Node.js - Create Collection in MongoDB

Contents

Node.js – Create Collection in MongoDB
1. Example Node.js program
2. Reference

Node.js – Create Collection in MongoDB

In this Node.js Tutorial, we shall learn to Create Collection in MongoDB Database from Node.js Application, using db.createCollection() method, with an example.

Following is a step by step guide with an example to create a collection in MongoDB from Node.js Application.

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

sudo service mongod start

Get the base URL to MongoDB Service. A simple hack to know the base url of MongoDB Service is to Open a Terminal and run 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]

While the Mongo Shell starts up, it echoes back the base url of MongoDB.

mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017

Prepare the complete URL. Append the Database name you want to connect to (say newdb), to the base URL.

mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/newdb
Create a MongoClient.

var MongoClient = require('mongodb').MongoClient;
Make connection from MongoClient to the MongoDB Server with the help of URL.

MongoClient.connect(url, <callback_function>);

Once the MongoClient is done trying to make a connection, the callback function receives error and db object as arguments.
If the connection is successful, the db object points to the database, newdb.

Create a MongoDB Collection in the database. Following is the syntax of createCollection() method used to create collection in MongoDB from Node.js.

db.createCollection(<collection_name>, <callback_function>)

collection_name	Name of the new MongoDB Collection, that we would like to create
callback_function	This Node.js Callback Function is called after Node has tried creating a collection, and ready with the result. The callback function receives error and result object as arguments.

Example Node.js program

// we create 'users' collection in newdb database

var url = "mongodb://localhost:27017/newdb";

// create a client to mongodb

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

// make client connect to mongo service

MongoClient.connect(url, function(err, db) {

if (err) throw err;

// db pointing to newdb

console.log("Switched to "+db.databaseName+" database");

// create 'users' collection in newdb database

db.createCollection("users", function(err, result) {

if (err) throw err;

console.log("Collection is created!");

// close the connection to db when you are done with it

db.close();

});

arjun@tutorialkart:~/workspace/nodejs/mongodb$ node node-js-mongodb-create-collection.js

Switched to newdb database

Collection is created!

Reference

MongoDB Tutorial – Learn MongoDB from basics with Examples.

Conclusion :

In this Node.js MongoDB tutorial : Node.js – Create Collection in MongoDB, we have learnt to create a collection in a database from Node.js Application using mongodb package. In our next tutorial – Node.js MongoDB Delete Collection, we shall learn to delete the collection, or you may skip to Node.js Insert Document(s) to MongoDB Collection.

Node.js – Create Collection in MongoDB – Example