.populate( foreignKey, [query] )

Purpose

This chainable method is used between .find()/.update() and .exec() in order to retrieve records associated with the model being queried. You must supply the Foreign Key specified in your model config.

Overview

Parameters

Example Usage

User.find({name:'Mike'}).exec(function(e,r){
  console.log(r[0].toJSON())
})

/* 
{ name: 'Mike',
  age: 16,
  createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
  updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
  id: 7 }
*/

User.find({name:'Mike'}).populate('pets').exec(function(e,r){
  console.log(r[0].toJSON())
});

/*
{ pets: 
   [ { name: 'Pinkie Pie',
       color: 'pink',
       id: 7,
       createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
       updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST) },
     { name: 'Rainbow Dash',
       color: 'blue',
       id: 8,
       createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
       updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST) },
     { name: 'Applejack',
       color: 'orange',
       id: 9,
       createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
       updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST) } ],
  name: 'Mike',
  age: 16,
  createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
  updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
  id: 7 }
*/

User.find({name:'Mike'}).populate('pets',{color:'pink'}).exec(function(e,r){
  console.log(r[0].toJSON())
});

/*
{ pets: 
   [ { name: 'Pinkie Pie',
       color: 'pink',
       id: 7,
       createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
       updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST) }],
  name: 'Mike',
  age: 16,
  createdAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
  updatedAt: Wed Feb 12 2014 18:06:50 GMT-0600 (CST),
  id: 7 }
*/

Notes

Any string arguments passed must be the primary key of the record.