Understanding MongoDB Data Structures

In this chapter, we will begin with a discussion of NoSQL, which is a cornerstone of the MongoDB philosophy. After that, we will cover the core MongoDB data structures: fields, documents, and collections. We relate these structures to the RDBMS concepts of tables, rows, and columns, but clearly spell out the dangers of trying to apply an SQL solution to a MongoDB database. In addition, we discuss core data-modeling considerations when crafting the structure of your documents and collections. Finally, the chapter ends by showing you how to create a database and collection.

The topics that we will cover in this chapter are:

• What is NoSQL?
• Documents, collections, and databases
• Data-modeling considerations
• Creating a MongoDB database and collection