Error: Component in a collection does not show up in the JSON

[Kinbaum]

v4 Beta Reproduction

I'm trying out the new v4 beta and have come across an issue. When you have a component type in the model of a collection, the data does not show up.

To reproduce this:

1. Create a card collection with the model below
2. Create a link component with the model below
3. Enable find and findOne permission on the card collection
4. Populate the card with some information
5. Visit http://localhost:1337/api/cards

Card Collection

{
    "kind": "collectionType",
    "collectionName": "cards",
    "info": {
        "singularName": "card",
        "pluralName": "cards",
        "displayName": "Card"
    },
    "options": {
        "draftAndPublish": true
    },
    "pluginOptions": {
        "i18n": {
            "localized": true
        }
    },
    "attributes": {
        "title": {
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "type": "string"
        },
        "description": {
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "type": "text"
        },
        "ctas": {
            "type": "component",
            "repeatable": true,
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "component": "generic.link"
        }
    }
}

Link Component

{
    "collectionName": "components_generic_links",
    "info": {
        "displayName": "Link",
        "icon": "link"
    },
    "options": {},
    "attributes": {
        "children": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "href": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "target": {
            "type": "enumeration",
            "enum": [
                "_blank",
                "_self",
                "_parent",
                "_top"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Expected behavior

I would expect to see the all of the data show up in the JSON when I visit http://localhost:1337/api/cards. However I do not see the ctas key in my JSON response. Here is the output:

{
    "data": [
        {
            "id": 1,
            "attributes": {
                "title": "Testing",
                "description": "Lorem ipsum",
                "createdAt": "2021-11-10T12:35:21.977Z",
                "updatedAt": "2021-11-10T12:38:45.189Z",
                "publishedAt": "2021-11-10T12:35:32.484Z",
                "locale": "en"
            }
        }
    ],
    "meta": {
        "pagination": {
            "page": 1,
            "pageSize": 25,
            "pageCount": 1,
            "total": 1
        }
    }
}

v3 Similar Issue

I have a similar problem in v3, but it's one that deals with dynamic zones. Have a look at the following models:

Member Collection

{
    "kind": "collectionType",
    "collectionName": "members",
    "info": {
        "name": "Member",
        "description": ""
    },
    "options": {
        "increments": true,
        "timestamps": true,
        "draftAndPublish": true
    },
    "pluginOptions": {
        "i18n": {
            "localized": true
        }
    },
    "attributes": {
        "slug": {
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "type": "string"
        },
        "zone": {
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "type": "dynamiczone",
            "components": [
                "generic.cards"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Card Component

{
    "collectionName": "components_generic_cards",
    "info": {
        "name": "Cards",
        "icon": "th-list",
        "description": ""
    },
    "options": {},
    "attributes": {
        "header": {
            "type": "string"
        },
        "cards": {
            "collection": "card"
        }
    }
}

Card Collection

{
    "kind": "collectionType",
    "collectionName": "cards",
    "info": {
        "name": "Card",
        "description": ""
    },
    "options": {
        "increments": true,
        "timestamps": true,
        "draftAndPublish": true
    },
    "pluginOptions": {
        "i18n": {
            "localized": true
        }
    },
    "attributes": {
        "title": {
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "type": "string"
        },
        "description": {
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "type": "text"
        },
        "ctas": {
            "type": "component",
            "repeatable": true,
            "pluginOptions": {
                "i18n": {
                    "localized": true
                }
            },
            "component": "generic.link"
        }
    }
}

Link Component

{
    "collectionName": "components_generic_links",
    "info": {
        "name": "Link",
        "icon": "link",
        "description": ""
    },
    "options": {},
    "attributes": {
        "children": {
            "type": "string",
            "required": true
        },
        "href": {
            "type": "string",
            "required": true
        },
        "target": {
            "type": "enumeration",
            "enum": [
                "_blank",
                "_self",
                "_parent",
                "_top"
            ]
        }
    }
}  

After I fill out some information in the both the card collection and member collection, then visit http://localhost:1337/members I do not see the ctas key below the cards in my JSON response. Here is the output:

