<p>PHP's naming convention is horribly inconsistent! So in order to make commands listed below work for you, please make sure:</p><ol><li>Your OS is Ubuntu 20.08</li><li>Your PHP version is 8.0</li></ol><figure class="image"><img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1599507593362-50fa53ed1b40?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=MnwxNTQwMTB8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHxwaHB8ZW58MHx8fHwxNjMyNDI0NTY3&amp;ixlib=rb-1.2.1&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080"><figcaption>Photo by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/@benofthenorth?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Ben Griffiths</a> on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p>Let's start with the error:</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="ZT7CDAgs3">PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught Error: Class "MongoDB\Driver\Manager" not found in /var/www/dnx-mailer/vendor/mongodb/mongodb/src/Client.php:130
Stack trace:
#0 /var/www/dnx-mailer/sendInvitation.php(10): MongoDB\Client-&gt;__construct()
#1 {main}
  thrown in /var/www/dnx-mailer/vendor/mongodb/mongodb/src/Client.php on line 130</code></pre><p>It's easy to know:</p><ol><li>You're using composer</li><li>Unfortunately, <code>composer require mongodb/mongodb</code> does not install mongodb extension for you. So you would need to do this by your own.</li></ol><p>Not sure there is another way, I hope it can be installed by <code>apt-get</code> , like <code>apt-get install php-mongodb, or php8.0-mongodb</code> (you know what I mean - &nbsp;PHP's naming convention is horrible!) If you want to save some time, let's just do this thru <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pecl.php.net/">PECL&nbsp;</a> (warning - their website is very old school, like 1998.) How to install PECL?</p><p>Here you go: (again, you may think it would be php8.0-pear, but it's not.)</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="gijVv9K8r">apt-get install php-pear </code></pre><p>Okay can I run <code>pecl install mongodb</code> now? Sorry! not yet, otherwise, you will see this error:</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="qMJXSW3AV">Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, null given in Command.php on line 249</code></pre><p>Someone said, that's because php-xml is missing, so install the following, likely on php8.0-xml is needed, but install them anyway, and yes, we need specify php8.0-xxx:</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="ltLqoxEz6">apt-get install php8.0-fpm libapache2-mod-php8.0 php8.0-mysql php8.0-xml</code></pre><p>Are we good now? Not, still not. There is another error:</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="a1hf1hzCf">running: phpize
sh: 1: phpize: not found
ERROR: `phpize' failed</code></pre><p>We need php-dev,&nbsp;</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="_nxWX97eB">apt-get install php8.0-dev // or php-dev works too, not sure if they are the same</code></pre><p>Finally, run&nbsp;</p><pre><code class="language-plaintext" id="7sFLifrrE">pecl install mongodb</code></pre><p>The last step is adding it to the php.ini, since I only use it for CLI, I add “extension=mongodb.so” to “/etc/php/8.0/cli/php.ini”.</p><p>Hope this helps.</p><h3>Updated 09/19/2022</h3><p>Just setup another LAMP server, at this time, I am using PHP8.1, the process above is still valid, but just remember to change “8.0” to “8.1”. Here are additional notes:</p><ol><li>you don't need to install both <code>php8.1-fpm</code> and <code>libapache2-mod-php8.1</code>, fpm (FastCGI Process Manager) is for Nginx, so if you are using Apache, then it's unnecessary. (could be a&nbsp;</li><li>Since my project needs curl, I installed <code>php8.1-curl.</code> After installation, it tells me to run &nbsp;<code>a2enconf php8.1-fpm</code>. I did, but it was a disaster. &nbsp;Because I am using Apache, after enabling fpm, the MongoDB driver for PHP failed to load. I tried to reinstall everything, and then figured out I could just disable fpm by <code>a2disconf php8.1-fpm</code></li></ol>

PHP's naming convention is horribly inconsistent! In this article, we learn how to install MongoDB PHP8 Library On Ubuntu 20.08. 

