How to Convert MongoDB ObjectID to a Valid ID in Node.js

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When working with MongoDB, it’s not uncommon to encounter issues related to ObjectIDs. One frequent problem developers face is attempting to use an ObjectID and encountering errors. In this guide, we will discuss a specific scenario involving the conversion of a MongoDB ObjectID to a valid ID and how to overcome the "not a valid ObjectId" error.

The Problem

Imagine you're fetching a document from your MongoDB collection using the following code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

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Upon executing the query, you encounter an error:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Despite knowing that if the _id is of BSON type, conversion to ObjectID is unnecessary, you continuously face this issue. Although you tried to convert it with the following code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

You receive a new error indicating:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Understanding the Error

Key Points to Note:

ObjectIDs are often represented as 24-byte hex strings or 12-byte binary strings.

Directly trying to convert an ObjectID in the form of an object leads to the encountered errors.

The Solution

Step-by-Step Guide:

Retrieve the ID from the ObjectID:
Use the following line of code to obtain the hexadecimal string representation of the ObjectID:

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Fetch the Document Using the Extracted ID:
Now that you have a valid hex string, you can use it as follows:

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Final Code Example

Here’s how the entire process would look as a complete code snippet:

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Conclusion

Feel free to share this guide with your fellow developers who might be experiencing similar issues while working with MongoDB ObjectIDs!