Error on init: TypeError: Cannot read property 'identity' of undefined

[marcelklehr]

I get this error when calling waterline.initialize()

node_modules/waterline/lib/waterline/adapter/sync/strategies/alter.js:42
 = _.find(self.query.waterline.schema, {tableName: self.collection}).identity;

TypeError: Cannot read property 'identity' of undefined
    at afterDescribe (node_modules/waterline/lib/waterline/adapter/sync/strategies/alter.js:42:91)
    at bound (node_modules/waterline/node_modules/lodash/dist/lodash.js:957:21)
    at applyInOriginalCtx (node_modules/waterline/lib/waterline/utils/normalize.js:416:80)
    at wrappedCallback (node_modules/waterline/lib/waterline/utils/normalize.js:315:18)
    at _normalizeCallback.callback.success (node_modules/waterline/node_modules/node-switchback/lib/normalize.js:33:31)
    at _switch (node_modules/waterline/node_modules/node-switchback/lib/factory.js:35:28)
    at node_modules/sails-memory/lib/database.js:163:5
    at null._onTimeout (node_modules/sails-memory/lib/database.js:122:5)
    at Timer.listOnTimeout (timers.js:133:15)

[particlebanana]

You will need to add a unique identity field to your model definitions. This needs a much better error message.

[marcelklehr]

All my model definitions have a unique identity field.

[particlebanana]

Mind posting one of them so I can see if anything else stands out?

[marcelklehr]

Sure:

/**
 * Document
 */
module.exports = {
  identity: 'document'
, connection: 'default'

, attributes: {
    type: 'string'

  , pendingChanges: {
      collection: 'pendingChange'
    , via: 'document'
    }

    // hasMany snapshots
  , snapshots: {
      collection: 'snapshot'
    , via: 'document' // Snapshot.document
    }

    // hasMany authors
  , authors: {
      collection: 'user'
    , via: 'documents'
    , dominant: true
    }

    //Automagically created:
//, id (auto-incrementing)
//, createdAt
//, updatedAt

  }
}

[marcelklehr]

I just noticed this: https://github.com/balderdashy/waterline/blob/master/example/raw/bootstrap.js#L37

Does that mean, that I should add an identity to my adapter as well?

[marcelklehr]

Mitigated this by changing defaults:migrate to drop as a short-term solution.

[particlebanana]

Are you using a custom adapter?

[marcelklehr]

No, I'm using sails-memory for testing purposes atm

[particlebanana]

Given this with sails-memory I don't have any problems.

var Waterline = require('waterline');

// Instantiate a new instance of the ORM
var orm = new Waterline();


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// WATERLINE CONFIG
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// Require any waterline compatible adapters here
var memoryAdapter = require('sails-memory');


// Build A Config Object
var config = {

  // Setup Adapters
  // Creates named adapters that have have been required
  adapters: {
    memory: memoryAdapter
  },

  // Build Connections Config
  // Setup connections using the named adapter configs
  connections: {
    'default': {
      adapter: 'memory'
    }
  },

  defaults: {
    migrate: 'alter'
  }

};


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// WATERLINE MODELS
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

var Document = Waterline.Collection.extend({

  identity: 'document',
  connection: 'default',

  attributes: {
    name: {
      type: 'string'
    }
  }

});


// Load the Models into the ORM
orm.loadCollection(Document);


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// START WATERLINE
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// Start Waterline passing adapters in
orm.initialize(config, function(err, models) {
  if(err) throw err;
  console.log('LOADED', models);
});

[andrewjmead]

I'm getting that same error. I was able to debug it to be an issue with capitalization in the identity name. It would run once fine, then it would error out the second time. I updated the name to lower case and blasted the DB away and everything was fine.

// Name that did not work
identity: "linkStatus",

// Name that did work
identity: "linkstatus",

[emersion]

@andrewjmead Same problem, same solution. Thanks!

[andrewjmead]

@emersion Thanks for following up!

[jeremiahrhall]

The upper to lower case change worked for me as well.

[tjwebb]

Yea, by the way, when you don't manually set identity, sails automatically sets it to be lowercase.

[devinivy]

@tjwebb I thought identities were always lowercase–how do you "manually" set an identity with case? If identities are always lowercase and that's not in the docs, let's add it. Also, if identities should be lowercase, we should add a useful error message.

[tjwebb]

I don't see it documented anywhere but other github comments. Here's some relevant code: https://github.com/balderdashy/waterline/blob/master/lib/waterline.js#L116

We should add clarity on this behavior in https://github.com/balderdashy/waterline-docs/blob/master/models.md

[dmarcelino]

Added PR (balderdashy/waterline-docs#51), can someone double check?

[dmarcelino]

@tjwebb, @devinivy can I get one of you to bless balderdashy/waterline-docs#51 so we can close this issue? Thanks!

[dmarcelino]

Thanks @devinivy!

[devinivy]

Blessed! But I am interested in removing the lowercase restriction some day. When you read that in the docs, it sounds really bizarre. In any case, adding this to the docs was the best short-term solution.

[japel]

+1 to remove lowercase restriction!
If I define a model mYoWeSoMeMoDeL.js I would like to call it the same way in waterline

[mlconnor]

the lower case constraint even seeps into the code. now we have to use models.access_token instead of camel case accessToken.

+1 to remove restriction

[tjwebb]

@japel @mlconnor are you guys talking about the same issue as OP (https://github.com/balderdashy/waterline/issues/745#issue-50383713)

[GeorgeSapkin]

Any progress on this issue?

[gaurav21r]

@andrewjmead Its been many months but your solution is still very very helpful! @tjwebb @particlebanana In addition to the addition in the docs repo, I think we should have a better error message as well. TypeError: Cannot read property 'identity' of undefined is pretty obscure 😝

[sailsbot]

Thanks for posting, @marcelklehr. I'm a repo bot-- nice to meet you!

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Thanks so much for your help!

[japel]

Don't close this PLEASE! Don't mess with Lowercase, Uppercase, Camelcase, whatevercase! It should always be TheCaseIDecidedItToBe!

[devinivy]

@japel I agree with you! Do you mind making a PR to the ROADMAP.md file that suggests we remove this restriction?