Type Functions

Note

Since version 3.0.0-beta, the ::is:: functions (e.g. type::is::record()) now use underscores (e.g. type::is_record()) to better match the intent of the function and method syntax.

These functions can be used for generating and coercing data to specific data types. These functions are useful when accepting input values in client libraries, and ensuring that they are the desired type within SQL statements.

Function	Description
`type::array()`	Converts a value into an array
`type::bool()`	Converts a value into a boolean
`type::bytes()`	Converts a value into bytes
`type::datetime()`	Converts a value into a datetime
`type::decimal()`	Converts a value into a decimal
`type::duration()`	Converts a value into a duration
`type::field()`	Projects a single field within a SELECT statement
`type::fields()`	Projects a multiple fields within a SELECT statement
`type::file()`	Converts two strings into a file pointer
`type::float()`	Converts a value into a floating point number
`type::int()`	Converts a value into an integer
`type::number()`	Converts a value into a number
`type::of()`	Returns the type of a value
`type::point()`	Converts a value into a geometry point
`type::record()`	Converts a value into a record pointer
`type::string()`	Converts a value into a string
`type::table()`	Converts a value into a table
`type::range()`	Converts a value into a range
`type::uuid()`	Converts a value into a UUID
`type::is_array()`	Checks if given value is of type array
`type::is_bool()`	Checks if given value is of type bool
`type::is_bytes()`	Checks if given value is of type bytes
`type::is_collection()`	Checks if given value is of type collection
`type::is_datetime()`	Checks if given value is of type datetime
`type::is_decimal()`	Checks if given value is of type decimal
`type::is_duration()`	Checks if given value is of type duration
`type::is_float()`	Checks if given value is of type float
`type::is_geometry()`	Checks if given value is of type geometry
`type::is_int()`	Checks if given value is of type int
`type::is_line()`	Checks if given value is of type line
`type::is_none()`	Checks if given value is of type none
`type::is_null()`	Checks if given value is of type null
`type::is_multiline()`	Checks if given value is of type multiline
`type::is_multipoint()`	Checks if given value is of type multipoint
`type::is_multipolygon()`	Checks if given value is of type multipolygon
`type::is_number()`	Checks if given value is of type number
`type::is_object()`	Checks if given value is of type object
`type::is_point()`	Checks if given value is of type point
`type::is_polygon()`	Checks if given value is of type polygon
`type::is_range()`	Checks if given value is of type range
`type::is_record()`	Checks if given value is of type record
`type::is_string()`	Checks if given value is of type string
`type::is_uuid()`	Checks if given value is of type uuid

`type::array`

The type::array function converts a value into an array.

API DEFINITION

type::array(array|range) -> array

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::array(1..=3);

-- [1, 2, 3]

This is the equivalent of using <array> to cast a value to an array.

`type::bool`

The type::bool function converts a value into a boolean.

API DEFINITION

type::bool(bool|string) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::bool("true");

-- true

This is the equivalent of using <bool> to cast a value to a boolean.

`type::bytes`

The type::bytes function converts a value into bytes.

API DEFINITION

type::bytes(bytes|string) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::bytes("A few bytes");

-- b"4120666577206279746573"

This is the equivalent of using <bytes> to cast a value to bytes.

`type::datetime`

The type::datetime function converts a value into a datetime.

API DEFINITION

type::datetime(datetime|string) -> datetime

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::datetime("2022-04-27T18:12:27+00:00");

-- d'2022-04-27T18:12:27Z'

This is the equivalent of using <datetime> to cast a value to a datetime.

`type::decimal`

The type::decimal function converts a value into a decimal.

API DEFINITION

type::decimal(decimal|float|int|number|string) -> decimal

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::decimal("12345");

-- 12345dec

This is the equivalent of using <decimal> to cast a value to a decimal.

`type::duration`

The type::duration function converts a value into a duration.

API DEFINITION

type::duration(duration|string) -> duration

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::duration("4h");

-- 4h

This is the equivalent of using <duration> to cast a value to a duration.

`type::field`

The type::field function projects a single field within a SELECT statement.

