DbRef with Mongoose - mongoose-dbref or populate?
mongodb, mongoose
Solution
You only need to use an actual `DBRef` (and `mongoose-dbref`) for the case where a field can contain ObjectIds that reference documents in potentially more than one collection. A `DBRef` is a tuple of an `ObjectId`, a collection name, and an optional database name.
Mongoose `ref:` fields, however, contain just an `ObjectId` and it's the Mongoose schema that defines what one collection the ObjectIds reference.
So Mongoose `ref:` fields are more efficient and should always be used unless you need the multi-collection reference support that `DBRef` provides.
Problem
I have the following 2 schemas: Company Event: ``` var companyEventSchema = new Schema({ name : String, description date : Date, attendees : [ { type : Schema.ObjectId, ref : 'Member' } ], ]}); ``` And Member ``` var memberSchema = new Schema({ name : String, emailAddress: String, password :String, created: { type: Date, default: Date.now } }); ``` Is the way i've ref'd Member from companyEventSchema correct? I'm trying to do something a long the lines of a dbref. I saw theres a separate project for that though... mongoose-dbref However, the mongoose docs say the above provides "dbref like functionality" Which would be more efficient?