To get the most out of this book

In order to test the sample queries and coding examples presented in this book, you need the following:

Minimum recommended hardware:

• Desktop PC or laptop
• 2 GB free disk space
• 4 GB of RAM
• 500 Kbps or faster internet connection

Software requirements:

• OS (Linux or Mac): Docker, Docker Compose, Git (optional)
• OS (Windows): Docker for Windows and Git for Windows

In order to successfully understand and work through the examples presented in this book, the following background knowledge will be helpful:

• Basic knowledge of Python and/or Javascript
• Basic knowledge of what is a database and what a database is used for
• Working knowledge of HTML and web applications in general
• Knowledge of Docker and Linux is useful but not mandatory as all necessary commands are shown

If you're not proficient in the Python language, do not worry! A reference to the original MongoDB query is always made first, after which the actual implementation in Python is described. It is easy enough to extrapolate the MongoDB query into your programming language of choice. In addition, the actual Python code is kept simple: no complex Python constructs are used.

Python 3.x, the PyMongo driver, an Apache web server, and various Python libraries are already installed in the Docker container used for the book. Chapter 2, Setting Up MongoDB 4.x, gives you instructions on how to install the demo environment used in the book.

If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code via the GitHub repository (link available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.