NodeJS - GridFS APIs Upload/Download Files to MongoDB

In the tutorial, we show you how to build a NodeJS web-application that uses stream-based GridFS APIs with Mongoose to upload/download files to MongoDB.

Contents

NodeJS MongoDB GridFS
Practice
Sourcecode

NodeJS MongoDB GridFS

The MongoDB Node.js driver supports a stream-based API for GridFS, so we can .pipe() directly from file streams to MongoDB.

We create a web-application that uses GridFS APIs to upload/download files:

Upload File

var express = require('express');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var gridfs = require('gridfs-stream');
var fs = require('fs');
var app = express();

mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/test')
mongoose.Promise = global.Promise;
gridfs.mongo = mongoose.mongo;

var connection = mongoose.connection;
connection.once('open', () => {
	...
    // Upload a file from loca file-system to MongoDB
    app.get('/api/file/upload', (req, res) => {
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
        var writestream = gfs.createWriteStream({ filename: filename });
        fs.createReadStream(__dirname + "/uploads/" + filename).pipe(writestream);
        writestream.on('close', (file) => {
            res.send('Stored File: ' + file.filename);
        });
    });

Download File

	...
    app.get('/api/file/download', (req, res) => {
        // Check file exist on MongoDB
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
        gfs.exist({ filename: filename }, (err, file) => {
            if (err || !file) {
                res.status(404).send('File Not Found');
				return
            } 
			
			var readstream = gfs.createReadStream({ filename: filename });
			readstream.pipe(res);            
        });
    });

Delete File

    ...
	
    // Delete a file from MongoDB
    app.get('/api/file/delete', (req, res) => {
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
		gfs.exist({ filename: filename }, (err, file) => {
			if (err || !file) {
				res.status(404).send('File Not Found');
				return;
			}
			
			gfs.remove({ filename: filename }, (err) => {
				if (err) res.status(500).send(err);
				res.send('File Deleted');
			});
		});
    });

Meta Information

    ...
	
	app.get('/api/file/meta', (req, res) => {
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
		gfs.exist({ filename: filename }, (err, file) => {
			if (err || !file) {
				res.send('File Not Found');
				return;
			}
			
			gfs.files.find({ filename: filename }).toArray( (err, files) => {
				if (err) res.send(err);
				res.json(files);
			});
		});
	});

Practice

In the tutorial, we create a NodeJS project as below structure:

/NodeJS-GridFS-MongDB
	/node_modules
	/uploads
		jsa_about.txt
		jsa_cover.png
		jsa_vision.png
	package.json
	server.js

Setting up NodeJS project

NodeJS-GridFS-MongDB>npm init
This utility will walk you through creating a package.json file.
It only covers the most common items, and tries to guess sensible defaults.

See `npm help json` for definitive documentation on these fields
and exactly what they do.

Use `npm install ` afterwards to install a package and
save it as a dependency in the package.json file.

Press ^C at any time to quit.
package name: (nodejs-gridfs-mongdb)
version: (1.0.0)
description: Using GridFS-Stream to upload/download large-files to MongoDB with Mongoose
entry point: (index.js) server.js
test command:
git repository:
keywords: NodeJS, GridFS, GridFS-Stream, MongoDB, Express, Mongoose
author: grokonez.com
license: (ISC)
About to write to C:\nodejs\NodeJS-GridFS-MongDB\package.json:

{
  "name": "nodejs-gridfs-mongdb",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Using GridFS-Stream to upload/download large-files to MongoDB with Mongoose",
  "main": "server.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "NodeJS",
    "GridFS",
    "GridFS-Stream",
    "MongoDB",
    "Express",
    "Mongoose"
  ],
  "author": "grokonez.com",
  "license": "ISC"
}


Is this ok? (yes) yes

-> Install Express, GridFS-Stream, Mongoose:

npm install express gridfs-stream mongoose --save

-> See package.json file:

{
  "name": "nodejs-gridfs-mongdb",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Using GridFS-Stream to upload/download large-files to MongoDB with Mongoose",
  "main": "server.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "NodeJS",
    "GridFS",
    "GridFS-Stream",
    "MongoDB",
    "Express",
    "Mongoose"
  ],
  "author": "grokonez.com",
  "license": "ISC",
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.16.3",
    "gridfs-stream": "^1.1.1",
    "mongoose": "^5.1.2"
  }
}

Implement Server.js

var express = require('express');
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var gridfs = require('gridfs-stream');
var fs = require('fs');

var app = express();

/*
	Make a MongoDB connection
*/
mongoose.connect('mongodb://localhost:27017/test')
mongoose.Promise = global.Promise;

gridfs.mongo = mongoose.mongo;
/*
	Check MongoDB connection
*/
var connection = mongoose.connection;
connection.on('error', console.error.bind(console, 'connection error:'));

connection.once('open', () => {

    var gfs = gridfs(connection.db);

    app.get('/', (req, res) => {
        res.send('Download/Upload GridFS files to MongoDB 
- by grokonez.com');
    });

    // Upload a file from loca file-system to MongoDB
    app.get('/api/file/upload', (req, res) => {
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
        var writestream = gfs.createWriteStream({ filename: filename });
        fs.createReadStream(__dirname + "/uploads/" + filename).pipe(writestream);
        writestream.on('close', (file) => {
            res.send('Stored File: ' + file.filename);
        });
    });

    // Download a file from MongoDB - then save to local file-system
    app.get('/api/file/download', (req, res) => {
        // Check file exist on MongoDB
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
        gfs.exist({ filename: filename }, (err, file) => {
            if (err || !file) {
                res.status(404).send('File Not Found');
				return
            } 
			
			var readstream = gfs.createReadStream({ filename: filename });
			readstream.pipe(res);            
        });
    });