Install MongoDB PHP8 Library On Ubuntu 20.08

<p>Working with MongoDB in PHP can be confusing, especially when it comes to the behavior of <code>findOne()</code> and how the results can be accessed. This blog post aims to clarify the nuances and help you avoid common pitfalls.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1505298537670-f32d119be330?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wxNTQwMTB8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxNnx8Y29uZnVzaW9ufGVufDB8fHx8MTczNDczODQ5Mnww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080"><figcaption>Photo by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/@mihaisurdu?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Mihai Surdu</a> on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2>The Basics: <code>findOne()</code> in PHP</h2><p>The <code>findOne()</code> method retrieves a single document from a MongoDB collection. By default, it returns a <code><strong>MongoDB\Model\BSONDocument</strong></code> object. This object supports:</p><ol><li><strong>Object-style access (</strong><code><strong>-&gt;</strong></code><strong>)</strong>: Access document properties like <code>$doc-&gt;key</code>.</li><li><strong>Array-style access (</strong><code><strong>['key']</strong></code><strong>)</strong>: Access properties like <code>$doc['key']</code>, because <code>BSONDocument</code> implements PHP's <code>ArrayAccess</code> interface.</li></ol><p>Here's a simple example:</p><pre><code class="language-php">$doc = $collection-&gt;findOne([
    'slug' =&gt; 'john-doe',
]);

if ($doc) {
    // Object-style access
    echo "Slug (object-style): " . $doc-&gt;slug . "\n";

    // Array-style access
    echo "Slug (array-style): " . $doc['slug'] . "\n";
} else {
    echo "No document found with slug 'john-doe'.\n";
}</code></pre><p>Both access styles work fine in this case. But what happens if you call <code>jsonSerialize()</code> or use the <code>typeMap</code> option?</p><h2>Using <code>jsonSerialize()</code></h2><p>Calling <code>jsonSerialize()</code> on a <code>BSONDocument</code> converts it into a <code><strong>stdClass</strong></code><strong> object</strong>, which only supports object-style access (<code>-&gt;</code>). Array-style access (<code>['key']</code>) will fail.</p><p>Here’s an example:</p><pre><code class="language-php">$serializedDoc = $doc-&gt;jsonSerialize();

// Object-style access works
echo "Slug (object-style): " . $serializedDoc-&gt;slug . "\n";

// Array-style access will fail
try {
    echo "Slug (array-style): " . $serializedDoc['slug'] . "\n";
} catch (Throwable $e) {
    echo "Error: " . $e-&gt;getMessage() . "\n";
}</code></pre><h3>Expected Output</h3><p>If the document exists:</p><pre><code class="language-css">Slug (object-style): john-doe
Error: Cannot use object of type stdClass as array</code></pre><p>This demonstrates that <code>jsonSerialize()</code> changes the access behavior.</p><h2>Enforcing Return Types with <code>typeMap</code></h2><p>You can use the <code>typeMap</code> option to control how <code>findOne()</code> returns the document. For example:</p><ol><li><strong>Return as an associative array</strong>:</li></ol><pre><code class="language-php">$doc = $collection-&gt;findOne([
    'slug' =&gt; 'john-doe',
], [
    'typeMap' =&gt; ['root' =&gt; 'array'],
]);

if ($doc) {
    // Array-style access works
    echo "Slug (array-style): " . $doc['slug'] . "\n";

    // Object-style access will fail
    try {
        echo "Slug (object-style): " . $doc-&gt;slug . "\n";
    } catch (Throwable $e) {
        echo "Error: " . $e-&gt;getMessage() . "\n";
    }
}</code></pre><ol><li><strong>Return as a PHP object</strong>:</li></ol><pre><code class="language-php">$doc = $collection-&gt;findOne([
    'slug' =&gt; 'john-doe',
], [
    'typeMap' =&gt; ['root' =&gt; 'object'],
]);

if ($doc) {
    // Object-style access works
    echo "Slug (object-style): " . $doc-&gt;slug . "\n";

