Python MongoDB Get Started

🚀 Getting Started with MongoDB

MongoDB is a popular NoSQL database that stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents. With Python and PyMongo, you can easily work with MongoDB to build powerful applications.


# Install PyMongo
# pip install pymongo

import pymongo

# Connect to MongoDB
client = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
db = client["mydatabase"]
collection = db["customers"]

print("Connected to MongoDB!")

NoSQL

Database

JSON

Documents

Flexible

Schema

What is MongoDB?

📄

Document Database

Stores data in JSON-like documents

# Document example
customer = {
    "name": "John",
    "age": 30,
    "city": "New York"
}

🔄

Flexible Schema

No fixed table structure required

# Different structures OK
user1 = {"name": "Alice", "age": 25}
user2 = {"name": "Bob", "email": "[email protected]"}

⚡

High Performance

Fast queries and scalability

# Fast operations
result = collection.find({"age": {"$gt": 18}})
print(f"Found {result.count()} adults")

🐍

Python Integration

Easy to use with PyMongo

# Simple Python integration
import pymongo
client = pymongo.MongoClient()
db = client.myapp

📦 Installation

Before working with MongoDB in Python, you need to install PyMongo

# Install PyMongo using pip
pip install pymongo

# For additional features (optional)
pip install pymongo[srv]

💡 Prerequisites

Python 3.6 or higher
MongoDB server installed (local or cloud)
Basic Python knowledge

🔌 Connecting to MongoDB

Learn how to establish a connection to your MongoDB database

🔹 Local Connection

import pymongo

# Connect to local MongoDB (default port 27017)
client = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")

# Test the connection
try:
    # Ping the server
    client.admin.command('ping')
    print("✅ Connected to MongoDB successfully!")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"❌ Connection failed: {e}")

# Access a database
db = client["mystore"]
print(f"Using database: {db.name}")

🔹 Cloud Connection (MongoDB Atlas)

# Connect to MongoDB Atlas (cloud)
connection_string = "mongodb+srv://username:[email protected]/"
client = pymongo.MongoClient(connection_string)

# Test cloud connection
try:
    client.admin.command('ping')
    print("✅ Connected to MongoDB Atlas!")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"❌ Atlas connection failed: {e}")

🔹 Connection with Options

# Connection with timeout and other options
client = pymongo.MongoClient(
    "mongodb://localhost:27017/",
    serverSelectionTimeoutMS=5000,  # 5 second timeout
    connectTimeoutMS=10000,         # 10 second connection timeout
    maxPoolSize=50                  # Max 50 connections
)

print("Connected with custom options!")

📚 MongoDB Basic Concepts

Understanding the key concepts in MongoDB

🏗️ MongoDB Structure

Database: Container for collections (like a folder)
Collection: Group of documents (like a table)
Document: Individual record (like a row)
Field: Key-value pair in document (like a column)

# Working with databases and collections
client = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")

# Create/access database
db = client["school"]

# Create/access collection
students = db["students"]

# Example document
student_doc = {
    "_id": 1,
    "name": "Alice Johnson",
    "age": 20,
    "grade": "A",
    "subjects": ["Math", "Science", "English"]
}

print("Database:", db.name)
print("Collection:", students.name)
print("Document example:", student_doc)

🎯 Your First MongoDB Program

Let's create a simple program that connects to MongoDB and performs basic operations

import pymongo
from datetime import datetime

def main():
    # Connect to MongoDB
    client = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
    
    # Create database and collection
    db = client["tutorial"]
    users = db["users"]
    
    # Insert a sample user
    user = {
        "name": "John Doe",
        "email": "[email protected]",
        "age": 28,
        "created_at": datetime.now()
    }
    
    # Insert the document
    result = users.insert_one(user)
    print(f"✅ User inserted with ID: {result.inserted_id}")
    
    # Find the user
    found_user = users.find_one({"name": "John Doe"})
    print(f"📄 Found user: {found_user['name']}")
    
    # Count documents
    count = users.count_documents({})
    print(f"📊 Total users: {count}")
    
    # Close connection
    client.close()
    print("🔌 Connection closed")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()