    // Delete a file from MongoDB
    app.get('/api/file/delete', (req, res) => {
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
		gfs.exist({ filename: filename }, (err, file) => {
			if (err || !file) {
				res.status(404).send('File Not Found');
				return;
			}
			
			gfs.remove({ filename: filename }, (err) => {
				if (err) res.status(500).send(err);
				res.send('File Deleted');
			});
		});
    });

    // Get file information(File Meta Data) from MongoDB
	app.get('/api/file/meta', (req, res) => {
		
		var filename = req.query.filename;
		
		gfs.exist({ filename: filename }, (err, file) => {
			if (err || !file) {
				res.send('File Not Found');
				return;
			}
			
			gfs.files.find({ filename: filename }).toArray( (err, files) => {
				if (err) res.send(err);
				res.json(files);
			});
		});
	});

    var server = app.listen(8081, () => {
		
	  var host = server.address().address
	  var port = server.address().port
	 
	  console.log("App listening at http://%s:%s", host, port); 
	});

});

Run & Check results

– Upload files:

localhost:8081/api/file/upload?filename=jsa_about.txt
localhost:8081/api/file/upload?filename=jsa_vision.png
localhost:8081/api/file/upload?filename=jsa_cover.png

-> Check MongoDB GridFS:

> db.fs.files.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b06683ff905a60eac1ece4d"), "filename" : "jsa_about.png", "contentType" : "binary/octet-stream", "length" : 125872, "chunkSize" : 261120, "uploadDate" : ISODate("2018-05-24T07:22:42.747Z"), "aliases" : null, "metadata" : null, "md5" : "176eae627f5ecde3ecb2d9d5694a4f53" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b066888f905a60eac1ece4f"), "filename" : "jsa_vision.png", "contentType" : "binary/octet-stream", "length" : 125872, "chunkSize" : 261120, "uploadDate" : ISODate("2018-05-24T07:23:52.749Z"), "aliases" : null, "metadata" : null, "md5" : "176eae627f5ecde3ecb2d9d5694a4f53" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b06689df905a60eac1ece51"), "filename" : "jsa_cover.png", "contentType" : "binary/octet-stream", "length" : 59632, "chunkSize" : 261120, "uploadDate" : ISODate("2018-05-24T07:24:13.649Z"), "aliases" : null, "metadata" : null, "md5" : "e3ea70be7ca215d8ff20adce5716d620" }

> db.fs.chunks.count()
3

> db.fs.chunks.find({}, { data: 0 })
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b066842f905a60eac1ece4e"), "files_id" : ObjectId("5b06683ff905a60eac1ece4d"), "n" : 0 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b066888f905a60eac1ece50"), "files_id" : ObjectId("5b066888f905a60eac1ece4f"), "n" : 0 }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b06689df905a60eac1ece52"), "files_id" : ObjectId("5b06689df905a60eac1ece51"), "n" : 0 }

– Download File request: http://localhost:8081/api/file/download?filename=jsa_cover.png

– Get meta information of files: http://localhost:8081/api/file/meta?filename=jsa_cover.png

– Delete a file request: http://localhost:8081/api/file/delete?filename=jsa_cover.png

-> Then check MongoDB after the deletion:

> db.fs.files.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b06683ff905a60eac1ece4d"), "filename" : "jsa_about.png", "contentType" : "binary/octet-stream", "length" : 125872, "chunkSize" : 261120, "uploadDate" : ISODate("2018-05-24T07:22:42.747Z"), "aliases" : null, "metadata" : null, "md5" : "176eae627f5ecde3ecb2d9d5694a4f53" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5b066888f905a60eac1ece4f"), "filename" : "jsa_vision.png", "contentType" : "binary/octet-stream", "length" : 125872, "chunkSize" : 261120, "uploadDate" : ISODate("2018-05-24T07:23:52.749Z"), "aliases" : null, "metadata" : null, "md5" : "176eae627f5ecde3ecb2d9d5694a4f53" }

Sourcecode

To run below sourcecode, follow the guides:

step 0: download & extract zip file -> we have a folder ‘NodeJS-GridFS-MongDB’
step 1: cd NodeJS-GridFS-MongDB
step 2: npm install express gridfs-stream mongoose –save
step 3: node server.js

-> Sourcecode:

NodeJS-GridFS-MongDB

By grokonez | May 24, 2018.

Last updated on April 13, 2019.

3 thoughts on “NodeJS – GridFS APIs Upload/Download Files to MongoDB – Mongoose”

Aba the Candy says:
January 16, 2019 at 4:50 pm
Im sorry but how about the model for mongodb? How u could save the files without creating a model for database?
1. dfd says:
  October 23, 2020 at 9:57 am
  yes
Ravi Singh Kuntal says:
October 23, 2020 at 9:55 am
db.fs.files.find()
db.fs.chunks.find()
These two models are created by Gridfs

NodeJS – GridFS APIs Upload/Download Files to MongoDB – Mongoose

NodeJS MongoDB GridFS

Upload File

Download File

Delete File

Meta Information

Practice

Setting up NodeJS project

Implement Server.js

Run & Check results

Sourcecode

Post Tags

3 thoughts on “NodeJS – GridFS APIs Upload/Download Files to MongoDB – Mongoose”

Got Something To Say: Cancel reply

NodeJS MongoDB GridFS

Upload File

Download File

Delete File

Meta Information

Practice

Setting up NodeJS project

Implement Server.js

Run & Check results

Sourcecode

Related Posts

Post Tags

3 thoughts on “NodeJS – GridFS APIs Upload/Download Files to MongoDB – Mongoose”

Got Something To Say: Cancel reply