API DEFINITION

type::field(string)

The following example shows this function, and its output:

CREATE person:test SET title = 'Mr', name.first = 'Tobie', name.last = 'Morgan Hitchcock';

LET $param = 'name.first';

SELECT type::field($param), type::field('name.last') FROM person;

SELECT VALUE { 'firstname': type::field($param), lastname: type::field('name.last') } FROM person;

SELECT VALUE [type::field($param), type::field('name.last')] FROM person;

Output

[
	{
		id: person:test,
		title: 'Mr',
		name: {
			first: 'Tobie',
			last: 'Morgan Hitchcock',
	    }
	}
]

This function can be used after the OMIT clause of a SELECT statement.

LET $omit = "id";
CREATE person SET name = "Galen", surname = "Pathwarden", age = 19;
SELECT * OMIT type::field($omit) FROM person;

Output

[
	{
		age: 19,
		name: 'Galen',
		surname: 'Pathwarden'
	}
]

`type::fields`

The type::fields function projects one or more fields within a SELECT statement.

API DEFINITION

type::fields(array<string>)

The following example shows this function, and its output:

CREATE person:test SET title = 'Mr', name.first = 'Tobie', name.last = 'Morgan Hitchcock';

LET $param = ['name.first', 'name.last'];

SELECT type::fields($param), type::fields(['title']) FROM person;

SELECT VALUE { 'names': type::fields($param) } FROM person;

SELECT VALUE type::fields($param) FROM person;

Output

[
	{
		id: person:test,
		title: 'Mr',
		name: {
			first: 'Tobie',
			last: 'Morgan Hitchcock',
		}
	}
]

This function can be used after the OMIT clause of a SELECT statement.

LET $omit = ["id", "age"];
CREATE person SET name = "Galen", surname = "Pathwarden", age = 19;
SELECT * OMIT type::fields($omit) FROM person;

Output

[
	{
		name: 'Galen',
		surname: 'Pathwarden'
	}
]

`type::file`

The type::file function converts two strings representing a bucket name and a key into a file pointer.

API DEFINITION

type::file($bucket: string, $key: string) -> file

An example of a file pointer created using this function:

type::file("my_bucket", "file_name")

Output

f"my_bucket:/file_name"

The following query shows the equivalent file pointer when created using the f prefix:

type::file("my_bucket", "file_name") == f"my_bucket:/file_name";

-- true

Once a bucket has been defined, operations using one of the file functions can be performed on the file pointer.

DEFINE BUCKET my_bucket BACKEND "memory";

type::file("my_bucket", "file_name").put("Some data inside");
type::file("my_bucket", "file_name").get();

Output

b"536F6D65206461746120696E73696465"

`type::float`

The type::float function converts a value into a float.

API DEFINITION

type::float(decimal|float|int|number|string) -> float

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::float("12345");

-- 12345f

This is the equivalent of using <float> to cast a value to a float.

`type::int`

The type::int function converts a value into an integer.

API DEFINITION

type::int(decimal|float|int|number|string) -> int

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::int("12345");

-- 12345

This is the equivalent of using <int> to cast a value to a int.

`type::number`

The type::number function converts a value into a number.

API DEFINITION

type::number(decimal|float|int|number|string) -> number

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::number("12345");

-- 12345

This is the equivalent of using <number> to cast a value to a number.

`type:of`

The type::of function returns a string denoting the type of a value.

API DEFINITION

type::of(value) -> string

type::of(2022dec);        -- 'decimal';
type::of(["some", 9]);    -- 'array';
type::of((50.0, 9.9));    -- 'geometry<point>'

`type::point`

The type::point function converts a value into a geometry point.

API DEFINITION

type::point(array|point) -> point

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::point([ 51.509865, -0.118092 ]);

-- (51.509865, -0.118092)

`type::range`

The type::range function converts a value into a range. It accepts a single argument, either a range or an array with two values. If the argument is an array, it will be converted into a range, similar to casting.

API DEFINITION

type::range(range|array) -> range<record>

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::range([1, 2]);
-- 1..2

RETURN type::range(1..10);
-- 1..10

RETURN type::range([1,9,4]);
-- 'Expected a range but cannot convert [1, 9, 4] into a range'

`type::record`

Note

This function was known as type::thing in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::record function converts a value into a record pointer definition.