    // Array-style access will fail
    try {
        echo "Slug (array-style): " . $doc['slug'] . "\n";
    } catch (Throwable $e) {
        echo "Error: " . $e-&gt;getMessage() . "\n";
    }
}</code></pre><h3>Key Takeaways</h3><ul><li><strong>Default behavior</strong>: <code>findOne()</code> returns a <code>BSONDocument</code>, supporting both access styles.</li><li><strong>With </strong><code><strong>jsonSerialize()</strong></code>: Converts to <code>stdClass</code>, breaking array-style access.</li><li><strong>With </strong><code><strong>typeMap</strong></code>:<ul><li><code>['root' =&gt; 'array']</code>: Returns an associative array, breaking object-style access.</li><li><code>['root' =&gt; 'object']</code>: Returns a PHP object, breaking array-style access.</li></ul></li></ul><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>MongoDB’s PHP driver offers flexibility in accessing documents, but it can be confusing due to the interplay of <code>BSONDocument</code>, <code>jsonSerialize()</code>, and <code>typeMap</code>. Here’s a quick summary:</p><figure class="table"><table class="ui table celled"><thead><tr><th>Access Type</th><th>Default (<code>BSONDocument</code>)</th><th>After <code>jsonSerialize()</code></th><th>With <code>typeMap =&gt; array</code></th><th>With <code>typeMap =&gt; object</code></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Object-style (<code>-&gt;</code>)</td><td>Works</td><td>Works</td><td>Fails</td><td>Works</td></tr><tr><td>Array-style (<code>[]</code>)</td><td>Works</td><td>Fails</td><td>Works</td><td>Fails</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>When working with <code>findOne()</code>, choose the method that best suits your needs and stick to it for consistency. Let me know if this post helps clarify the confusion!</p>

Working with MongoDB in PHP can be confusing, especially when it comes to the behavior of findOne() and how the results can be accessed. This blog post aims to clarify the nuances and help you avoid common pitfalls.

Understanding MongoDB's findOne() Behavior in PHP

<p>MongoDB's <code>find()</code> method is a powerful way to query multiple documents in PHP. However, the way you process the results can significantly impact the efficiency and readability of your code. This blog post explores two common approaches to handling the results of <code>find()</code> in PHP: using <code><strong>toArray()</strong></code> and iterating directly with <code><strong>foreach</strong></code>.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1693832581943-15b43d13f1b4?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wxNTQwMTB8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzMnx8Y29uZnVzaW9ufGVufDB8fHx8MTczNDczODQ5OHww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.0.3&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080"><figcaption>Photo by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/@yogidan2012?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Daniele Levis Pelusi</a> on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=DNX&amp;utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><h2>The Basics: <code>find()</code></h2><p>The <code>find()</code> method in MongoDB returns a <strong>cursor</strong>, which is an iterable object that allows you to traverse through documents one by one. You can process the documents directly or convert the cursor into an array for batch processing.</p><h3>Example Query</h3><pre><code class="language-php">$cursor = $collection-&gt;find([
    'teamCode' =&gt; 'RMSC',
]);</code></pre><p>This retrieves all documents where <code>teamCode</code> is <code>'RMSC'</code>.</p><p>Now, let's explore the two methods of processing these results.</p><h2>Method 1: Using <code>toArray()</code></h2><p>The <code><strong>toArray()</strong></code> method converts the entire cursor into a PHP array. This is useful when you need all documents at once, such as passing them to a function or performing batch operations.</p><h3>Example</h3><pre><code class="language-php">$documents = $cursor-&gt;toArray(); // Converts the cursor into an array

