Should this discuss any other methods, apart from first()?

To retrieve a single document, you can use the first() method with a find() method. To select a particular document based on ordering, use the sort() method prior to applying first().

• "append" is odd.
• Let's avoid the term "correct", except to identify actual correctness issues. This suggests first does not behave correctly unless sort is supplied, but it is often fine to select an arbitrary first item.
• I think "file" is intended to be a synonym for "document" but this should be avoided since we do not deal with files, and we should refer to documents as such.
• Somewhat technical, but the sort is part of the find operation. find() is a method.

If we are counting on using first, and it is worth suggesting sort, it is probably worth suggesting limit due to this.

There are also a few unusual or imprecise phrasings in the paragraphs above:

Use the find operation to retrieve a subset of your existing data in MongoDB. You can specify what data to return including which documents to retrieve, in what order to retrieve them, and how many to retrieve.

• "what data to return including which documents to retrieve" suggests that there might be something else besides documents
• "subset" and "existing" seem unnecessary: "Use the find operation to retrieve data from MongoDB"?

To perform a find operation, call the find() method on an instance of a MongoCollection.

• Somewhat technical, but the operation is not performed (sent to the server and executed there) until a method like "first" (or iterator, etc.) is called.

I've made some changes here. The only thing I wasn't sure what to do about is your last point:

To perform a find operation...

If someone executes the following code:

collection.find(filter)

Does the server execute a find operation? I understand there a distinction between a method and an operation, but the method is the vehicle by which a user causes a find operation to be performed, correct? Like are we just talking about semantics, or is this something that the reader would find confusing about how this written?

I appreciate you checking to make sure this is clear.

collection.find(filter) ... Does the server execute a find operation?

No, this actually happens only after a method like first (or: executeExplain, iterator, cursor, forEach, ...) is invoked. The preceding methods, like sort, build something like an BSON document representing the operation. Those final methods eventually send BSON to the server, where the operation is executed. Calling the find method on an instance of a collection will not initiate a search on the server. (Not that we need to document all of this, but the docs should not imply otherwise.)

(I do realize that some of this goes beyond what was added in this PR, so it is fine if it is addressed in another ticket.)

OK, thanks for the clarification. I've made some changes.