MongoDB Data Types and Document Structure

Now that you have MongoDB installed and running, let's dive into the fundamental building blocks of MongoDB: data types and document structure. Understanding these concepts is crucial before we start performing CRUD operations in the next lessons.

Learning Goals:

• Understand MongoDB's document-oriented data model
• Learn all MongoDB data types with practical examples
• Master document structure and field naming conventions
• Recognize valid vs. invalid document patterns

Understanding MongoDB Documents

In MongoDB, data is stored as documents in BSON format (Binary JSON). Think of documents as the equivalent of rows in relational databases, but with much more flexibility.

Example User Document

{
  "_id": ObjectId("507f1f77bcf86cd799439011"),
  "name": "Alice Johnson",
  "age": 28,
  "email": "alice@example.com",
  "isActive": true,
  "hobbies": ["reading", "hiking", "photography"],
  "address": {
    "street": "123 Main St",
    "city": "Springfield",
    "zip": "12345"
  },
  "createdAt": ISODate("2023-10-15T14:30:00Z")
}

tip

Documents are similar to JSON objects but with important enhancements: they support more data types, are stored in binary format for efficiency, and have a maximum size of 16MB.

MongoDB Data Types

Let's explore the most commonly used data types in MongoDB.

Basic Scalar Types

Basic Data Types Example

// String
"Hello MongoDB"

// Number (stores both integers and floating-point)
42
3.14159

// Boolean
true
false

// Null
null

ObjectId and Date Types

Special Types Example

// ObjectId - MongoDB's primary key
ObjectId("507f1f77bcf86cd799439011")

// Date
ISODate("2023-10-15T14:30:00Z")
new Date("2023-10-15")

Array and Embedded Document Types

Complex Types Example

// Array
["mongodb", "express", "react", "node"]

// Embedded Document (sub-document)
{
  "name": "Bob Smith",
  "contact": {
    "phone": "+1234567890",
    "email": "bob@company.com"
  },
  "skills": ["JavaScript", "Python", "Database Design"]
}

Less Common but Important Types

Additional Data Types

// Binary Data
BinData(0, "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQ=")

// Regular Expression
/^mongodb/i

// 32-bit Integer
NumberInt(42)

// 64-bit Integer
NumberLong(9007199254740991)

// Timestamp
Timestamp(1697385600, 1)

Document Structure Best Practices

Field Names and Naming Conventions

Good Field Naming

{
  "_id": ObjectId("507f1f77bcf86cd799439011"),
  "firstName": "John",
  "lastName": "Doe",
  "emailAddress": "john@example.com",
  "dateOfBirth": ISODate("1990-05-15"),
  "isActiveUser": true
}

warning

Avoid using special characters in field names. While MongoDB allows $ and . in some contexts, they have special meaning and can cause unexpected behavior.

Embedded Documents vs. References

Embedded Approach

// Good for one-to-few relationships
{
  "user": "Alice",
  "orders": [
    {
      "orderId": "ORD001",
      "product": "Laptop",
      "quantity": 1,
      "price": 999.99
    },
    {
      "orderId": "ORD002", 
      "product": "Mouse",
      "quantity": 2,
      "price": 25.50
    }
  ]
}

Referenced Approach

// Good for many-to-many relationships
{
  "_id": "USER001",
  "name": "Alice",
  "orderIds": ["ORD001", "ORD002"]
}

// In separate orders collection
{
  "_id": "ORD001",
  "userId": "USER001",
  "product": "Laptop",
  "price": 999.99
}

Working with Documents in Practice

Let's see how these concepts work together in a real-world example:

JavaScript Example

Complete User Document

const userDocument = {
  _id: ObjectId("64a1b2c3d4e5f67890123456"),
  username: "dev_guru",
  profile: {
    firstName: "Sarah",
    lastName: "Chen",
    birthDate: new Date("1992-08-20"),
    avatar: BinData(0, "base64encodedimage")
  },
  preferences: {
    theme: "dark",
    notifications: true,
    language: "en"
  },
  tags: ["developer", "mongodb", "javascript"],
  stats: {
    loginCount: NumberInt(142),
    lastLogin: new Date(),
    score: NumberLong(9999999999)
  },
  createdAt: new Date(),
  updatedAt: new Date()
};

Python Example

Complete User Document

from bson import ObjectId, Binary
from datetime import datetime

user_document = {
    "_id": ObjectId("64a1b2c3d4e5f67890123456"),
    "username": "dev_guru",
    "profile": {
        "firstName": "Sarah",
        "lastName": "Chen", 
        "birthDate": datetime(1992, 8, 20),
        "avatar": Binary(b"binary_image_data")
    },
    "preferences": {
        "theme": "dark",
        "notifications": True,
        "language": "en"
    },
    "tags": ["developer", "mongodb", "javascript"],
    "stats": {
        "loginCount": 142,
        "lastLogin": datetime.now(),
        "score": 9999999999
    },
    "createdAt": datetime.now(),
    "updatedAt": datetime.now()
}

Common Pitfalls

• Field name restrictions: Avoid starting field names with $ or containing . as they have special meaning in MongoDB
• Document size limit: Remember the 16MB maximum document size when designing your schema
• Type consistency: MongoDB is type-sensitive - "42" (string) is different from 42 (number)
• Date handling: Always use proper Date objects rather than strings for dates to enable date queries
• ObjectId generation: Let MongoDB generate _id values unless you have specific needs

Summary

In this lesson, you learned:

• MongoDB stores data as BSON documents with rich data types
• Key data types include String, Number, Boolean, Array, Object, Date, and ObjectId
• Documents can contain embedded documents and arrays for complex data structures
• Field naming follows conventions and has some restrictions
• Understanding document structure is essential for effective MongoDB usage

Show quiz

1. What is the maximum size of a MongoDB document?

   • A) 1MB
   • B) 16MB
   • C) 100MB
   • D) No limit

2. Which data type is used for MongoDB's primary key _id field by default?

   • A) String
   • B) Number
   • C) ObjectId
   • D) UUID

3. What's the main difference between embedded documents and references?

   • A) Embedded documents are faster but have size limits
   • B) References are always better for performance
   • C) Embedded documents can't contain arrays
   • D) References have a 1MB size limit

4. Why should you avoid using $ at the start of field names?

   • A) It's invalid syntax
   • B) MongoDB reserves $ for operators
   • C) It causes documents to be rejected
   • D) It makes queries slower

5. What happens if you store a number as a string like "42" instead of 42?

   • A) MongoDB automatically converts it
   • B) Range queries and mathematical operations won't work as expected
   • C) The document is rejected
   • D) It uses more storage space automatically

---

Answers:

1. B) 16MB
2. C) ObjectId
3. A) Embedded documents are faster but have size limits
4. B) MongoDB reserves $ for operators
5. B) Range queries and mathematical operations won't work as expected