Do you want to export MongoDB to Excel? Do you find it grueling to perform all the work? We’ve got you covered! This blog is aimed at educating you with in-depth knowledge about the various tools and techniques that will help you export MongoDB data to Excel & CSV formats. Follow our easy step-by-step guide to export your MongoDB documents to the data warehouse/database of your choice in CSV format and perform insightful analysis.
Table of Contents
Introduction To MongoDB
MongoDB is a popular high-performance NoSQL database that enables you to store your data in a non-relational format. MongoDB is known for its scalability, ease of use, reliability & no compulsion for using a fixed schema among all stored documents, giving them the ability to have varying fields (columns).
MongoDB stores its data as objects which are commonly identified as documents. These documents are stored in collections, analogous to how tables work in relational databases.
BSON (Binary JSON) can be used to communicate with the data stored in MongoDB.
Introduction To CSV Files
CSV stands for Comma Separated Values. In layman terms, it is a plain text file containing a list of values. These files are typically used as a medium of exchanging data between multiple applications. They are also known as Character Separated Values or Comma Delimited Files.
CSV files can be used with a majority of spreadsheet applications such as Google Spreadsheets or Microsoft Excel. One feature that sets the CSV files apart from normal sheets, is that it doesn’t allow saving formulas, and only one sheet is allowed per file with restrictions on saving rows, columns, etc.
Complex data is usually taken from an application, it is then converted into the CSV format and loaded onto any other application.
A fully managed, No-code Data Pipeline platform like Hevo Data, helps you export data from MongoDB (among 100+ Sources) to your desired destination in real-time, in an effortless manner. Hevo with its minimal learning curve can be set up in a matter of minutes making the users ready to export MongoDB documents without compromising performance. Its strong integration with various sources such as databases, files, analytics engine, etc gives users the flexibility to bring in data of all different kinds in a way that’s as smooth as possible.
Get started with hevo for freeSalient Features Of Hevo Data:
- Real-Time Data Export: Hevo with its strong integration with 100+ sources, allows you to transfer data quickly & efficiently. This ensures efficient utilization of bandwidth on both ends.
- Live Support: The Hevo team is available round the clock to extend exceptional support to its customers through chat, email, and support calls.
- Schema Management: Hevo takes away the tedious task of schema management & automatically detects schema of incoming data and maps it to the destination schema.
- Minimal Learning: Hevo with its simple and interactive UI, is extremely simple for new customers to work on and perform operations.
- Secure: Hevo has a fault-tolerant architecture that ensures that the data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.
- Live Monitoring: Hevo allows you to monitor the data flow so you can check where your data is at a particular point in time.
Prerequisites
- Working knowledge of MongoDB.
- A general idea about the CSV file structure.
- Installing MongoDB tools package in advance.
- MongoDB installed at the host workstation.
2 Easy Methods: Export MongoDB To Excel & CSV
Exporting documents from MongoDB in CSV format can be done in multiple ways as listed below:
Method 1: Using mongoexport
Mongoexport is a command-line utility that is used to export data from a MongoDB instance in a CSV file format. Mongoexport runs directly on the MongoDB command line and not on the Mongo Shell. It can be used in the following way:
mongoexport --collection=<coll> [options]Mongoexport is part of MongoDB’s tools package, which is available through the MongoDB Download Center. The tools package must be installed well in advance so that the command-line can be accessed.
The user must specify the collection they want to export along with an output file name.
Mongoexport helps to export MongoDB to Excel in CSV format in two simple steps:
Step 1: Connecting To A MongoDB Instance
A MongoDB instance running on port “27017”, doesn’t necessarily require a host or port to be specified.
Example query: Here stores represents the database from which sparkle collection is being exported.
mongoexport --collection=sparkle --db=stores --out=sparkle.csva) Specifying the collection that you want to export, can be done in two ways:
--collection=<collection> or -c=<collection>b) Specifying the output file that you want to export to, can similarly be done in two ways:
--out=<output_name> or -o=<output_name>c) Specifying the database you will be exporting from is represented as:
--db=<database_name> or -d=<database_name>Step 2: Commands To Export MongoDB Documents In CSV
To export MongoDB to Excel & CSV format, you have to specify all the fields in your export query that you want, along with the order you want them in.
