Models

In DolphJS, Models represent the data structure of your application and handle direct interactions with your database. While DolphJS does not enforce a specific ORM, it provides excellent integration and auto-initialization for Mongoose (MongoDB) and Sequelize (MySQL/PostgreSQL).

Defining a Mongoose Model

If you have configured mongo in your dolph_config.yaml, the factory automatically connects to the database. You only need to define your schemas using standard Mongoose syntax.

src/user/user.model.ts

import { Schema, Document, model } from 'mongoose';

export interface IUser extends Document {
  name: string;
  email: string;
  age: number;
}

const UserSchema = new Schema(
  {
    name: {
      type: String,
      required: true,
    },
    email: {
      type: String,
      required: true,
      unique: true,
    },
    age: {
      type: Number,
      default: 18,
    },
  },
  { timestamps: true }
);

export const UserModel = model<IUser>('User', UserSchema);

Using the Model in a Service

Once your model is defined, you inject it into your Service using the @InjectMongo or @InjectMySQL decorators provided by Dolph.

import { DolphServiceHandler } from '@dolphjs/dolph/classes';
import { Dolph } from '@dolphjs/dolph/common';
import { InjectMongo } from '@dolphjs/dolph/decorators';
import { Model } from 'mongoose';
import { UserModel, IUser } from './user.model';

@InjectMongo('userModel', UserModel)
export class UserService extends DolphServiceHandler<Dolph> {
  // The property name MUST match the first argument of @InjectMongo
  userModel!: Model<IUser>;

  constructor() {
    super('userService');
  }

  async createUser(data: any) {
    // We can now use Mongoose methods directly
    const user = new this.userModel(data);
    return await user.save();
  }
}

Tip

Always separate your models into .model.ts files. This keeps your project organized and makes it easier for the CLI to navigate your structure.

Validation Integration

While Mongoose handles database-level validation, you should typically validate incoming requests at the Controller level using DTOs (Data Transfer Objects) and class-validator before passing the data to the Model.

// DTO Example
import { IsString, IsEmail, IsNumber } from 'class-validator';

export class CreateUserDto {
  @IsString()
  name: string;

  @IsEmail()
  email: string;

  @IsNumber()
  age: number;
}

This ensures your Model only ever receives sanitized, valid data.