Load nested virtual during mongodb query - mongodb

Question

I'm new to using a key other than ObjectId to link data from other collections. Currently, I have appointments with various other data I'd like to bring in so I can evaluate whether payment is due or not.
My query worked, except it doesn't bring in the plan information for each patient. I understand that it makes a separate query for each populate, so I'd have to do it after I populate the patient information with populate('patientID'):
const appts = await Appt.find(searchParams)
.populate('patientID')
.populate('patientID.plan')
.populate('status')
.populate('type')
.sort({ scheduled: -1 });
The above doesn't work for bringing in the nested JSON of the plan information, but it DOES work for bringing in the patient collection, status, and type. Only patientID.plan populate doesn't work.
My schemas:
const familySchema = new mongoose.Schema({
ID: {
type: Number,
index: true
},
family: String
});
const paymentplanSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
ID: {
type: Number,
index: true
},
plan: String,
planamt: Number
});
const patientSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
ID: {
type: Number
},
familyID: Number,
first: String,
last: String,
careplanID: Number,
otherData: variousTypes
});
patientSchema.virtual('plan', {
ref: 'PaymentPlan', // The model to use
localField: 'careplanID', // Find people where `localField`
foreignField: 'ID' // is equal to `foreignField`
});
patientSchema.pre('find', function() {
this.populate('plan');
});
const typeSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
ID: Number,
appttype: String,
abbr: String,
amt: Number,
code: String,
length: Number
});
const statusSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
ID: Number,
status: String
});
const apptSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
ID: Number,
patientID: {
type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'Patient'
},
oldPatientID: Number,
status: {
type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'ApptStatus'
},
type: {
type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: 'ApptType'
},
scheduled: Date,
note: String
});
mongoose.model('Appt', apptSchema);
mongoose.model('ApptStatus', statusSchema);
mongoose.model('ApptType', typeSchema);
mongoose.model('Patient', patientSchema);
mongoose.model('PaymentPlan', paymentplanSchema);
How do I get the patient data to load WITH the plan data? I don't get what I'm doing wrong, and I've got other things I'd like to connect in this way (via index instead of ObjectId) but just don't get what I'm doing wrong.
UPDATED TO ADD MORE DETAIL:
My query on the backend to get the appointments is this:
module.exports.search = async (req, res) => {
console.log('GET the appts');
const searchParams =
req.params.query === 'today'
? { scheduled: { $gt: new Date(dayStart), $lt: new Date(dayEnd) } }
: req.body;
console.log(searchParams);
try {
const appts = await Appt.find(searchParams)
.populate({
path: 'patientID',
populate: { path: 'plan' }
})
.populate('status')
.populate('type')
.sort({ scheduled: -1 });
if (!appts) {
console.log(`No appointments found`);
}
appts.forEach(p => {
const patient = p.patientID ? p.patientID.nickname : 'NONE';
const plan =
p.patientID && p.patientID.plan ? p.patientID.plan.planamt : 0;
console.log(patient, plan);
});
console.log(appts.length, 'appts found');
res.send(appts);
} catch (err) {
console.log(`Error`, err);
return res.status(500).send(err);
}
};
In the console, It's logging correctly (example):
CarF 60
8075 'appts found'
In the frontend, all the objects are populated EXCEPT patientID.plan. The patientID object does not include a plan field on any of the entries. patientID, status, and type all populated the corresponding objects.
WHY is this logging on the backend, but not visible on the frontend?

Answer 1

You should be able to do it by passing a path option to populate():
const appts = await Appt.find(searchParams)
.populate('patientID')
.populate({
path: 'patientID',
populate: {path: 'plan'}
})
.populate('status')
.populate('type')
.sort({ scheduled: -1 });
See https://mongoosejs.com/docs/populate.html#deep-populate in official docs