How to represent arrays within ember-data models?

Question

Is it necessary to use DS.hasMany pointing to a DS.Model when a model contains an array? Even if the array elements are not really models (no IDs or endpoints of their own)? Is there a better way?

I am using DS.hasMany, but my extended DS.RESTAdapter is throwing me a 404 trying to access the model, even though I'm never calling find on it, and hasMany is called with { embedded: true }. I am seeing this error for the first time (apparently in connection with this model, since it goes away without it):

Uncaught Error: assertion failed: Emptying a view in the inBuffer state is not allowed and should not happen under normal circumstances. Most likely there is a bug in your application. This may be due to excessive property change notifications. ember-latest.js:43

What does this mean and what might be causing it?

Here's the stack trace:

Ember.assert ember-latest.js:43
Ember.View.states.inBuffer.empty ember-latest.js:13644
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12257
Ember.CollectionView.Ember.ContainerView.extend.arrayWillChange ember-latest.js:14477
invokeAction ember-latest.js:3193
iterateSet ember-latest.js:3175
sendEvent ember-latest.js:3323
Ember.Array.Ember.Mixin.create.arrayContentWillChange ember-latest.js:6963
Ember.ArrayProxy.Ember.Object.extend.arrangedContentArrayWillChange ember-latest.js:9281
Ember.ArrayProxy.Ember.Object.extend._arrangedContentWillChange ember-latest.js:9235
invokeAction ember-latest.js:3193
iterateSet ember-latest.js:3175
sendEvent ember-latest.js:3323
notifyObservers ember-latest.js:1872
Ember.notifyBeforeObservers ember-latest.js:2016
propertyWillChange ember-latest.js:2594
iterDeps ember-latest.js:2077
dependentKeysWillChange ember-latest.js:2092
propertyWillChange ember-latest.js:2592
set ember-latest.js:1416
DS.Model.Ember.Object.extend.dataDidChange ember-data-latest.js:3145
Map.forEach ember-latest.js:1273
OrderedSet.forEach ember-latest.js:1145
Map.forEach ember-latest.js:1271
DS.Model.Ember.Object.extend.dataDidChange ember-data-latest.js:3128
invokeAction ember-latest.js:3193
iterateSet ember-latest.js:3175
sendEvent ember-latest.js:3323
notifyObservers ember-latest.js:1872
Ember.notifyObservers ember-latest.js:1999
propertyDidChange ember-latest.js:2632
Ember.Observable.Ember.Mixin.create.propertyDidChange ember-latest.js:7917
Ember.Observable.Ember.Mixin.create.notifyPropertyChange ember-latest.js:7930
didChangeData ember-data-latest.js:2053
Ember.StateManager.Ember.State.extend.sendRecursively ember-latest.js:15446
Ember.StateManager.Ember.State.extend.send ember-latest.js:15431
DS.Model.Ember.Object.extend.send ember-data-latest.js:3058
DS.Store.Ember.Object.extend.load ember-data-latest.js:1737
DS.Store.Ember.Object.extend.loadMany ember-data-latest.js:1763
embeddedFindRecord ember-data-latest.js:3434
hasAssociation ember-data-latest.js:3459
ComputedPropertyPrototype.get ember-latest.js:2968
get ember-latest.js:1362
getPath ember-latest.js:1484
get ember-latest.js:1355
getWithGlobals ember-latest.js:4041
Binding.connect ember-latest.js:4140
connectBindings ember-latest.js:4600
finishPartial ember-latest.js:4610
Class ember-latest.js:8315
Ember.Mixin.create.create ember-latest.js:8457
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.createChildView ember-latest.js:13179
Ember.View.states.inBuffer.appendChild ember-latest.js:13622
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12239
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.appendChild ember-latest.js:13058
EmberHandlebars.ViewHelper.Ember.Object.create.helper ember-latest.js:18687
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18844
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:19043
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:19208
(anonymous function)
(anonymous function) handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js:1512
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.render ember-latest.js:12223
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.View.states.inBuffer.appendChild ember-latest.js:13625
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12239
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.appendChild ember-latest.js:13058
EmberHandlebars.ViewHelper.Ember.Object.create.helper ember-latest.js:18687
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18844
program2
(anonymous function) handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js:1529
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.render ember-latest.js:12223
Ember._HandlebarsBoundView.Ember._MetamorphView.extend.render ember-latest.js:18075
Ember.wrap.newFunc ember-latest.js:949
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.View.states.inBuffer.appendChild ember-latest.js:13625
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12239
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.appendChild ember-latest.js:13058
bind ember-latest.js:18129
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18199
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18271
program1
(anonymous function) handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js:1529
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.render ember-latest.js:12223
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.ContainerView.Ember.View.extend.render ember-latest.js:14078
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.forEachChildView ember-latest.js:12486
Ember.ContainerView.Ember.View.extend.render ember-latest.js:14077
Ember.wrap.newFunc ember-latest.js:949
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.View.states.inBuffer.appendChild ember-latest.js:13625
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12239
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.appendChild ember-latest.js:13058
EmberHandlebars.ViewHelper.Ember.Object.create.helper ember-latest.js:18687
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18844
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:19043
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:19208
(anonymous function)
(anonymous function) handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js:1512
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.render ember-latest.js:12223
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.ContainerView.Ember.View.extend.render ember-latest.js:14078
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.forEachChildView ember-latest.js:12486
Ember.ContainerView.Ember.View.extend.render ember-latest.js:14077
Ember.wrap.newFunc ember-latest.js:949
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.View.states.inBuffer.appendChild ember-latest.js:13625
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12257
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.appendChild ember-latest.js:13058
EmberHandlebars.ViewHelper.Ember.Object.create.helper ember-latest.js:18687
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18844
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:19624
(anonymous function) ember-latest.js:18167
(anonymous function)
(anonymous function) handlebars-1.0.0.beta.6.js:1512
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.render ember-latest.js:12223
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.renderToBuffer ember-latest.js:12872
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.createElement ember-latest.js:12669
Ember.View.states.preRender.insertElement ember-latest.js:13558
Ember.View.Ember.Object.extend.invokeForState ember-latest.js:12257
invoke ember-latest.js:3428
iter ember-latest.js:3475
RunLoop.flush ember-latest.js:3531
RunLoop.end ember-latest.js:3447
Ember.run.end ember-latest.js:3639
autorun ember-latest.js:3705

Thanks for any help.

Update: This fiddle works (with example from docs), but how could those objects be represented if the tags aren't real models (i.e. don't have IDs)?

Answer 1

Well... It was a little bit difficult but mixing all answers in this post I made it work.

Firstly, you should create a transform for the new type "array":

DS.ArrayTransform = DS.Transform.extend({
  deserialize: function(serialized) {
    return (Ember.typeOf(serialized) == "array")
        ? serialized 
        : [];
  },

  serialize: function(deserialized) {
    var type = Ember.typeOf(deserialized);
    if (type == 'array') {
        return deserialized
    } else if (type == 'string') {
        return deserialized.split(',').map(function(item) {
            return jQuery.trim(item);
        });
    } else {
        return [];
    }
  }
});

App.register("transform:array", DS.ArrayTransform);

Now, in your model, just use it as another attr:

App.myModel = Ember.Model.extend({
    name : DS.attr('string'),
    cont : DS.attr('array')
}

And we are done. Remember, when adding elements to the array, to use pushObject.

In a controller:

this.get('model.cont').pushObject('new Item');

I hope this helps someone.