MongoDB find user not in array

Question

I'm currently developing a multiplayer card game with a node.js + mongodb backend. I want users to be able to join games so I'm implementing a queue function. In this queue function I want to be able to get a single game from mongodb that is not started, not locked and doesn't contain the player in the queue.

Example of my mongodb game document:

{
"_id": {
    "$oid": "512cccf9e4b09000a6f1f079"
},
"mChanceTaken": false,
"mCurrentPlayer": 0,
"mCurrentPlayerName": "-",
"mDeck": [
    {
        "mValue": 13,
        "mSuit": "HEARTS"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 13,
        "mSuit": "SPADES"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 3,
        "mSuit": "SPADES"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 10,
        "mSuit": "SPADES"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 11,
        "mSuit": "CLUBS"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 3,
        "mSuit": "HEARTS"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 7,
        "mSuit": "DIAMONDS"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 9,
        "mSuit": "SPADES"
    },
    {
        "mValue": 8,
        "mSuit": "HEARTS"
    }
],
"mFinished": false,
"mLocked": false,
"mNumberOfPlayers": 4,
"mPlayers": [
    {
        "mPlayerId": "512bd9a1e4b09000a6f1f073",
        "mUsername": "user2",
        "mPosition": 0,
        "mSwitching": true,
        "mFaceUp": [],
        "mFaceDown": [],
        "mHand": []
    },
    {
        "mPlayerId": "512bcb3be4b09000a6f1f06b",
        "mUsername": "user1",
        "mPosition": 0,
        "mSwitching": true,
        "mFaceUp": [],
        "mFaceDown": [],
        "mHand": []
    }
],
"mRoundLength": 60,
"mStarted": false,
"mSwitching": false

}

My current query looks like this:

GameBoard.findOneAndUpdate({mStarted: false, mLocked: false, mPlayers: {$not: {mPlayerId: player.mPlayerId}}}, {mLocked: true}, function (err, gameBoard) {

I think I should use the $not operator but I can not figure out how to use it in my use case. please someone help me!

Answer 1

Try the $ne operator since $not is only used in conjunction with another operator expression.