NodeJS and MongoDB: A powerful combination for backend development

Originally Published on ghazikhan.in

If you are looking for a fast, scalable, and flexible way to build web applications, you might want to consider using Node.js and MongoDB together. Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that allows you to run JavaScript code on the server-side, while MongoDB is a NoSQL database that stores data in a flexible, JSON-like format. In this blog post, we will explore how these two technologies work together and what benefits they offer for backend development.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that enables developers to run JavaScript code outside of a web browser. Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that makes it efficient and lightweight for handling concurrent requests. Node.js also has a rich ecosystem of modules and frameworks that can help you build various types of applications, such as web servers, RESTful APIs, microservices, real-time applications, and more.

What is MongoDB?

MongoDB is a NoSQL database that stores data as BSON documents. BSON is a binary representation of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). Documents are similar in structure to JavaScript objects and store information in field-value pairs. MongoDB does not have a fixed schema, which means you can store different types of data in the same collection without having to define the structure beforehand. MongoDB also supports various features such as indexing, aggregation, transactions, replication, sharding, and more.

How to use Node.js and MongoDB together?

To use Node.js and MongoDB together, you need to install both technologies on your machine and set up a connection between them. You also need to use a MongoDB driver or an Object Document Mapper (ODM) to interact with the database from your Node.js code.

Installing Node.js and MongoDB

You can download and install Node.js from the official website: https://nodejs.org/en/download/. You can also use a package manager such as npm or nvm to install Node.js on your system.

You can download and install MongoDB from the official website: https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community. You can also use a package manager such as apt or brew to install MongoDB on your system.

Connecting Node.js and MongoDB

To connect Node.js and MongoDB, you can use the MongoDB Node.js driver, which is a module that allows you to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on the database from your Node.js code. You can install the driver using the following command:

npm install mongodb

Then you can import the MongoClient class from the driver and create an instance of it by passing your connection URI to it. The connection URI contains information such as the host name, port number, database name, username, password, and other options for connecting to the database. For example:

const { MongoClient } = require('mongodb');

const uri = 'mongodb://username:password@localhost:27017/mydatabase';

const client = new MongoClient(uri);

To connect to the database, you need to call the connect method on the client object and pass a callback function that will be executed once the connection is established or an error occurs. For example:

client.connect((err) => {
if (err) {
console.error(err);
return;
}
console.log('Connected successfully to MongoDB');
// perform database operations here
});

Alternatively, you can use async/await syntax to connect to the database in a more concise way. For example:

(async () => {
try {
await client.connect();
console.log('Connected successfully to MongoDB');
// perform database operations here
} catch (err) {
console.error(err);
} finally {
await client.close();
}
})();

Note that you need to close the connection when you are done with it by calling the close method on the client object.

Using CRUD operations

To perform CRUD operations on the database, you need to access the collection object that represents the collection you want to work with. You can use the db method on the client object to get the database object and then use the collection method on it to get the collection object. For example:

const db = client.db('mydatabase');
const collection = db.collection('mycollection');

Then you can use various methods on the collection object to perform CRUD operations. For example:

• To insert one document into the collection, you can use the insertOne method and pass an object that contains the data you want to store. For example:

const result = await collection.insertOne({ name: 'Alice', age: 25 });
console.log(result.insertedId); // prints the id of the inserted document

• To insert multiple documents into the collection, you can use the insertMany method and pass an array of objects that contain the data you want to store. For example:

const result = await collection.insertMany([
{ name: 'Bob', age: 30 },
{ name: 'Charlie', age: 35 },
]);
console.log(result.insertedIds); // prints an array of ids of the inserted documents

• To find one document that matches a query filter, you can use the findOne method and pass an object that specifies the criteria for the document you want to retrieve. For example:

const result = await collection.findOne({ name: 'Alice' });
console.log(result); // prints the document that matches the query

• To find multiple documents that match a query filter, you can use the find method and pass an object that specifies the criteria for the documents you want to retrieve. The find method returns a cursor object that you can iterate over to access the documents. For example:

const cursor = collection.find({ age: { $gt: 30 } }); // finds documents with age greater than 30
await cursor.forEach((doc) => console.log(doc)); // prints each document

• To update one document that matches a query filter, you can use the updateOne method and pass two objects: one that specifies the criteria for the document you want to update, and another that specifies the update operations you want to apply. For example:

const result = await collection.updateOne(
{ name: 'Bob' }, // finds the document with name Bob
{ $set: { age: 31 } } // sets the age field to 31
);
console.log(result.modifiedCount); // prints the number of documents modified

• To update multiple documents that match a query filter, you can use the updateMany method and pass two objects: one that specifies the criteria for the documents you want to update, and another that specifies the update operations you want to apply. For example:

const result = await collection.updateMany(
{ age: { $lt: 30 } }, // finds documents with age less than 30
{ $inc: { age: 1 } } // increments the age field by 1
);
console.log(result.modifiedCount); // prints the number of documents modified

• To delete one document that matches a query filter, you can use the deleteOne method and pass an object that specifies the criteria for the document you want to delete. For example:

const result = await collection.deleteOne({ name: 'Alice' }); // deletes the document with name Alice
console.log(result.deletedCount); // prints the number of documents deleted

• To delete multiple documents that match a query filter, you can use the deleteMany method and pass an object that specifies the criteria for the documents you want to delete. For example:

const result = await collection.deleteMany({ age: { $gte: 30 } }); // deletes documents with age greater than or equal to 30
console.log(result.deletedCount); // prints the number of documents deleted

For more information on how to use CRUD operations with Node.js and MongoDB, see MongoDB CRUD Operations.

What are the benefits of using Node.js and MongoDB together?

Using Node.js and MongoDB together can offer several benefits for backend development, such as:

• Performance: Node.js and MongoDB are both fast and scalable technologies that can handle high volumes of concurrent requests and data. Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model that allows it to process multiple requests without waiting for I/O operations to complete. MongoDB uses a document-based data model that allows it to store data in a flexible and efficient way, without requiring joins or schema migrations.
• Compatibility: Node.js and MongoDB are both based on JavaScript, which means they share a common syntax and data format. This makes it easier for developers to work with both technologies without having to switch between different languages or paradigms. It also reduces the amount of data conversion or serialization needed when transferring data between the application layer and the database layer.
• Flexibility: Node.js and MongoDB are both flexible and adaptable technologies that can support various types of applications and use cases. Node.js has a rich ecosystem of modules and frameworks that can help developers build different kinds of applications, such as web servers, RESTful APIs, microservices, real-time applications, and more. MongoDB has a schemaless data model that allows developers to store different types of data in the same collection without having to define the structure beforehand. It also supports various features such as indexing, aggregation, transactions, replication, sharding, and more.

Conclusion

Node.js and MongoDB are a powerful combination for backend development that can offer performance, compatibility, and flexibility for building web applications. In this blog post, we have learned how to set up Node.js and MongoDB on our machine, how to connect them using the MongoDB Node.js driver, how to perform CRUD operations on