I had a bug using express.js and backbone.js. I thought it was backbone for the longest time. It wasn't I accidentally removed a key line of code for the configuration of my app.

request object is null bug

//If you get an error in the console like this:

/*
TypeError: Cannot convert null to object
    at exports.updateImagePost (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/routes/imageposts.js:160:12)
    at callbacks (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:161:37)
    at param (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:135:11)
    at param (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:132:11)
    at pass (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:142:5)
    at Router._dispatch (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:170:5)
    at Object.router (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/lib/router/index.js:33:10)
    at next (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/node_modules/connect/lib/proto.js:199:15)
    at Object.static (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/node_modules/connect/lib/middleware/static.js:55:61)
    at next (/Projects/nodecellar_pw/node_modules/express/node_modules/connect/lib/proto.js:199:15)
*/  
	
//And your code is taking in request from the request body like this:


// server.js

var imagepost  = require('./routes/imageposts');

app.put('/imageposts/:id', imagepost.updateImagePost);

// imageposts.js

exports.updateImagePost = function(req, res) {
	var id = req.params.id;
    console.log('Updating imagepost: ' + id);
    var imagepost = req.body;
    console.log('Updating imagepost: ' + req.body);
    delete imagepost._id;
    console.log(JSON.stringify(imagepost));
    db.collection('imageposts', function(err, collection) {
        collection.update({'_id':new BSON.ObjectID(id)}, imagepost, {safe:true}, function(err, result) {
            if (err) {
                console.log('Error updating ImagePost: ' + err);
                res.send({'error':'An error has occurred'});
            } else {
                console.log('' + result + ' document(s) updated');
                res.send(imagepost);
            }
        });
    });
}	
	
//Then you probabaly need to add in this bodyParser call to your app.configure function!
	
// server.js  
  
app.configure(function () {

	app.use(express.bodyParser());

});

// Theres some other middlewear options to consider as well  
// this sure drove me nuts!
// Hope this being on the internet helps the next guy