How to check your PyMongo version and upgrade it

Updated: February 12, 2024 By: Guest Contributor Post a comment

PyMongo is a Python distribution containing tools for working with MongoDB, and is the recommended way to work with MongoDB from Python. This tutorial will guide you through checking your current PyMongo version and upgrading it, along with practical examples ranging from basic to advanced usage.

Introduction

Before diving into checking and upgrading PyMongo, it’s crucial to understand why keeping your PyMongo installation up to date is important. Newer versions often come with bug fixes, security patches, and new features that can enhance the performance and security of your MongoDB applications.

Checking Your PyMongo Version

First, let’s start by checking your current PyMongo version. This can be done easily using the Python interpreter or a Python script.

import pymongo
print(pymongo.__version__)

This simple command will output your current PyMongo version, such as 3.11.0.

Understanding PyMongo Versioning

PyMongo versions adhere to semantic versioning, meaning the version numbers follow the format of MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH. It’s important to understand this structure as it indicates the type of changes each upgrade contains.

Installing & Upgrading PyMongo

To install or upgrade PyMongo, you’ll use pip, Python’s package installer. Here’s how you can upgrade PyMongo to the latest version:

pip install --upgrade pymongo

This command will either install PyMongo if it isn’t already installed or upgrade it to the latest version. After upgrading, you can use the previous method to check your version again and confirm the upgrade.

Working with Virtual Environments

It’s recommended to use virtual environments when installing or upgrading packages in Python to avoid potential conflicts with other projects or system-wide packages. Here’s how to create a virtual environment and install PyMongo within it:

python -m venv myenv
source myenv/bin/activate
pip install pymongo

With your virtual environment activated, you can copy the upgrade command provided earlier to install the latest PyMongo version.

Advanced Version Management with Pipenv

Pipenv is a tool that aims to bring the best of all packaging worlds to the Python world. It automatically creates and manages a virtual environment for your projects, as well as adds/removes packages from your Pipfile as you install/uninstall packages. Here’s how to use Pipenv to manage your PyMongo version:

pipenv install pymongo
pipenv run python -c 'import pymongo; print(pymongo.__version__)'

With Pipenv, upgrading PyMongo is just as straightforward:

pipenv update pymongo

This will automatically find the latest version of PyMongo and update your Pipfile accordingly.

Handling Dependencies

When upgrading PyMongo, it’s essential to consider other dependencies your project might have. Ensure that any packages that depend on PyMongo are compatible with the new version. You can check for package dependencies and analysis using pipdeptree or the pip list --outdated command to see all outdated packages in your environment.

Conclusion

Keeping your PyMongo version up to date is key to maintaining the security, efficiency, and reliability of your applications. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can check, install, and upgrade PyMongo, ensuring that your development environment is always equipped with the latest tools and features offered by MongoDB.