foreach ($documents as $doc) {
    echo "Slug: " . $doc['slug'] . "\n";
}

// The documents array is reusable
print_r($documents);</code></pre><h3>Pros</h3><ul><li><strong>Convenience</strong>: All documents are immediately available as an array.</li><li><strong>Reusability</strong>: The resulting array can be passed to functions or processed multiple times.</li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul><li><strong>Memory Usage</strong>: Loads all documents into memory at once, which can be problematic for large datasets.</li><li><strong>Batch Processing Only</strong>: You lose the ability to process documents incrementally.</li></ul><h2>Method 2: Using <code>foreach</code> Directly on the Cursor</h2><p>Instead of converting the cursor, you can iterate over it directly using <code>foreach</code>. This streams documents one at a time from MongoDB, which is more memory-efficient for large datasets.</p><h3>Example</h3><pre><code class="language-php">foreach ($cursor as $doc) {
    echo "Slug: " . $doc['slug'] . "\n";
}</code></pre><h3>Pros</h3><ul><li><strong>Memory Efficiency</strong>: Only one document is loaded into memory at a time.</li><li><strong>Streaming</strong>: Ideal for processing large datasets incrementally.</li></ul><h3>Cons</h3><ul><li><strong>Single Use</strong>: Once a cursor is exhausted, it cannot be reused.</li><li><strong>Less Convenient for Arrays</strong>: If you need all documents in an array, you must manually build it.</li></ul><h3>Building an Array with <code>foreach</code></h3><pre><code class="language-php">$documents = [];
foreach ($cursor as $doc) {
    $documents[] = $doc;
}

// Now $documents contains all documents
print_r($documents);</code></pre><h2>Key Differences: <code>toArray()</code> vs <code>foreach</code></h2><figure class="table"><table class="ui table celled"><thead><tr><th>Feature</th><th><code>toArray()</code></th><th><code>foreach</code> on Cursor</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Memory Usage</td><td>High (loads all documents into memory)</td><td>Low (loads one document at a time)</td></tr><tr><td>Incremental Processing</td><td>❌</td><td>✅</td></tr><tr><td>Reusability</td><td>✅ Can reuse the resulting array</td><td>❌ Cursor is exhausted after iteration</td></tr><tr><td>Convenience</td><td>✅ Directly get all documents as an array</td><td>❌ Must manually build array if needed</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2>When to Use Each</h2><h3>Use <code>toArray()</code> When:</h3><ul><li>You are working with small datasets.</li><li>You need all documents at once (e.g., for batch operations).</li><li>You want the convenience of an array for reuse or passing to functions.</li></ul><h3>Use <code>foreach</code> on the Cursor When:</h3><ul><li>You are processing large datasets.</li><li>You want to keep memory usage low.</li><li>You are performing streaming or incremental processing.</li></ul><h2>Practical Example: A Function Requiring an Array</h2><p>Imagine you have a function that processes an array of documents:</p><pre><code class="language-php">function processDocuments(array $documents) {
    foreach ($documents as $doc) {
        echo $doc['slug'] . "\n";
    }
}</code></pre><h3>With <code>toArray()</code></h3><pre><code class="language-php">$documents = $cursor-&gt;toArray();
processDocuments($documents); // Directly pass the array</code></pre><h3>With <code>foreach</code></h3><pre><code class="language-php">$documents = [];
foreach ($cursor as $doc) {
    $documents[] = $doc; // Manually build the array
}
processDocuments($documents);</code></pre><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Both <code>toArray()</code> and <code>foreach</code> on the cursor are valid ways to process results from MongoDB's <code>find()</code> method. The choice depends on your use case:</p><ul><li><strong>For small datasets and convenience</strong>, use <code>toArray()</code>.</li><li><strong>For large datasets and memory efficiency</strong>, use <code>foreach</code>.</li></ul><p>Understanding these differences can help you write more efficient and maintainable code. Happy coding!</p>

MongoDB's find() method is a powerful way to query multiple documents in PHP. However, the way you process the results can significantly impact the efficiency and readability of your code. This blog post explores two common approaches to handling the results of find() in PHP: using toArray() and iterating directly with foreach.

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