Using MongoDB

Overview

In Problem Set 5 and in lab, you will write queries for a MongoDB version of our movie database – one that uses the data model outlined in lecture.

Creating the necessary folder

Create a subfolder called ps5 within your cs460 folder, and put all of the files for this assignment in that folder.

Downloading the necessary files

Click on each of the following links, and save the files in your ps5 folder:

• movies.json
• people.json
• oscars.json

If the browser doesn’t allow you to choose where to download the files, right-click each link and use Save link as... or the equivalent option.

Installing the necessary software

Follow the appropriate set of instructions to get everything installed and properly configured:

• on macOS
• on Windows

Creating the database

1. Make sure that you have downloaded the files listed above and installed and configured the software.

2. Launch MongoDB Compass as needed and click on the Connect button to connect to the localhost MongoDB deployment.

3. Click on the Databases tab, and then click Create database.

4. In the window that pops up, enter the following:

   • for Database Name: imdb
   • for Collection Name: movies

   and click Create Database.

5. Choose the imdb database from the list of databases. You should see an empty collection called movies.

6. After choosing the imdb database from the list of databases, click Create collection and create a new collection with the name people.

7. After choosing the imdb database from the list of databases, click Create collection and create a new collection with the name oscars.

8. To add documents to the movies collection:

   • In MongoDB Compass, select the collection from the list of collections for imdb.

   • Scroll down as needed to find the Import Data button and click it (NOT the Add Data one).

   • If needed, click Select a file.... (If you already see a pop-up window, this step isn’t needed.)

   • Choose the JSON file for the collection that you downloaded above (e.g., for movies, the file is called movies.json).

   • Click Import. If needed, click DONE.

   • You should see that the collection now includes the documents that were found in the JSON file.

9. Repeat step 8 to add documents to the oscars and people collections.

Performing queries in MongoDB

Once you have everything installed and configured, you can perform queries by taking the following steps:

1. Launch MongoDB Compass.

2. Click the Connect button to connect to the MongoDB server that should be running on localhost.

3. Click on the MONGOSH bar at the bottom of the window for MongoDB Compass. Doing so should expand a pane for the MongoDB shell, and should see the following command prompt:

   test>
   

4. Enter the following command from the shell prompt:

   use imdb
   

   Note: You may need to hit the Enter/Return key twice in order for the command to be accepted. Once it is, the shell’s prompt should be changed to the following:

   imdb>
   

5. Enter the appropriate method call for your query.

   Note: You can allow your query to span multiple lines if you use Shift-Return or Shift-Enter at the end of a given line.

6. You should automatically see up to 20 result documents. If there are more than 20 results, you can enter the following command to continue iterating through them:

   it
   

Last updated on November 25, 2024.

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