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cursor.min()

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Definition

cursor. min ( )

Specifies the inclusive lower bound for a specific index in order to constrain the results of find(). min() provides a way to specify lower bounds on compound key indexes.

The min() method has the following parameter:

Parameter Type Description
indexBounds document The inclusive lower bound for the index keys.

The indexBounds parameter has the following prototype form:

{ field1: <min value>, field2: <min value2>, fieldN:<min valueN> }

The fields correspond to all the keys of a particular index in order. You can explicitly specify the particular index with the hint() method. Otherwise, MongoDB selects the index using the fields in the indexBounds; however, if multiple indexes exist on same fields with different sort orders, the selection of the index may be ambiguous.

See also

max().

min() exists primarily to support the mongos process, and is a shell wrapper around the query modifier $min.

Note

Deprecated in the mongo Shell since v3.2
Starting in v3.2, the $min operator is deprecated in the mongo shell. In the mongo shell, use cursor.min() instead.

Behaviors

Interaction with Index Selection

Because min() requires an index on a field, and forces the query to use this index, you may prefer the $gte operator for the query if possible. Consider the following example:

db.products.find( { _id: 7 } ).min( { price: 1.39 } )

The query will use the index on the price field, even if the index on _id may be better.

Index Bounds

If you use min() with max() to specify a range:

  • the index bounds specified in min() and max() must both refer to the keys of the same index.

  • the bound specified by max() must be greater than the bound specified by min().

    Changed in version 3.6.6.

min() without max()

The min and max operators indicate that the system should avoid normal query planning. Instead they construct an index scan where the index bounds are explicitly specified by the values given in min and max.

Warning

If one of the two boundaries is not specified, the query plan will be an index scan that is unbounded on one side. This may degrade performance compared to a query containing neither operator, or one that uses both operators to more tightly constrain the index scan.

Example

This example assumes a collection named products that holds the following documents:

{ "_id" : 6, "item" : "apple", "type" : "cortland", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 2, "item" : "apple", "type" : "fuji", "price" : 1.99 }
{ "_id" : 1, "item" : "apple", "type" : "honey crisp", "price" : 1.99 }
{ "_id" : 3, "item" : "apple", "type" : "jonagold", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 4, "item" : "apple", "type" : "jonathan", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 5, "item" : "apple", "type" : "mcintosh", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 7, "item" : "orange", "type" : "cara cara", "price" : 2.99 }
{ "_id" : 10, "item" : "orange", "type" : "navel", "price" : 1.39 }
{ "_id" : 9, "item" : "orange", "type" : "satsuma", "price" : 1.99 }
{ "_id" : 8, "item" : "orange", "type" : "valencia", "price" : 0.99 }

The collection has the following indexes:

{ "_id" : 1 }
{ "item" : 1, "type" : 1 }
{ "item" : 1, "type" : -1 }
{ "price" : 1 }

  • Using the ordering of the { item: 1, type: 1 } index, min() limits the query to the documents that are at or above the index key bound of item equal to apple and type equal to jonagold, as in the following:

    db.products.find().min( { item: 'apple', type: 'jonagold' } ).hint( { item: 1, type: 1 } )

    The query returns the following documents:

    { "_id" : 3, "item" : "apple", "type" : "jonagold", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 4, "item" : "apple", "type" : "jonathan", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 5, "item" : "apple", "type" : "mcintosh", "price" : 1.29 }
{ "_id" : 7, "item" : "orange", "type" : "cara cara", "price" : 2.99 }
{ "_id" : 10, "item" : "orange", "type" : "navel", "price" : 1.39 }
{ "_id" : 9, "item" : "orange", "type" : "satsuma", "price" : 1.99 }
{ "_id" : 8, "item" : "orange", "type" : "valencia", "price" : 0.99 }

    If the query did not explicitly specify the index with the hint() method, it is ambiguous as to whether mongod would select the { item: 1, type: 1 } index ordering or the { item: 1, type: -1 } index ordering.

  • Using the ordering of the index { price: 1 }, min() limits the query to the documents that are at or above the index key bound of price equal to 1.39 and max() limits the query to the documents that are below the index key bound of price equal to 1.99:

    Note

    Changed in version 3.6.6: The bound specified by max() must be greater than the bound specified by min().

    db.products.find().min( { price: 1.39 } ).max( { price: 1.99 } ).hint( { price: 1 } )

    The query returns the following documents:

    { "_id" : 10, "item" : "orange", "type" : "navel", "price" : 1.39 }