Using Python and MongoDB for Absolute Beginners

Python can be used in database applications. One of the most popular NoSQL databases is MongoDB. MongoDB stores data in JSON-like documents, which makes the database very flexible and scalable. In this article, I hope to teach you the fundamentals of MongoDB in Python.

Getting Started

Python needs a MongoDB driver to access the MongoDB database. We recommend that you use PIP to install “PyMongo.” PIP is most likely already installed in your Python environment.

C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python36-32\Scripts>python -m pip install pymongo

To test if your PyMongo has been installed successfully, run the following line of code:

import pymongo

If the above code was executed with no errors, “pymongo” is installed and ready.

Creating a Database

To create a database in MongoDB, start by creating a MongoClient object, then specify a connection URL with the correct IP address and the name of the database you want to create.

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]

Check if a Database Exists

dblist = myclient.list_database_names()
if "mydatabase" in dblist:
  print("The database exists.")

Creating a Collection

To create a collection in MongoDB, use the database object, and specify the name of the collection you want to create.

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["users"]

Check if a Collection Exists

You can check if a collection exists in a database by listing all collections:

collist = mydb.list_collection_names()
if "customers" in collist:
  print("The collection exists.")

Insert

To insert a record or document (as it is called in MongoDB) into a collection, we use the ‘insert_one()’ method.

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["users"]
mydict = { "username": "bryan.dijkhuizen", "password": "********" }
x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)

The ‘insert_one’ method returns a value (the result of the insert). So if you want to retrieve the ID of your recently added user:

import pymongo

myclient = pymongo.MongoClient("mongodb://localhost:27017/")
mydb = myclient["mydatabase"]
mycol = mydb["users"]
mydict = { "username": "bryan.dijkhuizen", "password": "********" }
x = mycol.insert_one(mydict)print(x.inserted_id)

#database #programming #python #mongodb #developer