`Select`

This reference topic applies to FQL v4. Go to this page for the latest FQL v10 reference topics.

Select( path, from, [ default ] )

select( path, from, [ default ] )

Select( path, from, [ default ] )

Select( path, from, [ default ] )

Select( path, from, [ default ] )

Select( path, from, [ default ] )

Description

The Select function extracts a single value from a document. It extracts the value identified by the path parameter out of the from parameter and returns the value. If the path does not exist, the optional default value is returned. If the path does not exist and the default value is not provided, an error is returned.

Paths

The path parameter defines which part of from should be selected and returned.

If from is an Array, path can be expressed as a Long which is interpreted a the zero-based index from the start of the array. For example:
Select(2, ['one', 'two', 'three', 'four'])
'three'
If from is an Object, path can be expressed as a String, which is interpreted as the name of a field in from. For example:
Select('b', {a: 'one', b: 'two', c: 'three'})
'two'

If from is an Object that has nested objects, path can be expressed as an Array that has field names, or array offsets, that lead to the value in the structure of from. For example:

Let(
  {
    from: {
      timestamp: Now(),
      leaders: [
        {
          player: 'eskwayrd',
          position: [53, 47],
          score: 11,
        },
        {
          player: 'databrecht',
          position: [11, 22],
          score: 10,
        },
        {
          player: 'n400',
          position: [37, 4],
          score: 7,
        },
      ],
    }
  },
  Select(['leaders', 1, 'position', 1], Var('from'))
)

Parameter

Parameter Type Definition and Requirements

Parameter	Type	Definition and Requirements
`path`	Array, Long, or String	The field name path (the list of field names or array offsets required to access a specific field nested in the document structure), array offset, or field name in `from` to select.
`from`	Array or Object	The value with the data to be selected.
`default`	Any	Optional - The value to be returned if the `path` does not exist in `from`. To express this parameter, use the Go-only `Default` function.

path

Array, Long, or String

The field name path (the list of field names or array offsets required to access a specific field nested in the document structure), array offset, or field name in from to select.

from

Array or Object

The value with the data to be selected.

default

Any

Optional - The value to be returned if the path does not exist in from.

To express this parameter, use the Go-only Default function.

Returns

The value at the path in from, or the default value if the path does not exist in from.

Examples

The following query extracts from the top level object named "favorites" and second level array called "foods" the value in position 1 of the array. This value is "munchings."

client.query(
  q.Select(
    ['favorites', 'foods', 1],
    { favorites: { foods: ['crunchings', 'munchings', 'lunchings'] } },
  )
)
.then((ret) => console.log(ret))
.catch((err) => console.error(
  'Error: [%s] %s: %s',
  err.name,
  err.message,
  err.errors()[0].description,
))

munchings

result = client.query(
  q.select(
    ["favorites", "foods", 1],
    {
      "favorites": {"foods": ["crunchings", "munchings", "lunchings"]}
    }
  )
)
print(result)

munchings

result, err := client.Query(
	f.Select(
		f.Arr{"favorites", "foods", 1},
		f.Obj{
			"favorites": f.Obj{
				"foods": f.Arr{"crunchings", "munchings", "lunchings"}}}))

if err != nil {
	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
} else {
	fmt.Println(result)
}

munchings

try
{
    Value result = await client.Query(
        Select(
            Arr("favorites", "foods", 1),
            Obj(
                "favorites", Obj("foods", Arr("crunchings", "munchings", "lunchings"))
            )
        )
    );
    Console.WriteLine(result);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"ERROR: {e.Message}");
}

StringV(munchings)

System.out.println(
    client.query(
        Select(
            Arr(Value("favorites"), Value("foods"), Value(1)),
            Obj(
                "favorites", Obj(
                    "foods", Arr(
                        Value("crunchings"),
                        Value("munchings"),
                        Value("lunchings")
                    )
                )
            )
        )
    ).get());

"munchings"

Select(
  ['favorites', 'foods', 1],
  { favorites: { foods: ['crunchings', 'munchings', 'lunchings'] } },
)

'munchings'

Query metrics:

bytesIn: 126
bytesOut: 24
computeOps: 1
readOps: 0
writeOps: 0
readBytes: 0
writeBytes: 0
queryTime: 5ms
retries: 0

The following query uses Select to extract the document ID from the Reference:

client.query(
  q.Select(['id'], q.Database('prydain'))
)
.then((ret) => console.log(ret))
.catch((err) => console.error(
  'Error: [%s] %s: %s',
  err.name,
  err.message,
  err.errors()[0].description,
))

prydain

result = client.query(
  q.select(["id"], q.database("prydain"))
)
print(result)

prydain

result, err := client.Query(
	f.Select(f.Arr{"id"}, f.Database("prydain")))

if err != nil {
	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
} else {
	fmt.Println(result)
}

prydain

try
{
    Value result = await client.Query(
        Select(Arr("id"), Database("prydain"))
    );
    Console.WriteLine(result);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"ERROR: {e.Message}");
}

StringV(prydain)

System.out.println(
    client.query(
        Select(Arr(Value("id")), Database("prydain"))
    ).get());

"prydain"

Select(['id'], Database('prydain'))

'prydain'

Query metrics:

bytesIn: 47
bytesOut: 22
computeOps: 1
readOps: 0
writeOps: 0
readBytes: 62
writeBytes: 0
queryTime: 6ms
retries: 0

The following query demonstrates how the default value is returned when the path is not found in from:

client.query(
  q.Select('e', { a: 1, b: 2 }, 'The default')
)
.then((ret) => console.log(ret))
.catch((err) => console.error(
  'Error: [%s] %s: %s',
  err.name,
  err.message,
  err.errors()[0].description,
))

The default

result = client.query(
  q.select("e", {"a": 1, "b": 2}, "The default")
)
print(result)

The default

result, err := client.Query(
	f.Select("e", f.Obj{"a": 1, "b": 2}, f.Default("The default")))

if err != nil {
	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
} else {
	fmt.Println(result)
}

The default

try
{
    Value result = await client.Query(
        Select("e", Obj("a", 1, "b", 2), "The default")
    );
    Console.WriteLine(result);
}
catch (Exception e)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"ERROR: {e.Message}");
}

StringV(The default)

System.out.println(
    client.query(
        Select(
            Arr(Value("e")),
            Obj("a", Value(1), "b", Value(2)),
            Value("The default")
        )
    ).get());

"The default"

Select('e', { a: 1, b: 2 }, 'The default')

'The default'

Query metrics:

bytesIn: 70
bytesOut: 26
computeOps: 1
readOps: 0
writeOps: 0
readBytes: 0
writeBytes: 0
queryTime: 2ms
retries: 0