Node.js MongoDB: Create Collection

Welcome to The Coding College! In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of creating a collection in MongoDB using Node.js. Collections in MongoDB are equivalent to tables in relational databases and are used to store documents.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following:

  1. MongoDB Installed: Install MongoDB.
  2. Node.js Installed: Install Node.js.
  3. MongoDB Driver Installed: Install it using the following command: npm install mongodb

Step 1: Set Up a MongoDB Connection

Create a file createCollection.js and set up the connection to MongoDB:

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

// Connection URL
const url = 'mongodb://localhost:27017'; // Default MongoDB URL
const client = new MongoClient(url);

// Database Name
const dbName = 'myNewDatabase'; // Replace with your database name

async function createCollection() {
  try {
    // Connect to the MongoDB server
    await client.connect();
    console.log('Connected to MongoDB server.');

    // Select the database
    const db = client.db(dbName);

    // Create a collection
    const collectionName = 'users';
    await db.createCollection(collectionName);
    console.log(`Collection '${collectionName}' created.`);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Error:', err.message);
  } finally {
    // Close the connection
    await client.close();
    console.log('Connection closed.');
  }
}

createCollection();

Step 2: Run the Script

Run the createCollection.js script using Node.js:

node createCollection.js

Output

You should see the following output if the collection is successfully created:

Connected to MongoDB server.
Collection 'users' created.
Connection closed.

Step 3: Verify Collection Creation

  1. Open the MongoDB Shell or MongoDB Compass.
  2. Use the following command in the MongoDB shell to check the collections: use myNewDatabase show collections You should see users listed as a collection.

Creating Collections with Options

You can add specific options while creating a collection. For example, creating a capped collection:

async function createCappedCollection() {
  try {
    await client.connect();
    const db = client.db(dbName);

    // Create a capped collection
    await db.createCollection('logs', {
      capped: true,
      size: 1024, // Max size in bytes
      max: 100,   // Max number of documents
    });

    console.log("Capped collection 'logs' created.");
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Error:', err.message);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

createCappedCollection();

Best Practices

  1. Collection Naming: Use meaningful names to organize your data effectively.
  2. Indexes: Add indexes to collections after creation for optimized queries.
  3. Capped Collections: Use them for logging or other cases where data must overwrite old records.
  4. Schema Validation: Even though MongoDB is schema-less, use validation rules for consistency.

Example Output for Capped Collection

Running the capped collection script gives:

Connected to MongoDB server.
Capped collection 'logs' created.
Connection closed.

Conclusion

Creating collections in MongoDB with Node.js is simple and flexible. Whether it’s a basic collection or a capped one, MongoDB provides extensive customization options. For more programming tutorials, visit The Coding College and enhance your coding skills!

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