[
    {
        "id": 1,
        "slug": "/member",
        "locale": "en",
        "published_at": "2021-11-09T21:25:51.000Z",
        "created_at": "2021-11-09T19:12:22.000Z",
        "updated_at": "2021-11-09T21:25:52.000Z",
        "zone": [
            {
                "__component": "generic.cards",
                "id": 5,
                "header": "My Header",
                "cards": [
                    {
                        "id": 3,
                        "title": "Testing",
                        "description": "Lorem ipsum",
                        "locale": "en",
                        "published_at": "2021-11-08T20:07:26.000Z",
                        "created_at": "2021-11-08T13:50:14.000Z",
                        "updated_at": "2021-11-09T23:45:39.000Z"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "localizations": []
    }
]

System

• Node.js version: v14.16.1
• NPM version: v6.14.12
• Strapi version: v4.0.0-beta.12 && v3.6.8
• Database: v4 (sqlite3) v3 (MySQL)
• Operating system: Mac

[LucaNerlich]

Please follow the bug report template and provide some kind of reproduction steps. Thanks :)

[Kinbaum]

Refactored

[LucaNerlich]

Have you tried http://localhost:1337/api/cards?populate=*?

https://docs-next.strapi.io/developer-docs/latest/developer-resources/database-apis-reference/rest-api.html#relations-population

[Kinbaum]

Awesome, that was an easy fix for the v4 case. But that does not work in the v3 scenario I described. This is the response I get when trying to do http://localhost:1337/members?populate=*

{
    "statusCode": 400,
    "error": "Bad Request",
    "message": "Your filters contain a field 'populate' that doesn't appear on your model definition nor its relations"
}

[LucaNerlich]

?populate is a new addition for v4, since all content population is off by default - (which I disagree with btw, it does not feel 'natural' and by experience, other REST Apis do not work like this).

For v3 however, it should work. Did you allow the public role to 'find'?

Edit: ah, your v3 issue is a different one. No idea at the moment. Would have to take a look at the docs, sorry.

https://strapi.io/documentation/developer-docs/latest/developer-resources/content-api/content-api.html#content-api

It is possible, that those nested relations do not get populated ootb and that you would need to write some kind of customization to your controller.

[Kinbaum]

Yes I did, and I agree with you as well. Even though I have find and findOne enabled throughout, the data doesn't show up in v3. If I access the cards directly via http://localhost:1337/cards, then I can see the ctas key show up.

But when I access http://localhost:1337/members, which has a dynamic zone that includes a card component, with a relation to the cards collection, the ctas key does not show up.

[Kinbaum]

It's strange. If I use the GraphQL query below, then I can see the ctas being returned in the JSON. But accessing the REST endpoint, or doing a simple console.log of the entity in the member controller will show the data with the ctas key omitted.

{
    members {
        zone {
            ... on ComponentGenericCards {
                cards {
                    ctas {
                        children
                        href
                        target
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

[LucaNerlich]

ive only ever queried data via graphql aswell. No clue here, sorry.

[derrickmehaffy]

As this bug report was created for v4, what you are describing is intended in line with the new population logic:

(this says relations but it applies to components too): https://docs-next.strapi.io/developer-docs/latest/developer-resources/database-apis-reference/rest-api.html#relations-population

v3 has no population logic at the query level (other than with GraphQL) unless you modify the services: https://strapi.io/documentation/developer-docs/latest/development/backend-customization.html#collection-type-2

populate (array): the data to populate ["author", "author.name", "comment", "comment.content"]

But component and nested component population is a problem in v3 and likely not something we are gonna fix since v4 is just around the corner.

---

The v3 side of this is more so a duplicate of: #7454
For the v4 side as I mentioned this is intended so gonna set this as closed.

[Kinbaum]

@derrickmehaffy thank you for the clarification

[strapi-bot]

This issue has been mentioned on Strapi Community Forum. There might be relevant details there:

https://forum.strapi.io/t/get-data-from-a-single-type/16278/2

[Badlapje]

FYi for those who run into this: you need to have saved the single type at least once before the api gives a result. Until then it returns a 404 not found 🤷