DOCS-1595 adding table mapping helpers to their javascript equivalents

source/core/server-side-javascript.txt

@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ administrative work. When you run :program:`mongo` shell on the server,
 connecting via the localhost interface, the connection is fast with low
 latency.
 
+The :ref:`command helpers <command-helpers>` provided in the
+:program:`mongo` shell cannot be used inside JavaScript files because
+they are not valid JavaScript. The following table maps the most common
+:program:`mongo` shell helpers to their JavaScript equivalents.
+
+.. include:: /includes/table-helpers-to-javascript.rst
+
 Concurrency
 -----------
 

source/includes/table-helpers-to-javascript.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+.. list-table::
+   :header-rows: 1
+
+   * - **Shell Helpers**
+     - **JavaScript Equivalents**
+
+   * - ``show dbs``, ``show databases``
+
+     - ``db.adminCommand('listDatabases')``
+
+   * - ``use <db>``
+
+     - ``db = db.getSiblingDB('<db>')``
+
+   * - ``show collections``
+
+     - ``db.getCollectionNames()``
+
+   * - ``show users``
+
+     - ``db.system.users.find()``
+
+   * - ``show log <logname>``
+
+     - ``db.adminCommand( { 'getLog' : '<logname>' } )``
+
+   * - ``show logs``
+
+     - ``db.adminCommand( { 'getLog' : '*' } )

source/tutorial/write-scripts-for-the-mongo-shell.txt

@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@ non-default port ``27020`` and set the global ``db`` variable:
 If you create new connections inside a :ref:`JavaScript file
 <mongo-shell-javascript-file>`:
 
-- You **cannot** use ``use <dbname>`` inside the file to set the ``db``
-  global variable.
-
 - To set the ``db`` global variable, use the :method:`~Mongo.getDB()`
   method or the :method:`connect()` method. You can assign the
   database reference to a variable other than ``db``.
@@ -62,6 +59,15 @@ If you create new connections inside a :ref:`JavaScript file
   :method:`db.getLastErrorObj()` or :method:`db.getLastError()`
   explicitly to wait for the result of :doc:`write
   operations</core/write-operations>`.
+
+- You **cannot** use any shell helper (e.g. ``use <dbname>``, ``show
+  dbs``, etc.) inside the JavaScript file because they are not valid
+  JavaScript.
+
+  The following table maps the most common :program:`mongo` shell
+  helpers to their JavaScript equivalents.
+
+  .. include:: /includes/table-helpers-to-javascript.rst
 
 .. _mongo-shell-scripting: