How to query MongoDB with “like”?

Question

I want to query something with SQL\'s like query:

SELECT * FROM users  WHERE name LIKE \'%m%\'

How to do I achieve the same in

Answer 1

With MongoDB Compass, you need to use the strict mode syntax, as such:

{ "text": { "$regex": "^Foo.*", "$options": "i" } }

(In MongoDB Compass, it's important that you use " instead of ')

Answer 2

It seems that there are reasons for using both the javascript /regex_pattern/ pattern as well as the mongo {'$regex': 'regex_pattern'} pattern. See: MongoBD RegEx Syntax Restrictions

This is not a complete RegEx tutorial, but I was inspired to run these tests after seeing a highly voted ambiguous post above.

> ['abbbb','bbabb','bbbba'].forEach(function(v){db.test_collection.insert({val: v})})

> db.test_collection.find({val: /a/})
{ "val" : "abbbb" }
{ "val" : "bbabb" }
{ "val" : "bbbba" }

> db.test_collection.find({val: /.*a.*/})
{ "val" : "abbbb" }
{ "val" : "bbabb" }
{ "val" : "bbbba" }

> db.test_collection.find({val: /.+a.+/})
{ "val" : "bbabb" }

> db.test_collection.find({val: /^a/})
{ "val" : "abbbb" }

> db.test_collection.find({val: /a$/})
{ "val" : "bbbba" }

> db.test_collection.find({val: {'$regex': 'a$'}})
{ "val" : "bbbba" }

Answer 3

As Mongo shell support regex, that's completely possible.

db.users.findOne({"name" : /.*sometext.*/});

If we want the query to be case-insensitive, we can use "i" option, like shown below:

db.users.findOne({"name" : /.*sometext.*/i});

Answer 4

You have 2 choices:

db.users.find({"name": /string/})

or

db.users.find({"name": {"$regex": "string", "$options": "i"}})

On second one you have more options, like "i" in options to find using case insensitive. And about the "string", you can use like ".string." (%string%), or "string.*" (string%) and ".*string) (%string) for example. You can use regular expression as you want.

Enjoy!

Answer 5

For PHP mongo Like.
I had several issues with php mongo like. i found that concatenating the regex params helps in some situations PHP mongo find field starts with. I figured I would post on here to contribute to the more popular thread

e.g

db()->users->insert(['name' => 'john']);
db()->users->insert(['name' => 'joe']);
db()->users->insert(['name' => 'jason']);

// starts with
$like_var = 'jo';
$prefix = '/^';
$suffix = '/';
$name = $prefix . $like_var . $suffix;
db()->users->find(['name' => array('$regex'=>new MongoRegex($name))]);
output: (joe, john)

// contains
$like_var = 'j';
$prefix = '/';
$suffix = '/';
$name = $prefix . $like_var . $suffix;
db()->users->find(['name' => array('$regex'=>new MongoRegex($name))]);

output: (joe, john, jason)

Answer 6

db.users.insert({name: 'paulo'})
db.users.insert({name: 'patric'})
db.users.insert({name: 'pedro'})

db.users.find({name: /a/})  //like '%a%'

out: paulo, patric

db.users.find({name: /^pa/}) //like 'pa%' 

out: paulo, patric

db.users.find({name: /ro$/}) //like '%ro'

out: pedro