API DEFINITION

type::record($table: any, $key: any) -> record

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

LET $tb = "person";
LET $id = "tobie";
RETURN type::record($tb, $id);

An example of this function being used to turn an array of objects into records to be created or upserted:

FOR $data IN [
	{
		id: 9,
		name: 'Billy'
	},
	{
		id: 10,
		name: 'Bobby'
	}
] {
	UPSERT type::record('person', $data.id) CONTENT $data;
};

An example of the same except in which the num field is to be used as the record's ID. In this case, it can be mapped with the array::map() function to rename num as id so that the following CONTENT clause does not create both a num and an id with the same value.

FOR $data IN [
	{
		name: 'Billy',
		num: 9
	},
    {
		name: 'Bobby',
		num: 10
	},
].map(|$o| {
    id: $o.num,
    name: $o.name
}) {
    UPSERT type::record('person', $data.id) CONTENT $data;
};

If the second argument passed into type::record is a record ID, the latter part of the ID (the record identifier) will be extracted and used.

type::record("person", person:mat);

-- person:mat

The output of the above function call will thus be person:mat, not person:person:mat.

`type::string`

The type::string function converts any value except NONE, NULL, and bytes into a string.

API DEFINITION

type::string(any) -> string

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::string(12345);

-- '12345'

This is the equivalent of using <string> to cast a value to a string.

`type::string_lossy`

The type::string_lossy function converts any value except NONE, NULL, and bytes into a string. In the case of bytes, it will not return an error if the bytes are not valid UTF-8. Instead, invalid bytes will be replaced with the character � (U+FFFD REPLACEMENT CHARACTER, used in Unicode to represent a decoding error).

API DEFINITION

type::string(any) -> string

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

-- Contains some invalid bytes
type::string_lossy(<bytes>[83, 117, 114, 255, 114, 101, 97, 254, 108, 68, 66]);
-- valid bytes
type::string_lossy(<bytes>[ 83, 117, 114, 114, 101, 97, 108, 68, 66 ]);

Output

-------- Query --------

'Sur�rea�lDB'

-------- Query --------

'SurrealDB'

This is similar to using <string> to cast a value to a string, except that an input of bytes will not fail.

`type::table`

The type::table function converts a value into a table name.

API DEFINITION

type::table(record|string) -> string

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN [
  type::table("person"),
  type::table(cat:one)
];

-- [person, cat]

As of version 2.0, SurrealDB no longer eagerly parses strings into record IDs. As such, the output of the last item ("dog:two") in the following example will differ. In version 1.x, it will be eagerly parsed into a record ID after which the dog table name will be returned, while in version 2.x it will be treated as a string and converted into the table name dog:two.

RETURN [
  type::table(55),
  type::table(cat:one),
  type::table("dog"),
  type::table("dog:two"),
];

Output (V1.x)

[
	`55`,
	cat,
	dog,
	dog
]

`type::uuid`

The type::uuid function converts a value into a UUID.

API DEFINITION

type::uuid(string|uuid) -> uuid

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::uuid("0191f946-936f-7223-bef5-aebbc527ad80");

-- u'0191f946-936f-7223-bef5-aebbc527ad80'

`type::is_array`

Note

This function was known as type::is::array in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_array function checks if the passed value is of type array.

API DEFINITION

type::is_array(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_array([ 'a', 'b', 'c' ]);

-- true

`type::is_bool`

Note

This function was known as type::is::bool in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_bool function checks if the passed value is of type bool.

API DEFINITION

type::is_bool(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_bool(true);

-- true

`type::is_bytes`

Note

This function was known as type::is::bytes in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_bytes function checks if the passed value is of type bytes.

API DEFINITION

type::is_bytes(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_bytes("I am not bytes");

-- false

`type::is_collection`

Note

This function was known as type::is::collection in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_collection function checks if the passed value is of type collection.

API DEFINITION

type::is_collection(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_collection("I am not a collection");

-- false

`type::is_datetime`

Note

This function was known as type::is::datetime in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_datetime function checks if the passed value is of type datetime.

API DEFINITION

type::is_datetime(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_datetime(time::now());

-- true

`type::is_decimal`

Note

This function was known as type::is::decimal in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_decimal function checks if the passed value is of type decimal.

