Recently i've been trying to rewrite my node.js express app to be more in line with the mvc principle. I've also been trying to incorporate mongoose. I'm having a problem with calling the static functions on a mongoose model.

userSchema.statics.findDuplicates = function (cb) {
    console.log("Duplicates called");

    this.findOne({ email: this.email }, function(err, result){
        if (err) throw err;
        if (result) {
            cb("A user with this email has already been created.");
        } else {
            cb("");
        }
    });
}

Now the problem is that i'm later exporting a model using this schema, so this is all contained in one file:

module.exports = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

When i later call this inside a controller, (obviously requiring and initiating the model beforehand):

user.findDuplicates(function(result){

    if (result) {
        res.send("Selle e-mailiga kasutaja on juba loodud.");
        console.log("Duplicates");
    } else {
        user.save();
        res.send("Kasutaja loodud.");
        console.log("User created with password.")
    }
});

It just never gets called. Node tells me it accepted a post, but got a 500 internal server error, and the "Duplicates called" inside findDuplicates does not appear in the console. Something is very wrong here, and i do not know how to fix it.

EDIT: Full controller code:

var express = require('express');
var router = express.Router();

var User = require("../models/user.js");

router.get('/', function(req, res, next) {
    res.render('users',{title: "Lisa kasutaja"});
});

router.post('/', function(req, res, next) {
    var query = req.body;
    var message = "";

    console.log("Post recieved " + JSON.stringify(query));

    if (query.password != query.repeatPassword){
        res.send("Paroolid ei ole võrdsed.");
        console.log("Passwords don't match");
    } else {
        var user = new User({
            firstName: query.firstName,
            lastName: query.lastName,
            telephone: query.telephone,
            email: query.email,
            password: query.password
        });

        console.log("User created");

        user.findDuplicates(function(result){

            if (result) {
                res.send("Selle e-mailiga kasutaja on juba loodud.");
                console.log("Duplicates");
             } else {
                user.save();
                res.send("Kasutaja loodud.");
                console.log("User created with password.")
            }
        });
    }

});

module.exports = router;

Recently i've been trying to rewrite my node.js express app to be more in line with the mvc principle. I've also been trying to incorporate mongoose. I'm having a problem with calling the static functions on a mongoose model.

userSchema.statics.findDuplicates = function (cb) {
    console.log("Duplicates called");

    this.findOne({ email: this.email }, function(err, result){
        if (err) throw err;
        if (result) {
            cb("A user with this email has already been created.");
        } else {
            cb("");
        }
    });
}

Now the problem is that i'm later exporting a model using this schema, so this is all contained in one file:

module.exports = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

When i later call this inside a controller, (obviously requiring and initiating the model beforehand):

user.findDuplicates(function(result){

    if (result) {
        res.send("Selle e-mailiga kasutaja on juba loodud.");
        console.log("Duplicates");
    } else {
        user.save();
        res.send("Kasutaja loodud.");
        console.log("User created with password.")
    }
});

It just never gets called. Node tells me it accepted a post, but got a 500 internal server error, and the "Duplicates called" inside findDuplicates does not appear in the console. Something is very wrong here, and i do not know how to fix it.

EDIT: Full controller code:

var express = require('express');
var router = express.Router();

var User = require("../models/user.js");

router.get('/', function(req, res, next) {
    res.render('users',{title: "Lisa kasutaja"});
});

router.post('/', function(req, res, next) {
    var query = req.body;
    var message = "";

    console.log("Post recieved " + JSON.stringify(query));

    if (query.password != query.repeatPassword){
        res.send("Paroolid ei ole võrdsed.");
        console.log("Passwords don't match");
    } else {
        var user = new User({
            firstName: query.firstName,
            lastName: query.lastName,
            telephone: query.telephone,
            email: query.email,
            password: query.password
        });

        console.log("User created");

        user.findDuplicates(function(result){

            if (result) {
                res.send("Selle e-mailiga kasutaja on juba loodud.");
                console.log("Duplicates");
             } else {
                user.save();
                res.send("Kasutaja loodud.");
                console.log("User created with password.")
            }
        });
    }

});

module.exports = router;

• javascript
• node.js
• static
• mongoose

• I'm quite sure you're getting an error before the user.findDuplicates call. Other than your 500 internal server error, do you have anything else in the error stack? – Rodrigo Medeiros Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 11:55
• No, does not seem like i do. Also just before that call in the controller (after initalizing the new User) it logs that it successfully created the user. Breaks just after that. – anon Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 12:01
• This user object is the model exported from mongoose.model('User', userSchema) or is a doc returned from a mongoose query to the database? If the latter is true, you should use an instance method. – Rodrigo Medeiros Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 12:30
• It's the model that i exported. In the controller i create a new user, and use static functions and methods defined in the model to check for duplicates and hash + salt everything before i save it to the database. – anon Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 12:41
• Ok. Could you please update your question with the code from the controller method where you call user.findDuplicates? – Rodrigo Medeiros Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 12:51

1 Answer 1

Your problem resides in the fact that you're calling a static method in an instance of a model, which is not correct. See the difference below:

// if you define a static method
userSchema.statics.findDuplicates = function (cb) {
  // do your stuff
}

// you call it this way
var User = require("../models/user.js");
User.findDuplicates(function (result) {
  // do your stuff
});

// if you define an instance method
userSchema.methods.findDuplicates = function (cb) {
  // do your stuff
};

// you call it this way (on an instance of your model)
var User = require("../models/user.js");
var user = new User({
      firstName: query.firstName,
      lastName: query.lastName,
      telephone: query.telephone,
      email: query.email,
      password: query.password
    });
user.findDuplicates(function (result) {
  // do your stuff
});