Skip to main content
Version: 2.x(alpha)

SurrealDB for MongoDB developers

Quickly learn how to map your MongoDB knowledge to corresponding SurrealDB concepts and syntax.

Introduction

As a multi-model database, SurrealDB offers a lot of flexibility. Our SQL-like query language SurrealQL is a good example of this, where we often have more than one way to achieve the same result, depending on developer preference. In this mapping guide, we will focus on the syntax that most closely resembles the MongoDB query language (MQL).

Concepts mapping

For more in-depth explanations of SurrealDB concepts, see the concepts page.

MongoDBSurrealDB

database

database

collection

table

document

record

field

field

index

index

Objectid

record id

transactions

transactions

reference and embedding

record links, embedding and graph relations

Syntax mapping

Let's get you up to speed with SurrealQL syntax with some CRUD examples.

Create

As MongoDB is schemaless, only the SurrealQL schemaless approach is shown below. For a schemafull option see the define table page.

For more SurrealQL examples, see the create and insert pages.

MQLSurrealQL

db.createCollection("person")

CREATE person

db.person.insertMany([ name: "John", name: "Jane", ])

INSERT INTO person [ name: "John", name: "Jane" ]

db.person.createIndex(name: 1)

DEFINE INDEX idx_name ON TABLE person COLUMNS name

Read

For more SurrealQL examples, see the select, live select and return pages.

MQLSurrealQL

db.person.find()

SELECT * FROM person

db.person.find( , _id: 0, name: 1 )

SELECT name FROM person

db.person.find( name: "Jane", _id: 0, name: 1 )

SELECT name FROM person WHERE name = "Jane"

db.person.aggregate([ $group: { _id : "$name" } ])

SELECT name FROM person WHERE name = "Jane" EXPLAIN

db.person.aggregate([ $count: "personCount" ])

SELECT count() AS person_count FROM person GROUP ALL

db.person.find( name: "Jane", _id: 0, name: 1 )

SELECT array::distinct(name) FROM person GROUP ALL

db.person.find( name: "Jane", _id: 0, name: 1 )

SELECT name FROM person WHERE name = "Jane"

db.person.find().limit(10)

SELECT * FROM person LIMIT 10

db.review.aggregate([ "$lookup": { "from": "person", "localField": "person", "foreignField": "_id", "as": "person_detail" } ])

SELECT *, person.name as reviewer FROM review

Update

For more SurrealQL examples, see the update page.

MQLSurrealQL

db.person.updateMany( name: "Jane" , $set: { last_name: "Doe" } )

UPDATE person SET last_name = "Doe" WHERE name = "Jane"

db.person.updateMany( name: "Jane" , $unset: { last_name: 1 } )

UPDATE person UNSET last_name WHERE name = "Jane"

Delete

For more SurrealQL examples, see the delete and remove pages.

MQLSurrealQL

db.person.deleteMany( name: "Jane" )

DELETE person WHERE name = "Jane"

db.person.deleteMany()

DELETE person

db.person.drop()

REMOVE TABLE person