db.collection.findOneAndDelete()¶

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Definition
Behavior

Definition¶

db.collection.findOneAndDelete(filter, options)¶

mongo Shell Method

This page documents the mongo shell method, and does not refer to the MongoDB Node.js driver (or any other driver) method. For corresponding MongoDB driver API, refer to your specific MongoDB driver documentation instead.

New in version 3.2.

Deletes a single document based on the filter and sort criteria, returning the deleted document.

The findOneAndDelete() method has the following form:

copy

db.collection.findOneAndDelete(
   <filter>,
   {
     projection: <document>,
     sort: <document>,
     maxTimeMS: <number>,
     collation: <document>
   }
)

The findOneAndDelete() method takes the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
`filter`	document	The selection criteria for the deletion. The same query selectors as in the `find()` method are available. Specify an empty document `{ }` to delete the first document returned in the collection. If unspecified, defaults to an empty document. Starting in MongoDB 4.2 (and 4.0.12+, 3.6.14+, and 3.4.23+), the operation errors if the query argument is not a document.
`projection`	document	Optional. A subset of fields to return. To return all fields in the returned document, omit this parameter. Starting in MongoDB 4.2 (and 4.0.12+, 3.6.14+, and 3.4.23+), the operation errors if the projection argument is not a document.
`sort`	document	Optional. Specifies a sorting order for the documents matched by the `filter`. Starting in MongoDB 4.2 (and 4.0.12+, 3.6.14+, and 3.4.23+), the operation errors if the sort argument is not a document. See `cursor.sort()`.
`maxTimeMS`	number	Optional. Specifies a time limit in milliseconds within which the operation must complete within. Throws an error if the limit is exceeded.
`collation`	document	Optional. Specifies the collation to use for the operation. Collation allows users to specify language-specific rules for string comparison, such as rules for lettercase and accent marks. The collation option has the following syntax: copy collation: { locale: <string>, caseLevel: <boolean>, caseFirst: <string>, strength: <int>, numericOrdering: <boolean>, alternate: <string>, maxVariable: <string>, backwards: <boolean> } When specifying collation, the `locale` field is mandatory; all other collation fields are optional. For descriptions of the fields, see Collation Document. If the collation is unspecified but the collection has a default collation (see `db.createCollection()`), the operation uses the collation specified for the collection. If no collation is specified for the collection or for the operations, MongoDB uses the simple binary comparison used in prior versions for string comparisons. You cannot specify multiple collations for an operation. For example, you cannot specify different collations per field, or if performing a find with a sort, you cannot use one collation for the find and another for the sort. New in version 3.4.

Returns:	Returns the deleted document.

Behavior¶

Document Match¶

findOneAndDelete() deletes the first matching document in the collection that matches the filter. The sort parameter can be used to influence which document is deleted.

Projection¶

Language Consistency

Starting in MongoDB 4.4, as part of making find and findAndModify projection consistent with aggregation’s $project stage,

The find and findAndModify projection can accept aggregation expressions and syntax.
MongoDB enforces additional restrictions with regards to projections. See Projection Restrictions for details.

The projection parameter takes a document in the following form:

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{ field1: <value>, field2: <value> ... }

Projection	Description
`<field>: <1 or true>`	Specifies the inclusion of a field.
`<field>: <0 or false>`	Specifies the exclusion of a field.
`"<field>.$": <1 or true>`	With the use of the `$` array projection operator, you can specify the projection to return the first element that match the query condition on the array field; e.g. `"arrayField.$" : 1`. (Not available for views.)
`<field>: <array projection>`	Using the array projection operators `$elemMatch`, `$slice`, specifies the array element(s) to include, thereby excluding those elements that do not meet the expressions. (Not available for views.)
`<field>: <aggregation expression>`	Specifies the value of the projected field. Starting in MongoDB 4.4, with the use of aggregation expressions and syntax, including the use of literals and aggregation variables, you can project new fields or project existing fields with new values. For example, If you specify a non-numeric, non-boolean literal (such as a literal string or an array or an operator expression) for the projection value, the field is projected with the new value; e.g.: `{ field: [ 1, 2, 3, "$someExistingField" ] }` `{ field: "New String Value" }` `{ field: { status: "Active", total: { $sum: "$existingArray" } } }` To project a literal value for a field, use the `$literal` aggregation expression; e.g.: `{ field: { $literal: 5 } }` `{ field: { $literal: true } }` `{ field: { $literal: { fieldWithValue0: 0, fieldWithValue1: 1 } } }` In versions 4.2 and earlier, any specification value (with the exception of the previously unsupported document value) is treated as either `true` or `false` to indicate the inclusion or exclusion of the field. New in version 4.4.

Embedded Field Specification¶

For fields in an embedded documents, you can specify the field using either:

dot notation; e.g. "field.nestedfield": <value>
nested form; e.g. { field: { nestedfield: <value> } } (Starting in MongoDB 4.4)

`_id` Field Projection¶

The _id field is included in the returned documents by default unless you explicitly specify _id: 0 in the projection to suppress the field.

