MongoDB

MongoDB stores data in JSON-like documents, which makes the database very flexible and scalable.

To be able experiment with the code examples in this tutorial, you will need access to a MongoDB database.

You can download a free MongoDB database at https://www.mongodb.com.

PyMongo
Python needs a MongoDB driver to access the MongoDB database.

In this tutorial we will use the MongoDB driver "PyMongo".

We recommend that you use PIP to install "PyMongo".

PIP is most likely already installed in your Python environment.

Navigate your command line to the location of PIP, and type the following:

Download and install "PyMongo":

C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>python -m pip install pymongo

Now you have downloaded and installed a mongoDB driver.

Test PyMongo
To test if the installation was successful, or if you already have "pymongo" installed, create a Python page with the following content:

demo_mongodb_test.py:

import pymongo
Run example »

If the above code was executed with no errors, "pymongo" is installed and ready to be used.

Creating a Database
To create a database in MongoDB, start by creating a MongoClient object, then specify a connection URL with the correct ip address and the name of the database
you want to create.

MongoDB will create the database if it does not exist, and make a connection to it.

Example

Create a database called "mydatabase":

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]

Important: In MongoDB, a database is not created until it gets content!

MongoDB waits until you have created a collection (table), with at least one document (record) before it actually creates the database (and collection).

Check if Database Exists

Remember: In MongoDB, a database is not created until it gets content, so if this is your first time creating a database, you should complete the next two chapters
(create collection and create document) before you check if the database exists!

You can check if a database exist by listing all databases in you system:

Example

Return a list of your system's databases:

print(myclient.list_database_names())

Or you can check a specific database by name:

Example

Check if "mydatabase" exists:

dblist = myclient.list_database_names()
if "mydatabase" in dblist:
print("The database exists.")

Creating a Collection
To create a collection in MongoDB, use database object and specify the name of the colelction you want to create.

MongoDB will create the collection if it does not exist.

Example

Create a collection called "customers":

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]

mycol = mydb["customers"]

Important: In MongoDB, a collection is not created until it gets content!

MongoDB waits until you have inserted a document before it actually creates the collection.
Check if Collection Exists
Remember: In MongoDB, a collection is not created until it gets content, so if this is your first time creating a collection, you should complete the next chapter
(create document) before you check if the collection exists!

You can check if a collection exist in a database by listing all collections:

Example

Return a list of all collections in your database:

print(mydb.list_collection_names())

Or you can check a specific collection by name:

Example

Check if the "customers" collection exists:

collist = mydb.list_collection_names()
if "customers" in collist:
print("The collection exists.")

Insert Into Collection

To insert a record, or document as it is called in MongoDB, into a collection, we use the insert_one()method.

The first parameter of the insert_one() method is a dictionary containing the name(s) and value(s) of each field in the document you want to insert.

Example

Insert a record in the "customers" collection:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

mydict = { "name": "John", "address": "Highway 37" }

x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)

Insert Multiple Documents

To insert multiple documents into a collection in MongoDB, we use the insert_many() method.

The first parameter of the insert_many() method is a list containing dictionaries with the data you want to insert:
Example
import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

mylist = [
{ "name": "Amy", "address": "Apple st 652"},
{ "name": "Hannah", "address": "Mountain 21"},
{ "name": "Michael", "address": "Valley 345"},
{ "name": "Sandy", "address": "Ocean blvd 2"},
{ "name": "Betty", "address": "Green Grass 1"},
{ "name": "Richard", "address": "Sky st 331"},
{ "name": "Susan", "address": "One way 98"},
{ "name": "Vicky", "address": "Yellow Garden 2"},
{ "name": "Ben", "address": "Park Lane 38"},
{ "name": "William", "address": "Central st 954"},
{ "name": "Chuck", "address": "Main Road 989"},
{ "name": "Viola", "address": "Sideway 1633"}
]

x = mycol.insert_many(mylist)

#print list of the _id values of the inserted documents:

print(x.inserted_ids)

The insert_many() method returns a InsertManyResult object, which has a property, inserted_ids, that holds the ids of the inserted documents.

Python MongoDB Find

In MongoDB we use the find and findOne methods to find data in a collection.

Just like the SELECT statement is used to find data in a table in a MySQL database.

Find One
To select data from a collection in MongoDB, we can use the find_one() method.

The find_one() method returns the first occurrence in the selection.

Example

Find the first document in the customers collection:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

x = mycol.find_one()

print(x)
Find All
To select data from a table in MongoDB, we can also use the find() method.

The find() method returns all occurrences in the selection.

The first parameter of the find() method is a query object. In this example we use an empty query object, which selects all documents in the collection.

No parameters in the find() method gives you the same result as SELECT * in MySQL.

Example

Return all documents in the "customers" collection, and print each document:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

for x in mycol.find():
print(x)

Delete Document
To delete one document, we use the delete_one() method.

The first parameter of the delete_one() method is a query object defining which document to delete.

Note: If the query finds more than one document, only the first occurrence is deleted.

Example

Delete the document with the address "Mountain 21":

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

myquery = { "address": "Mountain 21" }

mycol.delete_one(myquery)

Delete Many Documents

To delete more than one document, use the delete_many() method.

The first parameter of the delete_many() method is a query object defining which documents to delete.

Example

Delete all documents were the address starts with the letter S:
import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

myquery = { "address": {"$regex": "^S"} }

x = mycol.delete_many(myquery)

print(x.deleted_count, " documents deleted.")

Delete All Documents in a Collection

To delete all documents in a collection, pass an empty query object to the delete_many() method:

Example

Delete all documents in the "customers" collection:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

x = mycol.delete_many({})

print(x.deleted_count, " documents deleted.")

Python MongoDB Drop Collection

Delete Collection
You can delete a table, or collection as it is called in MongoDB, by using the drop() method.

Example

Delete the "customers" collection:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

mycol.drop()

The drop() method returns true if the collection was dropped successfully, and false if the collection does not exist.

Python MongoDB Update

Update Collection
You can update a record, or document as it is called in MongoDB, by using the update_one() method.
The first parameter of the update_one() method is a query object defining which document to update.

Note: If the query finds more than one record, only the first occurrence is updated.

The second parameter is an object defining the new values of the document.

Example

Change the address from "Valley 345" to "Canyon 123":

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

myquery = { "address": "Valley 345" }

newvalues = { "$set": { "address": "Canyon 123" } }

mycol.update_one(myquery, newvalues)

#print "customers" after the update:

for x in mycol.find():
print(x)

Update Many
To update all documents that meets the criteria of the query, use the update_many() method.

Example

Update all documents were the address starts with the letter "S":

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["customers"]

myquery = { "address": { "$regex": "^S" } }

newvalues = { "$set": { "name": "Minnie" } }

x = mycol.update_many(myquery, newvalues)

print(x.modified_count, "documents updated.")