config folder at root instead of custom folder

[woodgates]

Steps to reproduce

Hi.
I have this repo trying to make nuxt to work with feathers3.2 and its CLI.
https://github.com/woodgates/feathers-nuxt

The configuration is at "server/config" folder. As set in the documents I have my app.js with

const path = require('path');
process.env['NODE_CONFIG_DIR'] = path.join(__dirname, 'config/');

When I create the first service with "feathers generate services" all works good except for the database configuration which is stored in the root/config folder instead of root/server/config.

So when I run npm run dev I got
TypeError: Path must be a string. Received undefined

Expected behavior

The database configuration should be stored on the root/server/config/default.json file.

Actual behavior

The database configuration is stored on the root/config/default.json file.

System configuration

Module versions (especially the part that's not working):
part of package.json:
"directories": {
"lib": "server",
"test": "test/"
},
"dependencies": {
"@feathersjs/configuration": "^2.0.2",
"@feathersjs/express": "^1.2.5",
"@feathersjs/feathers": "^3.2.1",
"feathers-nedb": "^3.1.0",,
"nuxt": "^1.4.2",

NodeJS version:
8.11.4
Operating System:
I working with Linux Mint 19.

Browser Version:
Chromium
React Native Version:

Module Loader:
npm

[daffl]

It is important that this happens before the const configuration = require('@feathersjs/configuration') call.

[woodgates]

@daffl
It's before. This is part of the app.js

'use strict'
const path = require('path');
process.env['NODE_CONFIG_DIR'] = path.join(__dirname, 'config/');

const compress = require('compression');
const helmet = require('helmet');
const cors = require('cors');
const logger = require('./logger');


const feathers = require('@feathersjs/feathers')
const configuration = require('@feathersjs/configuration');

[daffl]

Have a look at the node-config Wiki but I don't think node-config allows configuring from two different folders. All your configuration files have to be in one place.

[woodgates]

@daffl
I dont want my configuration in two places. I want the configuration to be at "server/config" folder but the feathers cli is ignoring this.

[daffl]

I don't understand what the problem is then. If you set

const path = require('path');
process.env['NODE_CONFIG_DIR'] = path.join(__dirname, 'config/');

const configuration = require('@feathersjs/configuration')l

The expected folder will be config/ within the folder of app.js (usually src/, so root/src/config). I just tested this with the feathers-chat and it works as expected.

If you want it at root/config you do not have do anything. If you want it at root/server/config it has to be

process.env['NODE_CONFIG_DIR'] = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'server', 'config/');

[woodgates]

Hi @daffl

I forgot to mention that my app.js is at the server folder.
root/server/app.js
root/server/config/default.js

Does this change anything?

[daffl]

It shouldn't. I also just cloned your repository and everything seems to be working fine so I really don't understand what the problem is. The error TypeError: Path must be a string. Received undefined is happening in a default setup if app.get('public') isn't set (during favicon setup in https://github.com/feathersjs/feathers-chat/blob/master/src/app.js#L31) but you appear to have it removed.

[woodgates]

Hi @daffl
According to Configuration docs:
"e.g., In server/app.js:
process.env['NODE_CONFIG_DIR'] = path.join(__dirname, 'config/')
const configuration = require('@feathersjs/configuration')
The above code is portable, so you can keep your config/ directory with the rest of your Feathers files. It will work, for example, even if you change the directory from server/ to amazing-server, etc."

This is what happens when I create the first service:

jorge@jorge-VirtualBox:~/Dropbox/www/feachat2$ feathers generate service
? What kind of service is it? NeDB
? What is the name of the service? messages
? Which path should the service be registered on? /messages
? What is the database connection string? nedb://../data
   create config/default.json      <==== this should modify root/server/config/default.json not create a new root/config/default.json file
   create server/services/messages/messages.service.js
    force server/services/index.js
   create server/models/messages.model.js
   create server/services/messages/messages.hooks.js
   create test/services/messages.test.js

[daffl]

The problem is that generator does not run the application so there is no way for it to know about the change that has been made to NODE_CONFIG_DIR.

One solution would be for the generator to add a directories.config (defaulting to config) section in the package.json which can be done in https://github.com/feathersjs/feathers/blob/master/packages/generator-feathers/generators/app/configs/package.json.js#L23-L26:

directories: {
  lib,
  test: 'test/'
},

The generator can then use that directory (or the default) in https://github.com/feathersjs/feathers/blob/master/packages/generator-feathers/generators/connection/index.js#L141-L144 when writing the configuration:

this.fs.writeJSON(
  this.destinationPath(this.pkg.directories.config, 'default.json'),
  config
);

This would allow to customize the location of the generated configuration files.

[daffl]

This has been released in the latest @feathersjs/cli.