/mongodb

name: mongodb
description: Work with MongoDB databases using best practices. Use when designing schemas, writing queries, building aggregation pipelines, or optimizing performance. Triggers on MongoDB, Mongoose, NoSQL, aggregation pipeline, document database, MongoDB Atlas.

MongoDB & Mongoose

Build and query MongoDB databases with best practices.

Quick Start

npm install mongodb mongoose

Native Driver

import { MongoClient, ObjectId } from 'mongodb';

const client = new MongoClient(process.env.MONGODB_URI!);
const db = client.db('myapp');
const users = db.collection('users');

// Connect
await client.connect();

// CRUD Operations
await users.insertOne({ name: 'Alice', email: 'alice@example.com' });
const user = await users.findOne({ email: 'alice@example.com' });
await users.updateOne({ _id: user._id }, { $set: { name: 'Alice Smith' } });
await users.deleteOne({ _id: user._id });

Mongoose Setup

import mongoose from 'mongoose';

await mongoose.connect(process.env.MONGODB_URI!, {
  maxPoolSize: 10,
  serverSelectionTimeoutMS: 5000,
  socketTimeoutMS: 45000,
});

// Connection events
mongoose.connection.on('connected', () => console.log('MongoDB connected'));
mongoose.connection.on('error', (err) => console.error('MongoDB error:', err));
mongoose.connection.on('disconnected', () => console.log('MongoDB disconnected'));

// Graceful shutdown
process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
  await mongoose.connection.close();
  process.exit(0);
});

Schema Design

Basic Schema

import mongoose, { Schema, Document, Model } from 'mongoose';

interface IUser extends Document {
  email: string;
  name: string;
  password: string;
  role: 'user' | 'admin';
  profile: {
    avatar?: string;
    bio?: string;
  };
  createdAt: Date;
  updatedAt: Date;
}

const userSchema = new Schema<IUser>({
  email: {
    type: String,
    required: [true, 'Email is required'],
    unique: true,
    lowercase: true,
    trim: true,
    match: [/^\S+@\S+\.\S+$/, 'Invalid email format'],
  },
  name: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
    trim: true,
    minlength: 2,
    maxlength: 100,
  },
  password: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
    select: false,  // Never return password by default
  },
  role: {
    type: String,
    enum: ['user', 'admin'],
    default: 'user',
  },
  profile: {
    avatar: String,
    bio: { type: String, maxlength: 500 },
  },
}, {
  timestamps: true,  // Adds createdAt, updatedAt
  toJSON: {
    transform(doc, ret) {
      delete ret.password;
      delete ret.__v;
      return ret;
    },
  },
});

// Indexes
userSchema.index({ email: 1 });
userSchema.index({ createdAt: -1 });
userSchema.index({ name: 'text', 'profile.bio': 'text' });  // Text search

const User: Model<IUser> = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

Embedded Documents vs References

// ✅ Embed when: Data is read together, doesn't grow unbounded
const orderSchema = new Schema({
  customer: {
    name: String,
    email: String,
    address: {
      street: String,
      city: String,
      country: String,
    },
  },
  items: [{
    product: String,
    quantity: Number,
    price: Number,
  }],
  total: Number,
});

// ✅ Reference when: Data is large, shared, or changes independently
const postSchema = new Schema({
  title: String,
  content: String,
  author: {
    type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
    ref: 'User',
    required: true,
  },
  comments: [{
    type: Schema.Types.ObjectId,
    ref: 'Comment',
  }],
});

// Populate references
const post = await Post.findById(id)
  .populate('author', 'name email')  // Select specific fields
  .populate({
    path: 'comments',
    populate: { path: 'author', select: 'name' },  // Nested populate
  });

Virtuals

const userSchema = new Schema({
  firstName: String,
  lastName: String,
});

// Virtual field (not stored in DB)
userSchema.virtual('fullName').get(function() {
  return `${this.firstName} ${this.lastName}`;
});

// Virtual populate (for reverse references)
userSchema.virtual('posts', {
  ref: 'Post',
  localField: '_id',
  foreignField: 'author',
});

// Enable virtuals in JSON
userSchema.set('toJSON', { virtuals: true });
userSchema.set('toObject', { virtuals: true });

Query Operations

Find Operations

// Find with filters
const users = await User.find({
  role: 'user',
  createdAt: { $gte: new Date('2024-01-01') },
});

// Query builder
const results = await User.find()
  .where('role').equals('user')
  .where('createdAt').gte(new Date('2024-01-01'))
  .select('name email')
  .sort({ createdAt: -1 })
  .limit(10)
  .skip(20)
  .lean();  // Return plain objects (faster)

// Find one
const user = await User.findOne({ email: 'alice@example.com' });
const userById = await User.findById(id);

// Exists check
const exists = await User.exists({ email: 'alice@example.com' });

// Count
const count = await User.countDocuments({ role: 'admin' });

Query Operators

// Comparison
await User.find({ age: { $eq: 25 } });      // Equal
await User.find({ age: { $ne: 25 } });      // Not equal
await User.find({ age: { $gt: 25 } });      // Greater than
await User.find({ age: { $gte: 25 } });     // Greater or equal
await User.find({ age: { $lt: 25 } });      // Less than
await User.find({ age: { $lte: 25 } });     // Less or equal
await User.find({ age: { $in: [20, 25, 30] } });   // In array
await User.find({ age: { $nin: [20, 25] } });      // Not in array

// Logical
await User.find({
  $and: [{ age: { $gte: 18 } }, { role: 'user' }],
});
await User.find({
  $or: [{ role: 'admin' }, { isVerified: true }],
});
await User.find({ age: { $not: { $lt: 18 } } });

// Element
await User.find({ avatar: { $exists: true } });
await User.find({ score: { $type: 'number' } });

// Array
await User.find({ tags: 'nodejs' });  // Array contains value
await User.find({ tags: { $all: ['nodejs', 'mongodb'] } });  // C