Node.js MongoDB: Insert Data

Welcome to The Coding College! This tutorial will teach you how to insert data into a MongoDB collection using Node.js. MongoDB’s flexibility allows you to store documents without the need for predefined schemas, making it a great fit for modern applications.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following setup before proceeding:

  1. MongoDB Installed: Download MongoDB.
  2. Node.js Installed: Download Node.js.
  3. MongoDB Driver Installed: Install it with: npm install mongodb

Step 1: Establish a Connection to MongoDB

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

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

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

// Database and Collection Names
const dbName = 'myNewDatabase';
const collectionName = 'users';

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

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

    // Insert a single document
    const user = { name: 'John Doe', email: '[email protected]', age: 30 };
    const result = await collection.insertOne(user);
    console.log('Document inserted with ID:', result.insertedId);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Error inserting data:', err.message);
  } finally {
    // Close the connection
    await client.close();
    console.log('Connection closed.');
  }
}

insertData();

Step 2: Insert Multiple Documents

To insert multiple documents, use the insertMany() method:

async function insertMultipleDocuments() {
  try {
    await client.connect();
    const db = client.db(dbName);
    const collection = db.collection(collectionName);

    const users = [
      { name: 'Alice', email: '[email protected]', age: 25 },
      { name: 'Bob', email: '[email protected]', age: 28 },
      { name: 'Charlie', email: '[email protected]', age: 35 },
    ];

    const result = await collection.insertMany(users);
    console.log(`${result.insertedCount} documents inserted.`);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error('Error:', err.message);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

insertMultipleDocuments();

Step 3: Run the Script

Run your script using Node.js:

node insertData.js

Output

For single document insertion:

Connected to MongoDB server.
Document inserted with ID: 64c12345abcd6789ef123456
Connection closed.

For multiple document insertion:

Connected to MongoDB server.
3 documents inserted.
Connection closed.

Step 4: Verify Data

  1. Open MongoDB Shell or MongoDB Compass.
  2. Query the users collection: db.users.find().pretty() You should see the inserted data displayed.

Best Practices

  1. Validation: Use validation rules in MongoDB to ensure data consistency.
  2. Indexes: Add indexes to frequently queried fields for performance optimization.
  3. Error Handling: Always handle errors gracefully in your application.
  4. Environment Variables: Use .env files for sensitive information like connection URLs.

Example Code for Reusability

To make your insertion script reusable, modularize the database connection logic:

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

const connectToDatabase = async () => {
  const url = 'mongodb://localhost:27017';
  const client = new MongoClient(url);
  await client.connect();
  return client;
};

module.exports = connectToDatabase;

Use it in your main script:

const connectToDatabase = require('./connectToDatabase');

async function insertData() {
  const client = await connectToDatabase();
  try {
    const db = client.db('myNewDatabase');
    const collection = db.collection('users');
    const user = { name: 'John Doe', email: '[email protected]', age: 30 };
    const result = await collection.insertOne(user);
    console.log('Document inserted with ID:', result.insertedId);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

insertData();

Conclusion

Inserting data into MongoDB using Node.js is efficient and simple, thanks to its JSON-like document structure and flexible schema. For more detailed tutorials, check out The Coding College and keep enhancing your skills.

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