Consulta de arrays: $all, $size y coincidencia de elementos
Filtrará documentos por el contenido de sus arrays usando $all para buscar varios elementos y $size para comprobar su longitud.
Consulta de arrays: $all, $size y coincidencia de elementos es una lección gratuita de MongoDB Academy en CoddyKit. Esta es la lección 1 de 4. Puedes leer la lección completa abajo gratuitamente — luego la practicas en el navegador con un editor de código integrado y un tutor de IA 24/7. Forma parte de la ruta de aprendizaje de MongoDB Academy, y tu progreso se sincroniza en la web y la app de CoddyKit. El curso de MongoDB Academy incluye 4 lecciones en total.
Partes de esta lección aún no han sido traducidas y se muestran en inglés.
Arrays as First-Class Citizens
In MongoDB, arrays are a native BSON type that can be stored directly in a document field. Unlike relational databases where arrays require a separate junction table, MongoDB lets you embed arrays of any type—scalars, sub-documents, or mixed—directly in the document. This makes arrays one of the most useful features but also one of the most nuanced to query correctly.
// Documents with array fields
db.products.insertMany([
{ name: 'Laptop', tags: ['electronics', 'computers', 'portable'] },
{ name: 'Mouse', tags: ['electronics', 'peripherals'] },
{ name: 'Book', tags: ['education', 'reading'] }
]);Simple Array Equality Queries
A simple equality filter on an array field checks whether the array contains the specified value as an element. You don't need a special operator—just write the filter as if the field were a scalar. MongoDB will match any document where the array contains that exact value anywhere in it.
// Find products tagged 'electronics'
// MongoDB checks if 'electronics' is an element of the tags array
db.products.find({ tags: 'electronics' });
// Returns Laptop and Mouse (both have 'electronics' in tags)
// This also works on arrays of numbers
db.scores.find({ values: 95 });
// Matches { values: [80, 95, 72] }The $all Operator
The $all operator matches documents where the array contains all of the specified values, in any order. Unlike a plain equality check (which matches a single element), $all enforces that every specified element is present. Think of it as multiple AND conditions on array membership.
// Find products tagged BOTH 'electronics' AND 'portable'
db.products.find({
tags: { $all: ['electronics', 'portable'] }
});
// Returns Laptop (has both tags)
// Does NOT return Mouse (missing 'portable')
// Order of values in $all does not matter
db.products.find({
tags: { $all: ['portable', 'electronics'] } // same result
});The $size Operator
The $size operator matches documents where the array field has exactly the specified number of elements. It accepts a literal integer—you cannot use range comparisons like $gt with $size directly. For range-based length checks, use a field that stores the array length alongside the array, or use an aggregation with $where.
// Find products with exactly 3 tags
db.products.find({ tags: { $size: 3 } });
// Returns Laptop (tags has 3 elements)
// $size does NOT support ranges:
// db.products.find({ tags: { $size: { $gt: 2 } } }); // INVALID
// Workaround: store the count as a field
db.products.updateMany({}, [{ $set: { tagCount: { $size: '$tags' } } }]);
db.products.find({ tagCount: { $gt: 2 } }); // range check on stored countMatching by Array Index
You can query by a specific position in an array using dot notation with an index number. For example, { 'scores.0': 100 } matches documents where the first element of the scores array is 100. This is useful when array order is meaningful, such as a ranked list or time-ordered sequence.
// Documents: { name: 'Alice', scores: [100, 85, 92] }
// { name: 'Bob', scores: [75, 88, 91] }
// Find documents where the FIRST score is 100
db.results.find({ 'scores.0': 100 });
// Returns Alice
// Find where SECOND element is greater than 85
db.results.find({ 'scores.1': { $gt: 85 } });
// Returns Bob (scores[1] = 88 > 85) and Alice (85 is NOT > 85)The Spread Field Problem
A subtle gotcha: when you filter an array of sub-documents with multiple conditions on different fields, MongoDB applies each condition independently across all array elements—not to a single element. This is called the spread field problem. For example, { 'scores.value': { $gt: 90 }, 'scores.grade': 'A' } matches if any element has value > 90 AND any element has grade 'A'—they don't have to be the same element.
// Documents:
// { scores: [{ value: 95, grade: 'A' }, { value: 60, grade: 'D' }] }
// { scores: [{ value: 92, grade: 'B' }, { value: 72, grade: 'C' }] }
// This filter has SPREAD FIELD issue:
// Matches doc1 (value 95>90 is in scores[0], grade 'A' is in scores[0] - fine here)
// Also matches doc2 if value 92>90 from one element + some 'B'... but what if:
// { scores: [{ value: 91, grade: 'B' }, { value: 62, grade: 'A' }] }
// This would ALSO match! 91 > 90 from element[0] + grade 'A' from element[1]$elemMatch for Multi-Condition Array Queries
The $elemMatch query operator solves the spread field problem by requiring all conditions to be satisfied by the same single array element. Wrap your conditions in { $elemMatch: { condition1, condition2 } } and MongoDB will only return documents where at least one array element satisfies all the specified conditions simultaneously.
