How to check if that data already exist in the database during update (Mongoose And Express)

Question

How to do validations before saving the edited data in mongoose?

For example, if sample.name already exists in the database, the user will receive a som

Answer 1

check with one query if email or phoneNumber already exists in DB

let userDB = await UserS.findOne({ $or: [
  { email: payload.email },
  { phoneNumber: payload.phoneNumber }
] })

if (userDB) {
  if (payload.email == userDB.email) {
    throw new BadRequest({ message: 'E-mail already exists' })
  } else if (payload.phoneNumber == userDB.phoneNumber) {
    throw new BadRequest({ message: 'phoneNumber already exists' })
  }
}

Answer 2

Another way to continue with the example @nfreeze used is this validation method:

UserModel.schema.path('name').validate(function (value, res) {
    UserModel.findOne({name: value}, 'id', function(err, user) {
        if (err) return res(err);
        if (user) return res(false);
        res(true);
    });
}, 'already exists');

Answer 3

There is a more simpler way using the mongoose exists function

router.post("/groups/members", async (ctx) => {
    const group_name = ctx.request.body.group_membership.group_name;
    const member_name = ctx.request.body.group_membership.group_members;
    const GroupMembership = GroupModels.GroupsMembers;
    console.log("group_name : ", group_name, "member : ", member_name);
    try {
        if (
            (await GroupMembership.exists({
                "group_membership.group_name": group_name,
            })) === false
        ) {
            console.log("new function");
            const newGroupMembership = await GroupMembership.insertMany({
                group_membership: [
                    { group_name: group_name, group_members: [member_name] },
                ],
            });
            await newGroupMembership.save();
        } else {
            const UpdateGroupMembership = await GroupMembership.updateOne(
                { "group_membership.group_name": group_name },
                { $push: { "group_membership.$.group_members": member_name } },
            );
            console.log("update function");
            await UpdateGroupMembership.save();
        }
        ctx.response.status = 201;
        ctx.response.message = "A member added to group successfully";
    } catch (error) {
        ctx.body = {
            message: "Some validations failed for Group Member Creation",
            error: error.message,
        };
        console.log(error);
        ctx.throw(400, error);
    }
});

Answer 4

If you're searching by an unique index, then using UserModel.count may actually be better for you than UserModel.findOne due to it returning the whole document (ie doing a read) instead of returning just an int.

Answer 5

For anybody falling on this old solution. There is a better way from the mongoose docs.

var s = new Schema({ name: { type: String, unique: true }});
s.path('name').index({ unique: true });

Answer 6

Typically you could use mongoose validation but since you need an async result (db query for existing names) and validators don't support promises (from what I can tell), you will need to create your own function and pass a callback. Here is an example:

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

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/testDB');

var UserSchema = new Schema({
    name: {type:String}
});

var UserModel = mongoose.model('UserModel',UserSchema);

function updateUser(user,cb){
    UserModel.find({name : user.name}, function (err, docs) {
        if (docs.length){
            cb('Name exists already',null);
        }else{
            user.save(function(err){
                cb(err,user);
            });
        }
    });
}

UserModel.findById(req.param('sid'),function(err,existingUser){
   if (!err && existingUser){
       existingUser.name = 'Kevin';
       updateUser(existingUser,function(err2,user){
           if (err2 || !user){
               console.log('error updated user: ',err2);
           }else{
               console.log('user updated: ',user);
           }

       });
   } 
});

UPDATE: A better way

The pre hook seems to be a more natural place to stop the save:

UserSchema.pre('save', function (next) {
    var self = this;
    UserModel.find({name : self.name}, function (err, docs) {
        if (!docs.length){
            next();
        }else{                
            console.log('user exists: ',self.name);
            next(new Error("User exists!"));
        }
    });
}) ;

UPDATE 2: Async custom validators

It looks like mongoose supports async custom validators now so that would probably be the natural solution:

    var userSchema = new Schema({
      name: {
        type: String,
        validate: {
          validator: function(v, cb) {
            User.find({name: v}, function(err,docs){
               cb(docs.length == 0);
            });
          },
          message: 'User already exists!'
        }
      }
    });