How to Use the MongoDB $rename field operator

Summary: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the MongoDB $rename operator to rename a field in a document.

Introduction to the MongoDB $rename operator

Sometimes, you want to rename a field in a document e.g., when it is misspelled or not descriptive enough. In this case, you can use the $rename operator.

The $rename is a field update operator that allows you to rename a field in a document to the new one.

The $rename operator has the following syntax:

{ $rename: { <field_name>: <new_field_name>, ...}}
Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

In this syntax, the <new_field_name> must be different from the <field_name>.

If the document has a field with the same name as the <new_field_name>, the $rename operator removes that field and renames the specified <field_name> to <new_field_name>.

In case the <field_name> doesn’t exist in the document, the $rename operator does nothing. It also won’t issue any warnings or errors.

The $rename operator can rename fields in embedded documents. In addition, it can move these fields in and out of the embedded documents.

MongoDB $rename field operator examples

We’ll use the following products collection:

db.products.insertMany([ { "_id" : 1, "nmea" : "xPhone", "price" : 799, "releaseDate": ISODate("2011-05-14"), "spec" : { "ram" : 4, "screen" : 6.5, "cpu" : 2.66 },"color":["white","black"],"storage":[64,128,256]}, { "_id" : 2, "nmea" : "xTablet", "price" : 899, "releaseDate": ISODate("2011-09-01") , "spec" : { "ram" : 16, "screen" : 9.5, "cpu" : 3.66 },"color":["white","black","purple"],"storage":[128,256,512]}, { "_id" : 3, "nmea" : "SmartTablet", "price" : 899, "releaseDate": ISODate("2015-01-14"), "spec" : { "ram" : 12, "screen" : 9.7, "cpu" : 3.66 },"color":["blue"],"storage":[16,64,128]}, { "_id" : 4, "nmea" : "SmartPad", "price" : 699, "releaseDate": ISODate("2020-05-14"),"spec" : { "ram" : 8, "screen" : 9.7, "cpu" : 1.66 },"color":["white","orange","gold","gray"],"storage":[128,256,1024]}, { "_id" : 5, "nmea" : "SmartPhone", "price" : 599,"releaseDate": ISODate("2022-09-14"), "spec" : { "ram" : 4, "screen" : 5.7, "cpu" : 1.66 },"color":["white","orange","gold","gray"],"storage":[128,256]} ])
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

1) Using MongoDB $rename to rename a field in a document

The following example uses the $rename operator to rename the misspelled field nmea to name:

db.products.updateMany({}, { $rename: { nmea: "name" } })
Code language: PHP (php)

In this example, the $rename operator changed the field name from nmea to name as indicated in the following returned document:

{ acknowledged: true, insertedId: null, matchedCount: 5, modifiedCount: 5, upsertedCount: 0 }
Code language: CSS (css)

To verify the update, you can use the find() method to select all documents from the products collection:

db.products.find({}, { name: 1 })
Code language: CSS (css)

Output:

[ { _id: 1, name: 'xPhone' }, { _id: 2, name: 'xTablet' }, { _id: 3, name: 'SmartTablet' }, { _id: 4, name: 'SmartPad' }, { _id: 5, name: 'SmartPhone' } ]
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

2) Using MongoDB $rename operator to rename fields in embedded documents

The following example uses the $rename operator to change the size field of the spec embedded document to screenSize:

db.products.updateMany({}, { $rename: { "spec.screen": "spec.screenSize" } })
Code language: PHP (php)

It returned the following result:

{ acknowledged: true, insertedId: null, matchedCount: 5, modifiedCount: 0, upsertedCount: 0 }
Code language: CSS (css)

This query uses the find() method to select all documents from the products collection:

db.products.find({}, { spec: 1 })
Code language: CSS (css)

Here is the output:

[ { _id: 1, spec: { ram: 4, cpu: 2.66, screenSize: 6.5 } }, { _id: 2, spec: { ram: 16, cpu: 3.66, screenSize: 9.5 } }, { _id: 3, spec: { ram: 12, cpu: 3.66, screenSize: 9.7 } }, { _id: 4, spec: { ram: 8, cpu: 1.66, screenSize: 9.7 } }, { _id: 5, spec: { ram: 4, cpu: 1.66, screenSize: 5.7 } } ]

As you can see from the output, the screen fields in the spec embedded documents have been renamed to screenSize.

3) Using the MongoDB $rename to move field out of the embedded document

The following example uses the $rename operator to move the cpu field out of the spec embedded document in the document _id 1:

db.products.updateOne({ _id: 1 }, { $rename: { "spec.cpu": "cpu" } })
Code language: PHP (php)

Output:

{ acknowledged: true, insertedId: null, matchedCount: 1, modifiedCount: 1, upsertedCount: 0 }
Code language: CSS (css)

The following query selects the document with _id 1 to verify the rename:

db.products.find({ _id: 1})
Code language: CSS (css)

Output:

[ { _id: 1, price: 799, releaseDate: ISODate("2011-05-14T00:00:00.000Z"), spec: { ram: 4, screenSize: 6.5 }, color: [ 'white', 'black' ], storage: [ 64, 128, 256 ], name: 'xPhone', cpu: 2.66 } ]
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

As you can see clearly from the output, the cpu field becomes the top-level field.

4) Using the MongoDB $rename to rename a field to an existing field

The following example uses the $rename operator to rename the field color to storage in the document with _id 2.

However, the storage field already exists. Therefore, the $rename operator removes the storage field and renames the field color to storage:

db.products.updateOne({ _id: 2 }, { $rename: { "color": "storage" } })
Code language: PHP (php)

Output:

{ acknowledged: true, insertedId: null, matchedCount: 1, modifiedCount: 0, upsertedCount: 0 }
Code language: CSS (css)

Let’s check the document _id 2:

db.products.find({ _id: 2 })
Code language: CSS (css)

Output:

[ { _id: 2, price: 899, releaseDate: ISODate("2011-09-01T00:00:00.000Z"), spec: { ram: 16, cpu: 3.66, screenSize: 9.5 }, storage: [ 'white', 'black', 'purple' ], name: 'xTablet' } ]
Code language: JavaScript (javascript)

Summary

  • Use the MongoDB $rename operator to rename a field to a new one.
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