# Populate (blueprint)
Populate and return foreign record(s) for the given association of this record.
```usage
GET /:model/:id/:association
```
If the specified association is plural ("collection"), this action returns the list of associated records as a JSON-encoded array of dictionaries (plain JavaScript objects). If the specified association is singular ("model"), this action returns the associated record as a JSON-encoded dictionary.
Parameter | Type | Details
:-------------- | ------------ |:---------------------------------
model | ((string)) | The [identity](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/concepts/models-and-orm/model-settings#?identity) of the containing model.
e.g. `'purchase'` (in `GET /purchase/47/cashier`)
id | ((string)) | The primary key of the parent record.
e.g. `'47'` (in `GET /purchase/47/cashier`)
association | ((string)) | The name of the association.
e.g. `'cashier'` (in `GET /purchase/47/cashier`) or `'products'` (in `GET /purchase/47/products`)
_where_ | ((string?)) | Instead of filtering based on a specific attribute, you may instead choose to provide a `where` parameter with the WHERE piece of a [Waterline criteria](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/concepts/models-and-orm/query-language), _encoded as a JSON string_. This allows you to take advantage of `contains`, `startsWith`, and other sub-attribute criteria modifiers for more powerful `find()` queries.
e.g. `?where={"name":{"contains":"theodore"}}`
_limit_ | ((number?)) | The maximum number of records to send back (useful for pagination). Defaults to 30.
e.g. `?limit=100`
_skip_ | ((number?)) | The number of records to skip (useful for pagination).
e.g. `?skip=30`
_sort_ | ((string?)) | The sort order. By default, returned records are sorted by primary key value in ascending order.
e.g. `?sort=lastName%20ASC`
_select_ | ((string?)) | The attributes to include in each record in the result, specified as a comma-delimited list. By default, all attributes are selected. Not valid for plural (“collection”) association attributes.
e.g. `?select=name,age`.
_omit_ | ((string?)) | The attributes to exclude from each record in the result, specified as a comma-delimited list. Cannot be used in conjuction with `select`. Not valid for plural (“collection”) association attributes.
e.g. `?omit=favoriteColor,address`.
### Example
Populate the `cashier` who conducted purchase #47:
```text
`GET /purchase/47/cashier`
```
[](https://www.getpostman.com/run-collection/96217d0d747e536e49a4)
##### Expected response
```json
{
"name": "Dolly",
"id": 7,
"createdAt": 1485462079725,
"updatedAt": 1485476060873,
}
```
**Using [jQuery](http://jquery.com/):**
```javascript
$.get('/purchase/47/cashier', function (cashier) {
console.log(cashier);
});
```
**Using [Angular](https://angularjs.org/):**
```javascript
$http.get('/purchase/47/cashier')
.then(function (cashier) {
console.log(cashier);
});
```
**Using [sails.io.js](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/reference/web-sockets/socket-client):**
```javascript
io.socket.get('/purchase/47/cashier', function (cashier) {
console.log(cashier);
});
```
**Using [cURL](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CURL):**
```bash
curl http://localhost:1337/purchase/47/cashier
```
### Populating a collection
You can also populate a collection. For example, to populate the `involvedInPurchases` of employee #7:
`GET /employee/7/involvedInPurchases`
##### Expected response
```json
[
{
"amount": 10000,
"createdAt": 1485476060873,
"updatedAt": 1485476060873,
"id": 47,
"cashier": 7
},
{
"amount": 50,
"createdAt": 1487015460792,
"updatedAt": 1487015476357,
"id": 52,
"cashier": 7
}
]
```
### Notes
> + In the first example above, if purchase #47 did not have a `cashier` (i.e. `null`), then this action would respond with a 404 status code.
> + The examples above assume "rest" blueprint routing is enabled (or that you've bound this blueprint action as a comparable [custom route](https://sailsjs.com/documentation/concepts/routes/custom-routes)), and that your project contains at least an empty `Employee` model as well as a `Purchase` model, and that `Employee` has the association attribute: `involvedInPurchases: {model: 'Purchase'}` and that `Purchase` has `cashier: {model: 'Employee'}`. You can quickly achieve this by running:
>
> ```shell
> $ sails new foo
> $ cd foo
> $ sails generate model purchase
> $ sails generate model employee
> ```
> ...then editing `api/models/Employee.js` and `api/models/Purchase.js`.