrays.

I also tried

settings  : {type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Settings'}

but it just creates an entry in the DB with an object id and does not include the default values

 "settings": {
    "$oid": "54ccfdcb5926074c1d53d02f"
},

What's the best way to do this?

Answer 1

If you dont want setting to be an Array you can keep settings as Object and refer it to the Settings model. while fetching you can populate the settings.

Changes :

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

/*Model for user settings */

var SettingsSchema = new Schema({
shoppingDay: {type: String, default : "Friday"},
shoppingFrequency : {type: String, default : "weekly"},
reminderEmails : {type: Boolean, default : true}
});

module.exports = mongoose.model('Settings', SettingsSchema);

---

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

/*Model for user settings */
var UserTrendSchema = new Schema({
email : String,    
settings  : {type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Settings'} // refers to Settings Model.
},
{collection : 'UserTrends'});

module.exports = mongoose.model('UserTrend', UserTrendSchema);

Where settings will be objectId and can be populated.

Hope this helps.