Geospatial example in Sails.js using native MongoDB query

bootstrap.js

module.exports.bootstrap = function(cb) {

  // Ensure we have 2dsphere index on coordinates attribute of Place.
  sails.models.place.native(function (err, collection) {
    collection.ensureIndex({ coordinates: '2dsphere' }, function () {

      // It's very important to trigger this callback method when you are finished
      // with the bootstrap!  (otherwise your server will never lift, since it's waiting on the bootstrap)
      cb();

    });
  });

};

models.js

module.exports.models = {
  
  // Geospatial queries require MongoDB connection (sails-mongo)
  connection: 'someMongodbServer'
  
};

Place.js

/* Place model */
module.exports = {

  attributes: {

    name: {
      type: 'string',
      required: true
    },

    // This is the attribute used for the place's geolocation.
    // Be careful to store it as [ lng, lat ] or else geoNear queries will give imprecise results.
    coordinates: {
      type: 'json',
      required: true
    }

  },

  /**
   * Find places closer than a certain distance (in km) from a specified location [ lng, lat ].
   * @param conditions
   * JSON object should look like this:
   * {
   *   lng: -72.213,
   *   lat: 45.012,
   *   maxDistance: 100,
   *   limit: 20,
   * }
   *
   * @param callback (err, results)
   * Returns an array of results (ordered by increasing distance), it looks like this:
   * [
   *   {
   *   dis: 10.321,
   *   obj: { JSON object of Place }
   *   },
   *   {
   *   dis: 20.123,
   *   obj: { JSON object of Place }
   *   }
   * ]
   */
  findNear: function (conditions, callback) {

    Place.native(function (err, collection) {
      if (err) return callback(err);

      collection.geoNear({
          type: "Point" ,
          coordinates: [ conditions.lng, conditions.lat ]
      }, {
        limit: conditions.limit || 30,
        maxDistance: conditions.maxDistance * 1000.0,
        distanceMultiplier: 0.001,
        spherical : true
      }, function (err, places) {
        if (err) return callback(err);

        return callback(null, places.results);
      });
    });

  }

};

PlaceController.js

/* Place controller */
module.exports = {

  /**
   * Create two dummy places.
   */
  dummy: function (req, res) {

    Place.create({
      name: 'New Richmond',
      coordinates: [ -65.8716805, 48.1804069 ]
    }, function (err, place) {
      if (err) return res.negotiate(err);
      console.log('Place created: ', place);
      res.ok();
    });
    Place.create({
      name: 'Montreal',
      coordinates: [ -73.5647636, 45.5158157 ]
    }, function (err, place) {
      if (err) return res.negotiate(err);
      console.log('Place created: ', place);
      res.ok();
    });

  },

  /**
   * Find places closer than a certain distance (in km) from a specified location [ lng, lat ].
   */
  search: function (req, res) {

    // TODO: Default values and conditions validation should go in Place.findNear
    var conditions = {
      lng: parseFloat(req.param('lng')) || 0,
      lat: parseFloat(req.param('lat')) || 0,
      maxDistance: parseFloat(req.param('maxDistance')) || 1000,
      limit: req.param('limit') || 30,
    };

    Place.findNear(conditions, function (err, results) {
      if (err) return res.negotiate(err);

      return res.json(results);
    });

  }

};