One way association with array of reference _id in sails js - sails.js

Question

I'm trying to use one way association because I need only to have reference from 1 model to other model but not vice versa.
Model Arts:
module.exports = {
attributes: {
fileName: {type: 'string', required: true},
softwareUsed: {
model: 'Softwares'
}
}
}
Model Softwares:
module.exports = {
attributes: {
name: {type: 'string', required: true}
}
}
This is my api:
http://localhost:1337/api/v1/arts/create
if this is my request body, it works fine:
request body:
{
"fileName": "booking.jpeg",
"softwareUsed": "5e70309cbf12b61299d6c528",
}
but i want to store array of softwareUsed, so i tried:
request body:
{
"fileName": "booking.jpeg",
"softwareUsed": ["5e70309cbf12b61299d6c528", "5e70309cbf12b61299d6c529"],
}
but i got an error with that:
error: OperationalError [UsageError]: Invalid new record.
Details:
Could not use specified `softwareUsed`. Expecting an id representing the associated record, or `null` to indicate there will be no associated record. But the specified value is not a valid `softwareUsed`. Instead of a string (the expected pk type), the provided value is: [ '5e70309cbf12b61299d6c528', '5e70309cbf12b61299d6c529' ]
I also tried to make it array in model:
softwareUsed: [{
model: 'Softwares'
}]
but still don't work.
Is there a way to that in one way association or I need to use other association, but how can I achieve that?
Thank you.

Answer 1

I think you need to label the softwareUsed attribute with a collection, not a model:
module.exports = {
attributes: {
fileName: {type: 'string', required: true},
softwareUsed: {
collection: 'Softwares'
}
}
}
All the documentation on one-to-many in the sails docs involves two-way associations and adding a via attribute, but I think this way works for a one-way association.
Of course, your first api call may now longer work: you may need to wrap the single software id in an array.