Node.js MongoDB Insert Document

In this Node.js tutorial, we will use the insertOne() and insertMany() methods separately, and through examples, learn how to insert one or more documents into a MongoDB Collection from a Node.js application.

The following is a step-by-step guide with an example showing how to insert a document from a Node.js application into a MongoDB Collection.

Start the MongoDB service. Run the following command to start the MongoDB service

sudo service mongod start

Get the basic URL of the MongoDB service. A simple trick to find out the basic URL of the MongoDB service is to open the terminal and run the Mongo Shell.

Terminal - Mongo Shell

arjun@nodejs:~$ mongo
MongoDB shell version v3.4.9
connecting to: mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017
MongoDB server version:　3.4.9
Server has startup warnings:　
2017-10-29T18:15:36.110+0530 I STORAGE [initandlisten]

When the Mongo Shell starts, it echoes the basic URL of MongoDB.

mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017

Prepare the complete URL. Attach the name of the database you want to connect to (for example, newdb) to the basic URL.

mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/newdb

Create a MongoClient.

var MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;

Connect to the MongoDB server with the help of the URL.

MongoClient.connect(url, <callback_function>);

Once the MongoClient attempts to establish a connection, the callback function will receive the error and db object as parameters.

If the connection is successful, the db object points to the database newdb.

Insert the document into the specified MongoDB collection. The syntax for the insertOne() and insertMany() methods used to insert a document into a collection in MongoDB from Node.js is as follows.

insertOne()

db.collection(<collection_name>).insertOne(<document>, <callback_function>)

insertMany()

db.collection(<collection_name>).insertMany(<documents_array>, <callback_function>)

　Parameter Description:

• <collection_name>　 -　 The name of the new MongoDB collection we want to create
  

• <document> -　　 Single document to be inserted into the MongoDB Collection

• <document_array>　 -　 Document array to be inserted into the MongoDB Collection

• <callback_function>　　 - After Node attempts to create a collection and prepare the result, this Node.js callback function will be called. The callback function receives an error and a result object as parameters.

insertOne() - Example Node.js Program

　//　We create the "users" collection in the newdb database
var url = "mongodb://localhost:27017/newdb";　
　
//　Create a client to mongodb
var MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;　
　
//　Make the client connect to the mongo service
MongoClient.connect(url, function(err, db) {　
　　　　if (err) throw err;　
　　　　//　db points to newdb
　　　　console.log("Switched to ",+db.databaseName+"　database");}}　
　
　　　　//　File to be inserted
　　　　var doc = { name: "Roshan", age: "22};　
　　　　
　　　　//　Use insertOne to insert the document into the "users" collection
　　　　db.collection("users").insertOne(doc, function(err, res) {　
　　　　　　　　if (err) throw err;　
　　　　　　　　console.log("Document inserted");　
　　　　　　　　//　Close the connection with db after completion
　　　　　　　　db.close();　
　　　　});　
　});

Output Result

$　node　node-js-mongodb-insert-document.js
Switched to newdb database
Document inserted

Mongo Shell

> use newdb
switched to db newdb
> show collections
users
>　db.users.find({});
{"_id"　:　ObjectId("5a127729a415612642e3d6ad"),　"name"　:　"Roshan",　"age"　:　"22"　}
>

insertMany() - Example Node.js Program

　//　We create the "users" collection in the newdb database
var url = "mongodb://localhost:27017/newdb";　
　
//　Create a client to mongodb
var MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;　
　
//　Make the client connect to the mongo service
MongoClient.connect(url, function(err, db) {　
　　　　if (err) throw err;　
　　　　//　db points to newdb
　　　　console.log("Switched to ",+db.databaseName+"　database");}}　
　
　　　　//　File to be inserted
　　　　var docs = [{ "name": "Udat", "age": "21"　},　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　{"name": "Karthik", "age": "24"　},　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　{"name": "Anil", "age": "23"　}];　
　　　　
　　　　//　Insert multiple documents into the "users" collection using insertOne
　　　　db.collection("users").insertMany(docs, function(err, res) {　
　　　　　　　　if (err) throw err;　
　　　　　　　　console.log(res.insertedCount+"　documents inserted");　
　　　　　　　　//　Close the connection with db after completion
　　　　　　　　db.close();　
　　　　});　
　});

Output Result

$　node　node-js-mongodb-insert-many-documents.js
Switched to newdb database
3　documents inserted

Mongo Shell

>　db.users.find({});
{"_id"　:　ObjectId("5a127729a415612642e3d6ad"),　"name"　:　"Roshan",　"age"　:　"22"　}
{"_id"　:　ObjectId("5a1278efecc5062794f4ed8d"),　"name"　:　"Udat",　"age"　:　"21"　}
{"_id"　:　ObjectId("5a1278efecc5062794f4ed8e"),　"name"　:　"Karthik",　"age"　:　"24"　}
{"_id"　:　ObjectId("5a1278efecc5062794f4ed8f"),　"name"　:　"Anil",　"age"　:　"23"　}
>

The first entry comes from the first example, and the other three have been inserted with this example.