MongoDB is an open source NoSQL database that provides support for different forms of data. It is a document-oriented database that focuses on flexibility and scalability. In the context of NodeJS and building APIs, MongoDB can be a valuable tool for storing and manipulating data.
What is MongoDB?
To understand MongoDB, it's helpful to first understand what a NoSQL database is. NoSQL is a term that encompasses a variety of database technologies that were developed to handle data storage demands that traditional relational databases cannot meet. NoSQL databases are especially useful for working with large distributed datasets, as they are designed to scale simply and efficiently.
MongoDB is one such NoSQL database. It is document-oriented, which means that data is stored in documents similar to JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), a popular way of representing structured data. This makes MongoDB particularly suited to working with NodeJS, which is built on JavaScript.
Why use MongoDB?
One of the main benefits of MongoDB is its flexibility. Unlike relational databases, which require you to define a schema before inserting data, MongoDB allows you to insert data without a defined schema. This means you can change the structure of your data as needed without having to make significant changes to your codebase.
Also, because MongoDB is document-oriented, it is capable of storing complex, hierarchical data in a way that is easy to understand and work with. This can be especially useful when building APIs, where you may need to deal with a variety of different data types.
Finally, MongoDB is highly scalable. It is designed to run on multiple machines, making it ideal for applications that need to handle large volumes of data. In addition, MongoDB also provides a number of features to ensure data availability, such as replicas and sharding.
How does MongoDB work?
In MongoDB, data is stored in documents. Each document is a data structure consisting of pairs of fields and values. Documents are similar to JSON objects in format and structure, making them intuitive for developers who are familiar with JavaScript.
Documents are grouped into collections. A collection is a group of documents that are stored together in MongoDB. You can think of a collection as being similar to a table in a relational database, with the key difference being that in a MongoDB collection, the documents don't have to have the same structure.
To interact with data stored in a MongoDB, you can use a variety of CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete). MongoDB provides a rich query API that allows you to run a variety of different types of queries on your data.
Conclusion
MongoDB is a powerful and flexible database that is an excellent choice for many different applications. Its document orientation, scalability, and flexibility make it an excellent choice for working with NodeJS and for building APIs. In the next chapter, we'll explore how you can start using MongoDB in your own projects.
