Is there a way to access mongodb node.js driver functionality while still using mongoose for schema definition? - node.js

Question

What I am really trying to do is to make indexes for filtering and string matching of documents based on their property values.
I know that mongodb has built in operators such as $text that are very helpful with this sort of functionality.
I'm not sure how to access these operators while using mongoose, or if there are any methods i need to use to access them.
I want to use mongoose to still define schema and models but need the functionality of native mongodb.
Is this possible?

Answer 1

Below are my views, Please add if I miss anything or if something needs to be modified or well-explained :
1. You will still be able to use mongoDB's native functionalities on using Mongoose models.
2. Mongoose is a kind of wrapper on top of native mongoDB-driver.
3. It would be very useful if you want to have schema based collections/data.
4. Additionally it would provide few more features than native mongoDB's driver. You might see few syntax differences between those two.
5. Few examples like `.findByIdAndUpdate()` & `.populate()` are mongoose specific, which has equivalent functionalities available in mongoDB driver/mongoDB as well.
6. In general it's quiet common to define mongoose models and use those over mongoDB's functionality in coding(As in node.js - You would write all of your same DB queries on Mongoose models, queries that you execute in DB).
Point 2 :
Mongoose is an object document modeling (ODM) layer that sits on top of Node's MongoDB driver. If your coming from SQL, it's similar to an ORM for a relational database.
Point 3 :
In code if you're using mongoose models to implement your write queries, unless you define a field in model - it wouldn't be added to DB though you pass it in request. Additionally you can do multiple things like making a field unique/required etc.. it's kind of making your mongoDB data look like schema based. If your collections data is more like random data(newsfeed kind of thing where fields are not same for each document & you can't predict data) then you might not care of using mongoose.
Point 6 :
Let's say you use mongo shell or a client like mongo compass/robo3T and execute a query that's like this :
db.getCollection('yourCollection').find(
{
$text: {
$search: 'employeeName',
$diacriticSensitive: false
},
country: 'usa'
},
{
employee_id: 1,
name: 1
}
).sort({ score: { $meta: 'textScore' } });
you would do same on mongoose model(As yourCollectionModel is already defined) :
yourCollectionModel.find(
{
$text: {
$search: 'employeeName',
$diacriticSensitive: false
},
country: 'usa'
},
{
employee_id: 1,
name: 1
}
).sort({ score: { $meta: 'textScore' } });
You would see key functionality difference more on writes rather than reads while using mongoose, though all the above is not about performance - If you ask me, I can say you might see much performance gains using mongoose.
Ref : Mongoose Vs MongoDB Driver