Inconsistent access to Meteor collection within client code vs. in console - meteor

Question

Something terribly simple is giving me a hard time. I can reproduce the issue by creating a blank app using mrt create, adding only the following:
On line 1, I create a new collection:
Rounds = new Meteor.Collection('rounds');
In the Meteor.isClient conditional code, I add:
Rounds.insert({ x: 1 });
Rounds.find({}).forEach(function (round) {
console.log(round);
});
When I run this code the first time (locally, using meteor run), the expected behavior emerges and the following line is printed to the console:
Object {x: 1, _id: "ps5KdA4b9it2ktQoD"}
If I refresh the browser, however, something unexpected happens. I expect to see multiple lines printed to the console, since I am adding additional rounds to my collection. However, only the most recent round is printed:
Object {_id: "dqMuz6CmK2K9myZn5", x: 1}
If, instead, I run the forEach lines above directly in the console, I get the expected behavior, with one printed line for each round in the collection:
Rounds.find({}).forEach(function (post){
console.log(post);
})
Object {_id: "KAcopbPDE9JC2rShY", x: 1}
Object {_id: "ps5KdA4b9it2ktQoD", x: 1}
Object {_id: "dqMuz6CmK2K9myZn5", x: 1}
Object {_id: "ecbWcRXXLQANy8Xyj", x: 1}
Object {_id: "QsbczHmZZMX59LzTZ", x: 1}
Why is the behavior different in these two cases? And, most importantly, how do I reproduce the behavior I find in the console (which I expected) in the actual code?
Thanks.

Answer 1

It might be that Meteor hasn't actually established a connection to the server yet, remember meteor loads js & html on the client first (at which point all the code is run), and it then tries to connect to the server.
During this state the commands you tell it to insert go in a queue that are inserted all at once when it connects. On the client the callbacks fire instantly if successful at the time of the insert.
So your code to insert is run, when the connection isn't yet established fully.
If you wait for a connection to establish (where Meteor.status().connected == true), or a subscription to complete (by inserting your data in the callback of Meteor.subscribe), then you shouldn't have this problem.
By the time you use the console the connection would already be established which is why you don't have the problem in the console.
You could have a go at also running a console.log(Meteor.status().connection) at the same time you try and insert the document and see.