I am new in Mern development, and getting this "Cannot access 'user' before initialization" error in controller file

Controller/user.js

const user = require('../models/user')
exports.signup = (req,res)=>{
   console.log('req.body', req.body);
  const user = new user(req.body);
  user.save((err, user)=>{    
if(err){
    return res.status(400).json({
        err
    })
}
res.json({
    user
})
  })
}

Route/user.js

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

const {signup} = require('../controllers/user');

router.post("/signup", signup);
module.exports = router;

I am new in Mern development, and getting this "Cannot access 'user' before initialization" error in controller file

Controller/user.js

const user = require('../models/user')
exports.signup = (req,res)=>{
   console.log('req.body', req.body);
  const user = new user(req.body);
  user.save((err, user)=>{    
if(err){
    return res.status(400).json({
        err
    })
}
res.json({
    user
})
  })
}

Route/user.js

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

const {signup} = require('../controllers/user');

router.post("/signup", signup);
module.exports = router;

• javascript
• node.js
• reactjs
• express
• mongoose

1 Answer 1

On line 1 you define a variable named user.

On line 4 you define a different variable also named user in a different scope.

At the other end of line 4 you try to call the value of that variable as a function, but it doesn't have a value yet. Hence the error message.

You intended to call the function in the variable from line 1, but since the one on line 4 shadows it, you are calling that instead.

Don't shadow your variables.

Change the name of one of them.