Express + MongoDB

Key Features

• Mongoose ODM integration providing schema validation, middleware hooks, and query building for MongoDB operations
• Express middleware ecosystem with thousands of plugins for authentication, logging, parsing, and security
• JSON-first data flow from MongoDB documents through Express routes to client applications
• MongoDB aggregation pipeline support for complex data transformations and analytics within Express routes
• Automatic Express route parameter validation using express-validator with MongoDB ObjectId support
• Hot-reload development capabilities using nodemon for rapid Express application development
• MongoDB connection pooling and automatic reconnection handling through Mongoose
• Express static file serving combined with GridFS for MongoDB-based file storage solutions

Common Use Cases

• 1RESTful API development for mobile applications requiring flexible data schemas and rapid iteration
• 2Content management systems where article, media, and user data benefit from MongoDB's document flexibility
• 3Real-time chat applications leveraging MongoDB change streams with Express WebSocket integration
• 4E-commerce platforms needing product catalogs with varying attributes and Express checkout workflows
• 5Social media platforms storing user profiles, posts, and activity feeds in MongoDB documents
• 6IoT data collection systems where Express endpoints receive sensor data stored in MongoDB time-series collections
• 7Rapid MVP development for startups requiring quick database schema changes without migrations

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed with at least 2GB available RAM for MongoDB operations
• Node.js application code with package.json defining Express and Mongoose dependencies
• Basic understanding of JavaScript promises/async-await for MongoDB connection handling
• Port 3000 available for Express server and understanding of MongoDB URI connection strings
• Familiarity with Mongoose schema definition and Express routing patterns
• Environment variable configuration knowledge for database connection parameters

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  express: 
3    build: .
4    container_name: express
5    environment: 
6      MONGODB_URI: mongodb://mongodb:27017/${DB_NAME}
7    ports: 
8      - "3000:3000"
9    depends_on: 
10      - mongodb
11    networks: 
12      - express-network
13
14  mongodb: 
15    image: mongo:7
16    volumes: 
17      - mongo_data:/data/db
18    networks: 
19      - express-network
20
21volumes: 
22  mongo_data: 
23
24networks: 
25  express-network: 
26    driver: bridge

.env Template

1DB_NAME=express

Usage Notes

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

express:
  build: .
  container_name: express
  environment:
    MONGODB_URI: mongodb://mongodb:27017/${DB_NAME}
  ports:
    - "3000:3000"
  depends_on:
    - mongodb
  networks:
    - express-network

mongodb:
  image: mongo:7
  volumes:
    - mongo_data:/data/db
  networks:
    - express-network

Quick Start

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  express:
5    build: .
6    container_name: express
7    environment:
8      MONGODB_URI: mongodb://mongodb:27017/${DB_NAME}
9    ports:
10      - "3000:3000"
11    depends_on:
12      - mongodb
13    networks:
14      - express-network
15
16  mongodb:
17    image: mongo:7
18    volumes:
19      - mongo_data:/data/db
20    networks:
21      - express-network
22
23volumes:
24  mongo_data:
25
26networks:
27  express-network:
28    driver: bridge
29EOF
30
31# 2. Create the .env file
32cat > .env << 'EOF'
33DB_NAME=express
34EOF
35
36# 3. Start the services
37docker compose up -d
38
39# 4. View logs
40docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/express-mongodb/run | bash

Troubleshooting