Int32 / Int

In MongoDB, the int (short for integer) data type is used for storing whole numbers without a fractional component. Integers can be either positive or negative and are commonly used in scenarios requiring counting or ranking, such as user’s ages, product quantity, or the number of upvotes.

Overview

In MongoDB, integers can be represented in different sizes depending on the range of values required for a specific application. These sizes are as follows:

• Int32: Represents 32-bit integer values between -2^31 and 2^31-1.
• Int64: Represents 64-bit integer values between -2^63 and 2^63-1.

By default, MongoDB uses 64-bit integers (Int64) when storing integer values for greater flexibility in accommodating various value ranges. However, you can also choose to use 32-bit integers (Int32) for smaller value ranges if necessary.

Usage

To store an integer value in a MongoDB document, you can simply include the integer as the value for a field within the document. For example:

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "age": 30,
  "upvotes": 150
}

Here, age and upvotes are both integer values representing the age and the number of upvotes of a user.

If you specifically need to store an integer as a 32-bit or 64-bit value, you can use a driver-specific method or construct BSON objects using the appropriate BSON data type for integers. For example, in the Node.js MongoDB driver, you can use the Int32 and Long constructors from the mongodb package:

const { Int32, Long } = require('mongodb');

const myInt32 = new Int32(42); // Creates a 32-bit integer
const myInt64 = new Long(9007199254740991); // Creates a 64-bit integer

Remember that choosing the appropriate integer size can help optimize storage and performance within your MongoDB application. Use Int32 for smaller value ranges and Int64 for larger value ranges as needed.