// Find documents where a SINGLE scores element has value > 90 AND grade 'A'
db.results.find({
scores: {
$elemMatch: {
value: { $gt: 90 },
grade: 'A'
}
}
});
// Only matches if one element has BOTH value > 90 AND grade 'A'$elemMatch for Scalar Arrays
$elemMatch can also be applied to arrays of scalar values (strings, numbers) when you need to apply multiple operators to the same element. For example, finding elements that are both greater than 10 and less than 20—without $elemMatch, these conditions could be satisfied by two different elements.
// Find docs where a SINGLE element is between 10 and 20
db.measurements.find({
values: { $elemMatch: { $gt: 10, $lt: 20 } }
});
// { values: [5, 15, 25] } - matches (15 satisfies both)
// { values: [5, 30] } - does NOT match
// Without $elemMatch (wrong - tests across elements):
db.measurements.find({ values: { $gt: 10, $lt: 20 } });
// { values: [5, 30] } WOULD match! (5 < 20, 30 > 10, different elements)Combining $all and $elemMatch
You can use $all with $elemMatch expressions inside it to require multiple complex conditions across multiple distinct array elements. Each $elemMatch inside $all must be satisfied by a different element. This pattern is rarely needed but is available for complex multi-condition, multi-element requirements.
// Find docs where:
// - one element satisfies { value: { $gt: 90 }, grade: 'A' }
// - AND another element satisfies { value: { $lt: 70 }, grade: 'D' }
db.results.find({
scores: {
$all: [
{ $elemMatch: { value: { $gt: 90 }, grade: 'A' } },
{ $elemMatch: { value: { $lt: 70 }, grade: 'D' } }
]
}
});Arrays and Index Behaviour
An index on an array field automatically becomes a multikey index in MongoDB, with one index entry per array element. This means queries like { tags: 'electronics' } and { tags: { $all: ['electronics', 'portable'] } } both benefit from the index. However, a compound index cannot have multikey on more than one array field per document—attempting to do so throws an error.
// Index on tags field becomes multikey automatically
db.products.createIndex({ tags: 1 });
// These queries all use the multikey index efficiently:
db.products.find({ tags: 'electronics' });
db.products.find({ tags: { $all: ['electronics', 'portable'] } });
db.products.find({ tags: { $size: 3 } });
// Note: $size cannot use the index for size filtering
// (it still needs to check document-level array length)Using explain() With Array Queries
Array queries with $all and $elemMatch can sometimes surprise you with their index usage. Always verify with explain('executionStats'). A $size filter will show IXSCAN on the multikey index but still examine all index entries (since size is not stored in the index). An $elemMatch on indexed fields will use IXSCAN on the matching element conditions.
// Check how array queries use indexes
db.products.find({
tags: { $all: ['electronics', 'portable'] }
}).explain('executionStats');
// Look for:
// stage: 'IXSCAN' - index is being used
// totalKeysExamined vs nReturned ratioQuick Check
Test your understanding of array query operators in MongoDB.
Lesson Recap
In this lesson you learned: $all requires an array to contain all specified values, $size matches arrays with an exact number of elements, and $elemMatch ensures multiple conditions apply to the same single array element, solving the spread field problem. Next up we dive deeper into $elemMatch for matching array sub-documents.
Preguntas frecuentes
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Sí — el texto completo de «Consulta de arrays: $all, $size y coincidencia de elementos» es gratis para leer aquí en la web. Para practicarla de forma interactiva (editor de código integrado y tutor de IA 24/7) y desbloquear el resto del curso de MongoDB Academy, actualiza a CoddyKit PRO. El curso de MongoDB Academy incluye 4 lecciones en total.
¿Qué aprenderé en «Consulta de arrays: $all, $size y coincidencia de elementos»?
Filtrará documentos por el contenido de sus arrays usando $all para buscar varios elementos y $size para comprobar su longitud. Practicas MongoDB Academy con código real que ejecutas directamente en el navegador, y un tutor de IA 24/7 responde tus preguntas mientras trabajas en la lección.
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No se requiere experiencia previa. MongoDB Academy en CoddyKit está estructurado para principiantes hasta estudiantes avanzados, así que puedes empezar aquí o desde el inicio y avanzar a tu ritmo. Esta es la lección 1 de 4.
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Todas las lecciones de este curso
- Consulta de arrays: $all, $size y coincidencia de elementos
- $elemMatch: coincidencia de subdocumentos de arrays
- Actualización de arrays: $push, $pull, $pop y $addToSet
- Actualizaciones posicionales y posicionales filtradas