DOCS-16216 add hint option to distinct command (#4666)

* DOCS-16216 add hint option

* DOCS-16216 nit fix

* DOCS-16216 internal feedback

* DOCS-16216 internal feedback

* DOCS-16216 update example

* DOCS-16216 fix code example

* DOCS-16216 feedback

Author: jocelyn-mendez1

source/reference/command/distinct.txt

@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ The command has the following syntax:
         query: <query>,
         readConcern: <read concern document>,
         collation: <collation document>,
-        comment: <any>
+        comment: <any>,
+        hint: <string or document>
       }
    )
 
@@ -86,7 +87,14 @@ The command takes the following fields:
      - .. include:: /includes/extracts/comment-content.rst
 
        .. versionadded:: 4.4
- 
+
+   * - ``hint``
+     - string or document
+     - Optional. Specify the index name, either as a string or a document. If specified, 
+       the query planner only considers plans using the hinted index. For more details, 
+       see :ref:`Specify an Index <index-example>`. 
+
+       .. versionadded:: 7.1
 
 .. include:: /includes/note-distinct-bson-limit-agg-alternative.rst
 
@@ -363,3 +371,22 @@ majority of the nodes.
    )
 
 .. include:: /includes/usage-read-concern-majority.rst
+
+.. _index-example:
+
+Specify an Index 
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You can specify an index name or pattern using the hint option.
+
+To specify a hint based on an index name:
+
+.. code-block:: javascript
+
+   db.runCommand ( { distinct: "inventory", key: "dept", hint: "sizes" } )
+
+To specify a hint based on an index pattern:
+
+.. code-block:: javascript
+
+   db.runCommand ( { distinct: "inventory", key: "dept", hint: { sizes: 1 } } )

source/release-notes/7.1.txt

@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ MongoDB 7.1 adds the :parameter:`indexBuildMinAvailableDiskSpaceMB`
 parameter, which allows you to set the minimum available disk space
 required for index builds.
 
+Specify a query's index using the hint field
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Starting in MongoDB 7.1, the hint field is available in the :dbcommand:`distinct` command, 
+allowing you to specify the query's index. 
+
 ``serverStatus`` Output Change 
 ------------------------------