You can update the contents of an existing documents using the update() method or save() method.

The update method modifies the existing document whereas the save method replaces the existing document with the new one.

Syntax

Following is the syntax of the update() and save() methods of MangoDB −

>db.COLLECTION_NAME.update(SELECTION_CRITERIA, UPDATED_DATA)
Or,
db.COLLECTION_NAME.save({_id:ObjectId(),NEW_DATA})

Example

Assume we have created a collection in a database and inserted 3 records in it as shown below −

> use testdatabase
switched to db testdatabase
> data = [
   ... {"_id": "1001", "name": "Ram", "age": "26", "city": "Hyderabad"},
   ... {"_id": "1002", "name" : "Rahim", "age" : 27, "city" : "Bangalore" },
   ... {"_id": "1003", "name" : "Robert", "age" : 28, "city" : "Mumbai" }
]
[
   {
      "_id" : "1001",
      "name" : "Ram",
      "age" : "26",
      "city" : "Hyderabad"
   },
   {
      "_id" : "1002",
      "name" : "Rahim",
      "age" : 27,
      "city" : "Bangalore"
   },
   {
      "_id" : "1003",
      "name" : "Robert",
      "age" : 28,
      "city" : "Mumbai"
   }
]
> db.createCollection("sample")
{ "ok" : 1 }
> db.sample.insert(data)

Following method updates the city value of the document with id 1002.

> db.sample.update({"_id":"1002"},{"$set":{"city":"Visakhapatnam"}})
WriteResult({ "nMatched" : 1, "nUpserted" : 0, "nModified" : 1 })
> db.sample.find()
{ "_id" : "1001", "name" : "Ram", "age" : "26", "city" : "Hyderabad" }
{ "_id" : "1002", "name" : "Rahim", "age" : 27, "city" : "Visakhapatnam" }
{ "_id" : "1003", "name" : "Robert", "age" : 28, "city" : "Mumbai" }

Similarly you can replace the document with new data by saving it with same id using the save() method.

> db.sample.save(
   { "_id" : "1001", "name" : "Ram", "age" : "26", "city" : "Vijayawada" }
)
WriteResult({ "nMatched" : 1, "nUpserted" : 0, "nModified" : 1 })
> db.sample.find()
{ "_id" : "1001", "name" : "Ram", "age" : "26", "city" : "Vijayawada" }
{ "_id" : "1002", "name" : "Rahim", "age" : 27, "city" : "Visakhapatnam" }
{ "_id" : "1003", "name" : "Robert", "age" : 28, "city" : "Mumbai" }

Updating documents using python

Similar to find_one() method which retrieves single document, the update_one() method of pymongo updates a single document.

This method accepts a query specifying which document to update and the update operation.

Example

Following python example updates the location value of a document in a collection.

from pymongo import MongoClient

#Creating a pymongo client
client = MongoClient(''localhost'', 27017)

#Getting the database instance
db = client[''myDB'']

#Creating a collection
coll = db[''example'']

#Inserting document into a collection
data = [
   {"_id": "101", "name": "Ram", "age": "26", "city": "Hyderabad"},
   {"_id": "102", "name": "Rahim", "age": "27", "city": "Bangalore"},
   {"_id": "103", "name": "Robert", "age": "28", "city": "Mumbai"}
]
res = coll.insert_many(data)
print("Data inserted ......")

#Retrieving all the records using the find() method
print("Documents in the collection: ")
for doc1 in coll.find():
print(doc1)
coll.update_one({"_id":"102"},{"$set":{"city":"Visakhapatnam"}})

#Retrieving all the records using the find() method
print("Documents in the collection after update operation: ")

for doc2 in coll.find():
   print(doc2)

Output

Data inserted ......
Documents in the collection:
{''_id'': ''101'', ''name'': ''Ram'', ''age'': ''26'', ''city'': ''Hyderabad''}
{''_id'': ''102'', ''name'': ''Rahim'', ''age'': ''27'', ''city'': ''Bangalore''}
{''_id'': ''103'', ''name'': ''Robert'', ''age'': ''28'', ''city'': ''Mumbai''}
Documents in the collection after update operation:
{''_id'': ''101'', ''name'': ''Ram'', ''age'': ''26'', ''city'': ''Hyderabad''}
{''_id'': ''102'', ''name'': ''Rahim'', ''age'': ''27'', ''city'': ''Visakhapatnam''}
{''_id'': ''103'', ''name'': ''Robert'', ''age'': ''28'', ''city'': ''Mumbai''}

Similarly, the update_many() method of pymongo updates all the documents that satisfies the specified condition.

Example

Following example updates the location value in all the documents in a collection (empty condition) −

from pymongo import MongoClient

#Creating a pymongo client
client = MongoClient(''localhost'', 27017)

#Getting the database instance
db = client[''myDB'']

#Creating a collection
coll = db[''example'']

#Inserting document into a collection
data = [
   {"_id": "101", "name": "Ram", "age": "26", "city": "Hyderabad"},
   {"_id": "102", "name": "Rahim", "age": "27", "city": "Bangalore"},
   {"_id": "103", "name": "Robert", "age": "28", "city": "Mumbai"}
]
res = coll.insert_many(data)
print("Data inserted ......")

#Retrieving all the records using the find() method
print("Documents in the collection: ")
for doc1 in coll.find():
print(doc1)
coll.update_many({},{"$set":{"city":"Visakhapatnam"}})

#Retrieving all the records using the find() method
print("Documents in the collection after update operation: ")

for doc2 in coll.find():
   print(doc2)

Output

Data inserted ......
Documents in the collection:
{''_id'': ''101'', ''name'': ''Ram'', ''age'': ''26'', ''city'': ''Hyderabad''}
{''_id'': ''102'', ''name'': ''Rahim'', ''age'': ''27'', ''city'': ''Bangalore''}
{''_id'': ''103'', ''name'': ''Robert'', ''age'': ''28'', ''city'': ''Mumbai''}
Documents in the collection after update operation:
{''_id'': ''101'', ''name'': ''Ram'', ''age'': ''26'', ''city'': ''Visakhapatnam''}
{''_id'': ''102'', ''name'': ''Rahim'', ''age'': ''27'', ''city'': ''Visakhapatnam''}
{''_id'': ''103'', ''name'': ''Robert'', ''age'': ''28'', ''city'': ''Visakhapatnam''}