node.js - Defining Mongoose Models in Separate Module

Question

I would like to separate my Mongoose models in a separate file. I have attempted to do so like this:

var mongoose = require("mongoose");
var Schema = mongoose.Schema;
var ObjectId = Schema.ObjectId;

var Material = new Schema({
    name                :    {type: String, index: true},
    id                  :    ObjectId,
    materialId          :    String,
    surcharge           :    String,
    colors              :    {
        colorName       :    String,
        colorId         :    String,
        surcharge       :    Number
    }
});

var SeatCover = new Schema({
    ItemName            :    {type: String, index: true},
    ItemId              :    ObjectId,
    Pattern             :    String,
    Categories          :    {
        year            :    {type: Number, index: true},
        make            :    {type: String, index: true},
        model           :    {type: String, index: true},
        body            :    {type: String, index: true}
    },
    Description         :    String,
    Specifications      :    String,
    Price               :    String,
    Cost                :    String,
    Pattern             :    String,
    ImageUrl            :    String,
    Materials           :    [Materials]
});

mongoose.connect('mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/sc');

var Materials = mongoose.model('Materials', Material);
var SeatCovers = mongoose.model('SeatCover', SeatCover);

exports.Materials = Materials;
exports.SeatCovers = SeatCovers;

Then, I have attempted to use the model like this:

var models = require('./models'); 

exports.populateMaterials = function(req, res){
    console.log("populateMaterials");
    for (var i = 0; i < materials.length; i++ ){
        var mat = new models.Materials();
        console.log(mat);
        mat.name = materials[i].variantName;
        mat.materialId = materials[i].itemNumberExtension;
        mat.surcharge = materials[i].priceOffset;
        for (var j = 0; j < materials[i].colors.length; j++){
            mat.colors.colorName = materials[i].colors[j].name;
            mat.colors.colorId = materials[i].colors[j].itemNumberExtension;
            mat.colors.surcharge = materials[i].colors[j].priceOffset;
        }
        mat.save(function(err){
            if(err){
                console.log(err);
            } else {
                console.log('success');
            }
        });
    }
    res.render('index', { title: 'Express' });
};

Is this a reasonable approach to referencing a model in a separate module?

Answer 1

I like to define the database outside of the models file so that it can be configured using nconf. Another advantage is that you can reuse the Mongo connection outside of the models.

module.exports = function(mongoose) {
    var Material = new Schema({
        name                :    {type: String, index: true},
        id                  :    ObjectId,
        materialId          :    String,
        surcharge           :    String,
        colors              :    {
            colorName       :    String,
            colorId         :    String,
            surcharge       :    Number
        }
    });
    // declare seat covers here too
    var models = {
      Materials : mongoose.model('Materials', Material),
      SeatCovers : mongoose.model('SeatCovers', SeatCover)
    };
    return models;
}

and then you would call it like this...

var mongoose = require('mongoose');
mongoose.connect(config['database_url']);
var models = require('./models')(mongoose);
var velvet = new models.Materials({'name':'Velvet'});