`beforeCreate` and Model Properties

[markandrus]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for this project. I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong here—I expect to be able to modify the properties of a model in beforeCreate, but Postgres shows the following in the database:

 id |        email        | password | salt | created 
----+---------------------+----------+------+---------
  1 | test@email.com      | visible? |      | 

var orm    = require('orm'),
    bcrypt = require('bcrypt');

orm.connect('postgres://localhost/database', function (err, db) {
  var Person = db.define('Person', {
    email: String,
    password: String,
    salt: String,
    created: Date
  }, {
    validations: {
      email: orm.validators.unique()
    },
    hooks: {
      beforeCreate: function () {
        if (!this.salt) {
          console.log('Generating salt...');
          this.salt = bcrypt.genSaltSync(10);
          this.created = new Date();
        }
        if (this.password) {
          console.log('Hashing password...');
          this.password = bcrypt.hashSync(this.password, this.salt);
        }
      }
    }
  });
  // Person.sync(function (err) { console.log(err); });
  Person.create([{
    email: 'test@email.com',
    password: 'visible?'
  }], function (err, items) {
    console.log(err);
    // console.log(items);
  });
});

Testing with beforeSave yields different results for me, too: the password gets hashed, but salt and created go unset in the database.

[markandrus]

After looking at /lib/Instance.js, I guess the functionality I'm looking for requires threading data as an argument through the hook.

[dresende]

Actually, the blame is beforeCreate should be right after/before beforeSave (a few lines above). In that zone, you can use the this context to change the data. I'm going to make this change.

[dresende]

If you want to test it you have to check the latest git version, it will take some days before pushing a new version. Or you can use the hook beforeSave which should have the same behavior for new instances (but you'll also have it trigger for not new instances).

[markandrus]

Thanks! I've tested and it works when updating properties enumerated in the call to create, but I can't add properties—for example, to get the above to populate the salt column, I have to change the create call to include that key:

Person.create([{
  email: 'test@email.com',
  password: 'visible?',
  salt: ''
}], /* ... */

[dresende]

Please try it now.

[dxg]

This works however rangeLength validator is checking for undefined, whereas attributes not listed in Person.create[{...}] are now initialised to null and the validation blows up.

Is it possible for an attribute to ever be undefined? Should the validation only be checking for null, or both null & undefined?

[dresende]

You're right. To be consistent, it should initialize to undefined.

[dresende]

I'm going to assume it's fixed. If you have any other problems please reopen or create a new issue :)

[markandrus]

Just tested--it works! Thanks