Ember-data Serialize/Deserialize embedded records on 3rd level - ember.js

Question

Pardon me for coming up with this title but I really don't know how to ask this so I'll just explain.
Model: Group (has) User (has) Post
Defined as:
// models/group.js
name: DS.attr('string'),
// models/user.js
name: DS.attr('string'),
group: DS.belongsTo('group')
// models/post.js
name: DS.attr('string'),
user: DS.belongsTo('user'),
When I request /posts, my server returns this embedded record:
{
"posts": [
{
"id": 1,
"name": "Whitey",
"user": {
"id": 1,
"name": "User 1",
"group": 2
}
}
]
}
Notice that the group didn't have the group record but an id instead.
With my serializers:
// serializers/user.js
export default DS.RESTSerializer.extend(DS.EmbeddedRecordsMixin, {
attrs: {
group: {embedded: 'always'}
}
});
// serializers/post.js
export default DS.RESTSerializer.extend(DS.EmbeddedRecordsMixin, {
attrs: {
user: {embedded: 'always'}
}
});
This expects that the User and Post model have embedded records in them. However, it entails a problem since in the json response doesn't have an embedded group record.
The question is, is there a way I can disable embedding records in the 3rd level?
Please help.

Answer 1

Here is a good article about serialization:
http://www.toptal.com/emberjs/a-thorough-guide-to-ember-data#embeddedRecordsMixin
Ember docs:
http://emberjs.com/api/data/classes/DS.EmbeddedRecordsMixin.html
Basically, what it says is that you have 2 options 1) serialize and 2) deserialize. Those two have 3 options:
'no' - don't include any data,
'id' or 'ids' - include id(s),
'records' - include data.
When you write {embedded: 'always'} this is shorthand for: {serialize: 'records', deserialize: 'records'}.
If you don't want the relationship sent at all write: {serialize: false}.
The Ember defaults for EmbeddedRecordsMixin are as follows:
BelongsTo: {serialize:'id', deserialize:'id'}
HasMany: {serialize:false, deserialize:'ids'}