Inclusion or Exclusion¶

A projection cannot contain both include and exclude specifications, with the exception of the _id field:

In projections that explicitly include fields, the _id field is the only field that you can explicitly exclude.
In projections that explicitly excludes fields, the _id field is the only field that you can explicitly include; however, the _id field is included by default.

For more information on projection, see also:

Project Fields to Return from Query

Sharded Collections¶

When using db.collection.findOneAndDelete() against a sharded collection, the query must contain an equality condition on shard key.

Starting in version 4.4, documents in a sharded collection can be missing the shard key fields. To target a document that is missing the shard key, you can use the null equality match in conjunction with another filter condition (such as on the _id field). For example:

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{ _id: <value>, <shardkeyfield>: null } // _id of the document missing shard key

Transactions¶

db.collection.findOneAndDelete() can be used inside multi-document transactions.

Do not explicitly set the write concern for the operation if run in a transaction. To use write concern with transactions, see Transactions and Write Concern.

Important

In most cases, multi-document transaction incurs a greater performance cost over single document writes, and the availability of multi-document transactions should not be a replacement for effective schema design. For many scenarios, the denormalized data model (embedded documents and arrays) will continue to be optimal for your data and use cases. That is, for many scenarios, modeling your data appropriately will minimize the need for multi-document transactions.

For additional transactions usage considerations (such as runtime limit and oplog size limit), see also Production Considerations.

Examples¶

Delete A Document¶

The scores collection contains documents similar to the following:

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{ _id: 6305, name : "A. MacDyver", "assignment" : 5, "points" : 24 },
{ _id: 6308, name : "B. Batlock", "assignment" : 3, "points" : 22 },
{ _id: 6312, name : "M. Tagnum", "assignment" : 5, "points" : 30 },
{ _id: 6319, name : "R. Stiles", "assignment" : 2, "points" : 12 },
{ _id: 6322, name : "A. MacDyver", "assignment" : 2, "points" : 14 },
{ _id: 6234, name : "R. Stiles", "assignment" : 1, "points" : 10 }

The following operation finds the first document where name : M. Tagnum and deletes it:

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db.scores.findOneAndDelete(
   { "name" : "M. Tagnum" }
)

The operation returns the original document that has been deleted:

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{ _id: 6312, name: "M. Tagnum", "assignment" : 5, "points" : 30 }

Sort And Delete A Document¶

The scores collection contains documents similar to the following:

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{ _id: 6305, name : "A. MacDyver", "assignment" : 5, "points" : 24 },
{ _id: 6308, name : "B. Batlock", "assignment" : 3, "points" : 22 },
{ _id: 6312, name : "M. Tagnum", "assignment" : 5, "points" : 30 },
{ _id: 6319, name : "R. Stiles", "assignment" : 2, "points" : 12 },
{ _id: 6322, name : "A. MacDyver", "assignment" : 2, "points" : 14 },
{ _id: 6234, name : "R. Stiles", "assignment" : 1, "points" : 10 }

The following operation first finds all documents where name : "A. MacDyver". It then sorts by points ascending before deleting the document with the lowest points value:

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db.scores.findOneAndDelete(
   { "name" : "A. MacDyver" },
   { sort : { "points" : 1 } }
)

The operation returns the original document that has been deleted:

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{ _id: 6322, name: "A. MacDyver", "assignment" : 2, "points" : 14 }

Projecting the Deleted Document¶

The following operation uses projection to only return the _id and assignment fields in the returned document:

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db.scores.findOneAndDelete(
   { "name" : "A. MacDyver" },
   { sort : { "points" : 1 }, projection: { "assignment" : 1 } }
)

The operation returns the original document with the assignment and _id fields:

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{ _id: 6322, "assignment" : 2 }

Update Document with Time Limit¶

The following operation sets a 5ms time limit to complete the deletion:

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try {
   db.scores.findOneAndDelete(
      { "name" : "A. MacDyver" },
      { sort : { "points" : 1 }, maxTimeMS : 5 };
   );
}
catch(e){
   print(e);
}

If the operation exceeds the time limit, it returns:

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Error: findAndModifyFailed failed: { "ok" : 0, "errmsg" : "operation exceeded time limit", "code" : 50 }

Specify Collation¶

New in version 3.4.

Collation allows users to specify language-specific rules for string comparison, such as rules for lettercase and accent marks.

A collection myColl has the following documents:

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{ _id: 1, category: "café", status: "A" }
{ _id: 2, category: "cafe", status: "a" }
{ _id: 3, category: "cafE", status: "a" }

The following operation includes the collation option:

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db.myColl.findOneAndDelete(
   { category: "cafe", status: "a" },
   { collation: { locale: "fr", strength: 1 } }
);

The operation returns the following document:

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{ "_id" : 1, "category" : "café", "status" : "A" }

← db.collection.findOne() db.collection.findOneAndReplace() →

db.collection.findOneAndDelete()¶

Definition¶

Behavior¶

Document Match¶

Projection¶

Embedded Field Specification¶

_id Field Projection¶

Inclusion or Exclusion¶

Sharded Collections¶

Transactions¶

Examples¶

Delete A Document¶

Sort And Delete A Document¶

Projecting the Deleted Document¶

Update Document with Time Limit¶

Specify Collation¶

`_id` Field Projection¶