Question

I’m using MongoDB, the PHP driver, and Google Maps. Since Google Maps does a wrap-around for Longitudes (the LEFT longitude could be greater than the RIGHT longitude in some cases), I’m trying to get the equivalent of MySQL’s NOT BETWEEN working in MongoDB.

Has anyone successfully used the MongoDB “$or” operator to simulate NOT BETWEEN?

Here’s my (unsuccessful) attempt so far:

// If the LEFT longitude is greater
if ($longitude_left > $longitude_right) {
    $params = array(
        '$or' => array(
            'longitude' => array('$gte' => $longitude_left, '$lte' => $longitude_right)
        )
    );
}
// By default, the RIGHT longitude is greater
else {
    $params = array(
        'longitude' => array(
            '$gte' => $longitude_left, '$lte' => $longitude_right
        )
    );
}

$mongo = new Mongo();
$cursor = $mongo->energy->plants->find($params);

Answer 1

MongoDB’s PHP driver always accepts/expects arrays …

Since you are passing arrays for $gte and $lte too … both need to be in arrays for $or to work correctly.

In your example you pass the first part in an array but not an array for $or and 2 more arrays for $gte and $lte …

For your example to work, you’ll need to do something like …

$params = array('$or' => array(
                     array('longitude' => array('$gte' => $longitude_left)),
                     array('longitude' => array('$lte' => $longitude_left))
                   )
           );

$cursor = $collection->find($params);