MONGOC_COLLECTION_UPDATE_MANY(3)

📦
version 2.5.6 · 16 versions
, in epel 10

💅 MONGOC_COLLECTION_UPDATE_MANY — bestie edition

okay so you're in the libmongoc docs, specifically the MONGOC_COLLECTION_UPDATE_MANY(3) page, and honestly? this one ate. it's the "update literally everybody who matches" function and it's lowkey iconic. let's get into it 🎀

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

bool
mongoc_collection_update_many (mongoc_collection_t *collection,
                               const bson_t *selector,
                               const bson_t *update,
                               const bson_t *opts,
                               bson_t *reply,
                               bson_error_t *error);

that's the whole signature, no cap. six args, one bool back. slay.

🌸 PARAMETERS 🌸

okay so here's who's who in this little friend group 🫶

  • collection: A mongoc_collection_t. the collection itself, main character energy.
  • selector: A bson_t containing the query to match documents for updating. basically the vibe check that decides who gets updated 💅
  • update: A bson_t containing the update to perform. but — if updating with a pipeline, it's a bson_t array instead. just so you know, iykyk.
  • reply: A maybe-NULL pointer to overwritable storage for a bson_t to contain the results.
  • error: An optional location for a bson_error_t or NULL. optional bestie, no pressure.

🦋 the opts situation

opts may be NULL or a BSON document with additional command options. and oof, there are a lot of them. let's go:

  • writeConcern: Construct a mongoc_write_concern_t and use mongoc_write_concern_append() to add the write concern to opts. See the example code for mongoc_client_write_command_with_opts().
  • sessionId: First, construct a mongoc_client_session_t with mongoc_client_start_session(). You can begin a transaction with mongoc_client_session_start_transaction(), optionally with a mongoc_transaction_opt_t that overrides the options inherited from collection, and use mongoc_client_session_append() to add the session to opts. See the example code for mongoc_client_session_t.
  • validate: Construct a bitwise-or of all desired bson_validate_flags_t. Set to false to skip client-side validation of the provided BSON documents.
  • comment: A bson_value_t specifying the comment to attach to this command. The comment will appear in log messages, profiler output, and currentOp output. Requires MongoDB 4.4 or later. ⚠️
  • bypassDocumentValidation: Set to true to skip server-side schema validation of the provided BSON documents. living dangerously, love that for you 🙈
  • collation: Configure textual comparisons. See Setting Collation Order, and the MongoDB Manual entry on Collation. Collation requires MongoDB 3.2 or later, otherwise an error is returned.
  • hint: A document or string that specifies the index to use to support the query predicate.
  • upsert: When true, creates a new document if no document matches the query. ✨ manifestation ✨
  • let: A BSON document consisting of any number of parameter names, each followed by definitions of constants in the MQL Aggregate Expression language.
  • arrayFilters: An array of filters specifying to which array elements an update should apply.

🔥 DESCRIPTION 🔥

This function updates all documents in collection that match selector. yes, all of them. periodt.

To update at most one document see mongoc_collection_update_one(). that's the one-at-a-time girlie.

If you pass a non-NULL reply, it is filled out with fields matchedCount, modifiedCount, and optionally upsertedId if applicable. If there is a server error then reply contains either a "writeErrors" array with one subdocument or a "writeConcernErrors" array.

💀 important: the reply must be freed with bson_destroy(). don't leave it hanging, that's not the vibe.

😭 ERRORS 😭

Errors are propagated via the error parameter. that's it, that's the whole section. short but honestly so real.

👑 RETURNS 👑

Returns true if successful. Returns false and sets error if there are invalid arguments or a server or network error.

A write concern timeout or write concern error is considered a failure. no half-slaying allowed, it's all or nothing 💅

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

  • MongoDB update command documentation for more information on the update options.
  • mongoc_collection_update_one()

💖 AUTHOR 💖

MongoDB, Inc

2009-present, MongoDB, Inc.

and that's the whole page bestie!! this one's from version 2.5.6, dated Oct 09, 2026 — go update many things responsibly, mwah 🧚‍♀️💜

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