Node.js MongoDB Sort

Sorting in MongoDB helps you organize query results based on specific fields in ascending or descending order. Using Node.js and the mongodb driver, you can easily apply sorting to optimize the presentation of data.

 

Key Features of MongoDB Sort

1. Ascending and Descending Order: Sort results using 1 for ascending and -1 for descending.
2. Multiple Fields: Sort by multiple fields with priority order.
3. Efficient Sorting: MongoDB optimizes sorting with indexed fields.

 

Step 1 Prerequisites

Ensure that MongoDB is installed and running, and the mongodb package is installed in your project.

npm install mongodb

Step 2 Basic Sorting

Sort documents based on a single field.

Example Code

const { MongoClient } = require('mongodb');

// Connection URL and Database Name
const url = 'mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017';
const dbName = 'mydatabase';

async function sortExample() {
  const client = new MongoClient(url);

  try {
    await client.connect();
    const db = client.db(dbName);
    const collection = db.collection('users');

    // Sort by age in ascending order
    const result = await collection.find().sort({ age: 1 }).toArray();
    console.log('Sorted by Age (Ascending):', result);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

sortExample().catch(console.error);

Output:

[
  { "_id": 1, "name": "Alice", "age": 25 },
  { "_id": 2, "name": "Bob", "age": 30 },
  { "_id": 3, "name": "Charlie", "age": 35 }
]

Step 3 Descending Sorting

Sort documents in descending order.

Example Code

async function sortDescending() {
  const client = new MongoClient(url);

  try {
    await client.connect();
    const db = client.db(dbName);
    const collection = db.collection('users');

    // Sort by age in descending order
    const result = await collection.find().sort({ age: -1 }).toArray();
    console.log('Sorted by Age (Descending):', result);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

sortDescending().catch(console.error);

Output:

[
  { "_id": 3, "name": "Charlie", "age": 35 },
  { "_id": 2, "name": "Bob", "age": 30 },
  { "_id": 1, "name": "Alice", "age": 25 }
]

Step 4 Sorting by Multiple Fields

Apply sorting on multiple fields with priority.

Example Code

async function sortByMultipleFields() {
  const client = new MongoClient(url);

  try {
    await client.connect();
    const db = client.db(dbName);
    const collection = db.collection('users');

    // Sort by age (ascending), then name (descending)
    const result = await collection.find().sort({ age: 1, name: -1 }).toArray();
    console.log('Sorted by Age (Ascending) and Name (Descending):', result);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

sortByMultipleFields().catch(console.error);

Output:

[
  { "_id": 1, "name": "Alice", "age": 25 },
  { "_id": 2, "name": "Bob", "age": 30 },
  { "_id": 3, "name": "Charlie", "age": 35 }
]

Step 5 Limit and Sort Combined

Sort the results and limit the number of documents returned.

Example Code

async function sortAndLimit() {
  const client = new MongoClient(url);

  try {
    await client.connect();
    const db = client.db(dbName);
    const collection = db.collection('users');

    // Sort by age in descending order and limit to top 2
    const result = await collection.find().sort({ age: -1 }).limit(2).toArray();
    console.log('Top 2 Users by Age:', result);
  } finally {
    await client.close();
  }
}

sortAndLimit().catch(console.error);

Output:

[
  { "_id": 3, "name": "Charlie", "age": 35 },
  { "_id": 2, "name": "Bob", "age": 30 }
]

 

Summary

Sorting in MongoDB using Node.js is a straightforward process that enhances data organization. You can sort by single or multiple fields, and combine sorting with limiting or filtering for more refined queries. This flexibility makes it easy to display data in a user-friendly manner.