Example query:
mongoexport --db=customers --collection=info --type=csv --fields=name,address,phone --out=/opt/backups/info.csvThis query exports data from the collection named info which is a part of the database called customers, in the desired CSV format in a file stored as /opt/backups/info.csv.
Name, address, phone
Rahul Batra, Golf Course Gurugram, 98xxxxxxx
Anirudh Behal, Estancia, Guduvanchery, 81xxxxxxxIt is also possible to specify the required fields using a text file, which contains only one field per line. Such a file is usually in the .txt format.
Example file: Here name, address & phone fields are specified in a file called field_name.txt.
Name
Address
PhoneThis method requires using the –fieldFile option while writing the query to mention which text file needs to be looked into for getting the field names.
mongoexport --db=customers --collection=info --type=csv --fieldFile=field_name.txt --out=/opt/backups/info.csvThe output CSV file can be tailored to return only the documents, excluding the field names.
This is possible by including –noHeaderLine option in the export query, this option suppresses the output field to have only the documents.
Example query:
mongoexport --db=customers --collection=info --type=csv --fields=name, address, phone --noHeaderLine --out=/opt/backups/contacts.csvExample output:
Rahul Batra, Golf Course Gurugram, 98xxxxxxx
Anirudh Behal, Estancia, Guduvanchery, 81xxxxxxxThis is how mongoexport can be used to export MongoDB to Excel & CSV format.
Once you have exported the desired collection/document, go to the file location on your system and open it to view the exported data using any spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel.
For more information on the mongoexport syntax and its various operations, you can look into the mongoexport manual.
Method 2: Using Tools Such As Studio 3T
Studio 3T provides the Export Wizard facility, which helps export MongoDB data, query results, and even collections in various formats like CSV. The process begins by establishing a connection with the desired MongoDB instance and then working on the collection and its documents using the Studio 3T wizard.
Using Studio 3T, you can export MongoDB to Excel & CSV formats in 2 steps:
Step 1: Using The Wizard Toolbar
Click on the Export option and then use a right-click to select any database followed by a collection that you want to export.
With Studio 3T, you can export data & simultaneously query in applications like Visual Query Builder, IntelliShell, SQL, etc.
The Export configuration allows to dynamically change the source of export i.e database, connection, etc. You can click on the export source and make changes as required.
The progress of an export process can be monitored using the operations window which is usually found in the bottom left corner of the wizard.
Step 2: Exporting Documents In CSV & Excel
Begin by launching the wizard, and select the source from where you want to export the document.
Select the final export format as CSV.
The Studio 3T Wizard performs a scan of 500 documents by default to find the desired fields from your collection. You can select the full scan option to detect all the fields or manually add fields using the add custom field option.
This will open a new tab called export overview along with a default tab by the name of Export unit#1-CSV.
There are six parts of the Export unit#1-CSV tab:
- Source: Displays the source of the document.
- Select Fields: It is used to add/remove custom fields and then export data.
- Target: Choose between clipboard/file & make sure the file path is defined.
- CSV format: It is used to configure settings like preset, delimit, record separator, etc.
- Other: It is used to configure non-formatting settings such as how to treat null values, column headers, etc.
- Output preview: It will display a preview of the CSV file.
Click on execute to export MongoDB to Excel & CSV format using Studio 3T.
Conclusion
This article teaches you how to export MongoDB documents with ease and answers all your queries regarding mongoexport, Studio 3T. It provides a brief introduction to these methods and their operations to help the users understand them better and use them to export MongoDB documents in the most efficient way possible. It also introduces an alternative method that is Hevo Data, a No-code Data Pipeline, to export MongoDB documents in an effortless and highly secure manner.
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How do you export MongoDB to Excel? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
