Connecting with MongoDB & Mongoose

Connecting to MongoDB using Mongoose in a Node.js application is a common task when working with data-driven applications. Mongoose is an Object Data Modeling (ODM) library for MongoDB and Node.js, providing a straightforward way to model your data, manage relationships, and perform schema validation. This detailed guide will walk you through the entire process of setting up a Node.js project, connecting to a MongoDB database, and performing basic CRUD operations using Mongoose.

Prerequisites

Before we start, ensure you have the following installed on your system:

1. Node.js: Download and install from Node.js official site.

2. MongoDB: Download and install from MongoDB official site.

3. MongoDB Atlas (optional): If you prefer using a cloud-based MongoDB service, sign up at MongoDB Atlas.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Node.js Project

1. Create a project directory:

   mkdir mongoose-nodejs-tutorial
   cd mongoose-nodejs-tutorial

2. Initialize a new Node.js project:

   npm init -y

3. Install necessary packages:

   • Express: A web application framework for Node.js.

   • Mongoose: An ODM for MongoDB.

   npm install express mongoose

Step 2: Connecting to MongoDB

Using a Local MongoDB Instance

1. Start your MongoDB server:

   mongod

2. Create a new file app.js in your project directory:

   const express = require('express');
   const mongoose = require('mongoose');
   
   const app = express();
   const port = 3000;
   
   // Replace with your MongoDB URI
   const mongoURI = 'mongodb://localhost:27017/mongoose_tutorial';
   
   mongoose.connect(mongoURI, {
     useNewUrlParser: true,
     useUnifiedTopology: true
   }).then(() => {
     console.log('Connected to MongoDB');
   }).catch(err => {
     console.error('Error connecting to MongoDB', err);
   });
   
   app.get('/', (req, res) => {
     res.send('Hello World!');
   });
   
   app.listen(port, () => {
     console.log(`Server is running on http://localhost:${port}`);
   });

Using MongoDB Atlas

1. Set up MongoDB Atlas:

   • Go to MongoDB Atlas and create an account.
   • Create a new cluster and get the connection string.

2. Update the mongoURI in app.js:

   const mongoURI = 'your_atlas_connection_string';

Step 3: Defining a Mongoose Schema and Model

Create a new directory models and add a file User.js:

const mongoose = require('mongoose');

const userSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
  name: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
  },
  email: {
    type: String,
    required: true,
    unique: true,
  },
  age: {
    type: Number,
    required: true,
  }
});

const User = mongoose.model('User', userSchema);

module.exports = User;

Step 4: CRUD Operations

Create (Insert) a User

Update app.js to include a route for creating users:

const User = require('./models/User');
app.use(express.json()); // For parsing application/json

app.post('/users', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const user = new User(req.body);
    await user.save();
    res.status(201).send(user);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(400).send(error);
  }
});

Read (Fetch) Users

Add a route to get all users:

app.get('/users', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const users = await User.find();
    res.status(200).send(users);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send(error);
  }
});

Update a User

Add a route to update a user by ID:

app.patch('/users/:id', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const user = await User.findByIdAndUpdate(req.params.id, req.body, { new: true, runValidators: true });
    if (!user) {
      return res.status(404).send();
    }
    res.send(user);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(400).send(error);
  }
});

Delete a User

Add a route to delete a user by ID:

app.delete('/users/:id', async (req, res) => {
  try {
    const user = await User.findByIdAndDelete(req.params.id);
    if (!user) {
      return res.status(404).send();
    }
    res.send(user);
  } catch (error) {
    res.status(500).send(error);
  }
});

Step 5: Running the Application

1. Start your Node.js server:

   node app.js

2. Test your API:

   • Use tools like Postman to test the endpoints (POST /users, GET /users, PATCH /users/:id, DELETE /users/:id).

Congratulations! You have successfully set up a Node.js application, connected it to MongoDB using Mongoose, and implemented basic CRUD operations. This setup forms a solid foundation for building more complex applications with robust data management capabilities.