API DEFINITION

type::is_decimal(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_decimal(<decimal> 13.5719384719384719385639856394139476937756394756);

-- true

`type::is_duration`

Note

This function was known as type::is::duration in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_duration function checks if the passed value is of type duration.

API DEFINITION

type::is_duration(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_duration('1970-01-01T00:00:00');

-- false

`type::is_float`

Note

This function was known as type::is::float in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_float function checks if the passed value is of type float.

API DEFINITION

type::is_float(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_float(<float> 41.5);

-- true

`type::is_geometry`

Note

This function was known as type::is::geometry in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_geometry function checks if the passed value is of type geometry.

API DEFINITION

type::is_geometry(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_geometry((-0.118092, 51.509865));

-- true

`type::is_int`

Note

This function was known as type::is::int in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_int function checks if the passed value is of type int.

API DEFINITION

type::is_int(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_int(<int> 123);

-- true

`type::is_line`

Note

This function was known as type::is::line in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_line function checks if the passed value is of type line.

API DEFINITION

type::is_line(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_line("I am not a line");

-- false

`type::is_none`

Note

This function was known as type::is::none in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_none function checks if the passed value is of type none.

API DEFINITION

type::is_none(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_none(NONE);

-- true

`type::is_null`

Note

This function was known as type::is::null in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_null function checks if the passed value is of type null.

API DEFINITION

type::is_null(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_null(NULL);

-- true

`type::is_multiline`

Note

This function was known as type::is::multiline in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_multiline function checks if the passed value is of type multiline.

API DEFINITION

type::is_multiline(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_multiline("I am not a multiline");

-- false

`type::is_multipoint`

Note

This function was known as type::is::multipoint in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_multipoint function checks if the passed value is of type multipoint.

API DEFINITION

type::is_multipoint(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_multipoint("I am not a multipoint");

-- false

`type::is_multipolygon`

Note

This function was known as type::is::multipolygon in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_multipolygon function checks if the passed value is of type multipolygon.

API DEFINITION

type::is_multipolygon(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_multipolygon("I am not a multipolygon");

-- false

`type::is_number`

Note

This function was known as type::is::number in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_number function checks if the passed value is of type number.

API DEFINITION

type::is_number(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_number(123);

-- true

`type::is_object`

Note

This function was known as type::is::object in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_object function checks if the passed value is of type object.

API DEFINITION

type::is_object(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_object({ hello: 'world' });

-- true

`type::is_point`

Note

This function was known as type::is::point in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_point function checks if the passed value is of type point.

API DEFINITION

type::is_point(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_point((-0.118092, 51.509865));

-- true

`type::is_polygon`

Note

This function was known as type::is::polygon in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_polygon function checks if the passed value is of type polygon.

API DEFINITION

type::is_polygon(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_polygon("I am not a polygon");

-- false

`type::is_range`

Note

This function was known as type::is::range in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_range function checks if the passed value is of type range.

API DEFINITION

type::is_range(any) -> bool

type::is_range(0..1);
-- true

// method syntax
(0..1).is_range();
-- true

`type::is_record`

Note

This function was known as type::is::record in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_record function checks if the passed value is of type record.

API DEFINITION

type::is_record(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_record(user:tobie);

-- true

Validate a table

Check if user:tobie is a record on the test table

RETURN type::is_record(user:tobie, 'test');

-- false

`type::is_string`

Note

This function was known as type::is::string in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_string function checks if the passed value is of type string.

API DEFINITION

type::is_string(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_string("abc");

-- true

`type::is_uuid`

Note

This function was known as type::is::uuid in versions of SurrrealDB before 3.0.0-beta. The behaviour has not changed.

The type::is_uuid function checks if the passed value is of type uuid.

API DEFINITION

type::is_uuid(any) -> bool

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a RETURN statement:

RETURN type::is_uuid(u"018a6680-bef9-701b-9025-e1754f296a0f");

-- true

Method chaining

Method chaining allows functions to be called using the . dot operator on a value of a certain type instead of the full path of the function followed by the value.

-- Traditional syntax
type::is_record(r"person:aeon", "cat");

-- Method chaining syntax
r"person:aeon".is_record("cat");

Response

false