javascript - Can't .push() sub-document into Mongoose array -

i have mongoosejs schema parent document references set of sub-documents:

var parentschema = mongoose.schema({     items : [{ type: mongoose.schema.types.objectid, ref: 'item', required: true }], ... }); 

for testing i'd populate item array on parent document dummy values, without saving them mongodb:

var itemmodel = mongoose.model('item', itemschema); var item = new itemmodel(); item.blah = "test data"; 

however when try push object array, _id stored:

parent.items.push(item); console.log("...parent.items[0]: " + parent.items[0]); console.log("...parent.items[0].blah: " + parent.items[0].blah); 

outputs:

...parent.items[0]: 52f2bb7fb03dc60000000005 ...parent.items[0].blah:  undefined 

can equivalent of `.populate('items') somehow? (ie: way populate array when reading document out of mongodb)

within question details own investigation shows pushing document can find it's _id value. not actual problem. consider code below:

var mongoose = require('mongoose'); var schema = mongoose.schema;  mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost/nodetest')  var childschema = new schema({ name: 'string' }); //var childschema = new schema();   var parentschema = new schema({     children: [childschema] });  var parent = mongoose.model('parent', parentschema); var parent = new parent({ children: [{ name: 'matt' }, { name: 'sarah'}] });  var child = mongoose.model('child', childschema); var child = new child(); child.blah = 'eat shorts'; parent.children.push(child); parent.save();  console.log( parent.children[0].name ); console.log( parent.children[1].name ); console.log( parent.children[2] ); console.log( parent.children[2].blah ); 

so if problem isn't standing out now, swap commented line definition of childschema.

// var childschema = new schema({ name: 'string' }); var childschema = new schema(); 

now that's going show none of accessors defined, brings question:

"is 'blah' accessor defined in schema?"

so either isn't or there similar problem in definition there.