GUI Tools For MongoDB

Introduction

MongoDB has a big disadvantage that it doesn’t provide any GUI style interface for developer. In MongoDB all administration works are done from command line tools such as the mongo shell. If we are using other powerful GUI tools like Visual Studio, Eclipse then it is very difficult or odd to work with a command line without any GUI interface. But there are several third party tools that provide a GUI interface for MongoDB. Some important GUI tools are the following:

• MongoVUE
• MongodbManager
• Robomongo

You can download any GUI tool, but I suggest you to download the “Robomongo” GUI tool, because it is simple in use and also provide more functionality.

Today I will explain how to install “Robomongo” and also explain some important features of “Robomongo”.

Installation of Robomongo

We can install the Robomongo on our machine using some simple steps.

Step 1: Firstlu go to Robomongo’s official website and download the Robomongo Management Tools.



Step 2: Now run the .exe file of Robomongo and start the installation process.



Step 3: Select the installation location for Robomongo.



Step 4: Select the start menu folder for Robomongo shortcuts.



Step 5: Complete the installation process .





I hope Robomongo has been installed successfully.

How to run RoboMongo

Before starting the Robomongo, we require to first run a MongoDB server instance, otherwise RoboMongo will not work.

For this open command prompt and run “mongod” command.



When you run Robomongo first time, it requires a MongoDB connection. So click on “Create” option and generate a MongoDB connection.



After creating a MongoDB connection, now you can connect with this connection and start work with Robomongo.

Features of Robomongo

RoboMongo provide some great features like other GUI tools (i.e. syntax highlight, autocomplete, different views mode). But Robomongo doesn’t stop to execute the "undesired" code. Be careful, as you do with the MongoDB shell.

Let us see some important features of Robomongo.

Show All MongoDB Objects

Robomongo shows all the database that are present in MongoDB server and also show the list of Collections and function of database. So we can select any database or collection easily and use that.



Multiple Shell

We can open as many shell as we need, each tab in Robomongo contain a MongoDB shell and all the shells are fully isolated to each other. Press “Ctrl + T” to open a new tab.



Auto complete

Robomongo provide autocomplete for all objects that are known by JavaScipt runtime. Robomongo also provide autocomplete for database, collection, and documents objects.



Default View Mode

Robomongo provide the following three Views mode ( tree mode, table mode, text mode ) for documents that makes easy to read and understand any document.

• Tree Mode:
  
  
  
  
• Table Mode:
  
  
  
  
• Text Mode:
  
  
  

Easy to Execute

In Robomongo we can execute command pressing “Ctrl +Enter”. We can execute all the queries that are written in shell or select any specific command.

If we use multiple commands, then Robomongo show result of each command in vertical orientation, but we can toggle result from vertical to horizontal or vice versa using “F10” key.

• Vertical Orientation
  
  
  
  
• Horizontal Orientation
  
  

Edit Document Directly

In Robomongo we can edit any document directly , we don’t require to use the “update” command. So Robomongo provide easy and very fast method to edit any document. To edit any document just right click on the document and select “Edit document” option.

Select “Edit Document” Option.



Edit Document:





Save or Open Script

Robomongo provide a great feature that we can save all the commands of current open shell as JavaScript file and further use this JavaScript file and execute all the commands that are written in JavaScript file.

Save Script:

Either press “Ctrl+S” or use Toolbar to save the script.



When we check this JavaScript file that all the commands of Shell are present in this file.



Open Script:

In same way either use “Ctrl +O” or use Toolbar to open a script.

Today we learned how to install Robomongo on system and read some features of Robomongo. If you are a beginner in MongoDB, then I suggest you to use the command line tool MongoDB because it will develop your command on programming. If we use any GUI tool in starting then we can’t understand programming concept in an efficient way. So first learn the basics of MongoDb command and after that use any GUI tool.

Thanks for reading this article.