[Upd4ting]

Why

A module author with a multi reference (@Foreign(Item, undefined, true)) should get what docs/7.foreign-keys.md promises. A missing element should be null, and a noForeign route should answer the raw ids. Instead, get answered {} for a missing element, and noForeign answered objects keyed by character index, such as {"0":"i","1":"1"}.

Fixes #93

What changed

• Validation.Unlock ran every element of a multi reference through fromDatabase, which copies its input with { ...raw }. That turned null into {} and a raw id string into a character-index object. It now converts only the elements that are objects.
• Validation.ClearInternal checks only the first element to decide whether to post-process the array. So with noForeign, a stored [null, "<id>"] still sent the string id through toPlainData. Its array branch now post-processes only the elements that are objects.
• In the verify-interface skill, the issue-93-multi-foreign journey failed on purpose until this fix. It is renamed foreign-multi, and its known-issue notes are removed.

flowchart LR
  Q[Get or List query] -->|noForeign unset| F[Foreign: Get per key, default null]
  Q -->|noForeign set| R[raw ids]
  F --> U[Unlock]
  R --> U
  U -->|element is an object| FD[fromDatabase]
  U -->|null or id string| K[kept as is]
  FD --> C[ClearInternal]
  K --> C
  C -->|element is an object| P[pluck and toPlainData]
  C -->|null or id string| K2[kept as is]

Loading

Proof

The test src/tests/components/foreign_multi.test.ts lands in its own commit, before the fix. Command: pnpm run build && pnpm exec ajs module test . -f dist/tests/components/foreign_multi.test.js.

Before the fix (main's src/internal/validation.ts):

    1) gets null for a missing element
    2) gets the raw ids with noForeign
    3) lists the raw ids with noForeign
  0 passing (137ms)
  3 failing
  1) Foreign multi references
      AssertionError: expected [ { …(2) }, {} ] to deeply equal [ { …(2) }, null ]
  2) Foreign multi references
      AssertionError: expected [ {}, {} ] to deeply equal [ …(2) ]
  3) Foreign multi references
      AssertionError: expected [ [ { '0': 'f', …(35) }, …(1) ], …(1) ] to have the same members as [ [ …(2) ], [ null, …(1) ] ]

After the fix:

    ✔ gets null for a missing element (123ms)
    ✔ gets the raw ids with noForeign
    ✔ lists the raw ids with noForeign
  3 passing (163ms)

The verify-interface run against the packed interface, ajs project dev and Docker MongoDB passes every journey of smoke, foreign, listing and route-options on the head rebased onto dd3ae1c. The one exception is issue-90-edit-index, which fails on purpose until #90. In foreign-multi, GET /orders/get?id=o3 (stored itemsAll: ["i1","ghost"]) answers "itemsAll":[{"_id":"i1","name":"Widget","price":9.99},null]. GET /orders/raw?id=o3 answers "itemsAll":["i1","ghost"].

pnpm run checks reports 9 passed and 0 failed.

Not in this PR

The review turned up two older bugs. Both show the same output on main:

• fix(foreign): the list route drops a missing element of a multi reference instead of answering null #114: the list route drops a missing element of a multi reference instead of answering null.
• fix(foreign): @Localized fields of a multi reference target are not unlocked #115: @Localized fields of a multi reference's target are not unlocked.