MongoDB query distinct in subdocuments

Question

I'm using Mongoose with NodeJS (typescript). I'm trying to sum the count per location. Example output :

[ 
 { name : "Bronx", count : 6 }, 
 { name : "Brooklyn", count : 6 }, 
 { name : "Manhattan", count : 6 }, 
 { name : "Queens", count : 6 } 
]

Current data model:

data:
[
    {
        "news": {
            "_id": "5c7615a4ef5238a6c47cbcb9",
            "locations": [
                {
                    "_id": "5c7615a4ef5238a6c47cbcc6",
                    "id": "1",
                    "name": "Manhattan",                        
                    "children": [
                        {
                            "_id": "5c7615a4ef5238a6c47cbcc8",
                            "count": 3
                        },
                        {
                            "_id": "5c7615a4ef5238a6c47cbcc7",
                            "count": 2
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ]
        }
    },
    { 
     .... 
    }

]

The last query that I build was :

DataModel.aggregate([
{ "$unwind": "$data.news.locations" },
{
    "$group": {
        "_id": "$data.news.locations",
        "count": { "$sum": "$$data.news.locations.zipcodes.count" }
    }
}]).exec(function(err, results){
    if (err) throw err;
        console.log(JSON.stringify(results, null, 4));

     }); 

But I'm new handle queries in MongoDB with Mongoose, so any help I really appreciate. thanks.

Answer 1

You were kind of close, just a few changes:

DataModel.aggregate([
  // Each array needs $unwind separately
  { "$unwind": "$data" },

  // And then down to the next one
  { "$unwind": "$data.news.locations" },

  // Group on the grouping key
  { "$group": {
    "_id": "$data.news.locations.name",
    "count": { "$sum": { "$sum": "$data.news.locations.children.count" } }
  }}
],(err,results) => {
   // remaining handling
})

So since you have arrays inside an array and you want to get down to the "name" property inside the "locations" you need to $unwind to that point. You must $unwind each array level separately.

Technically there is still the children array as well, but $sum can be used to "sum an array of values" as well as "accumulate for a grouping key". Hence the $sum: { $sum statement within the $group.

Returns:

{ "_id" : "Manhattan", "count" : 5 }

From the detail supplied in the question.