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I need to modify a document inside an array that is inside another array. I know MongoDB doesn't support multiple '$' to iterate on multiple arrays at the same time, but they introduced arrayFilters for that. See: https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/SERVER-831

MongoDB's sample code:

db.coll.update({}, {$set: {“a.$[i].c.$[j].d”: 2}}, {arrayFilters: [{“i.b”: 0}, {“j.d”: 0}]})
Input: {a: [{b: 0, c: [{d: 0}, {d: 1}]}, {b: 1, c: [{d: 0}, {d: 1}]}]}
Output: {a: [{b: 0, c: [{d: 2}, {d: 1}]}, {b: 1, c: [{d: 0}, {d: 1}]}]}

Here's how the documents are set:

{
    "_id" : ObjectId("5a05a8b7e0ce3444f8ec5bd7"),
    "name" : "support",
    "contactTypes" : {
        "nonWorkingHours" : [],
        "workingHours" : []
    },
    "workingDays" : [],
    "people" : [ 
        {
            "enabled" : true,
            "level" : "1",
            "name" : "Someone",
            "_id" : ObjectId("5a05a8c3e0ce3444f8ec5bd8"),
            "contacts" : [ 
                {
                    "_id" : ObjectId("5a05a8dee0ce3444f8ec5bda"),
                    "retries" : "1",
                    "priority" : "1",
                    "type" : "email",
                    "data" : "some.email@email.com"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "__v" : 0
}

Here's the schema:

const ContactSchema = new Schema({
    data: String,
    type: String,
    priority: String,
    retries: String
});

const PersonSchema = new Schema({
    name: String,
    level: String,
    priority: String,
    enabled: Boolean,
    contacts: [ContactSchema]
});

const GroupSchema = new Schema({
    name: String,
    people: [PersonSchema],
    workingHours: { start: String, end: String },
    workingDays: [Number],
    contactTypes: { workingHours: [String], nonWorkingHours: [String] }
});

I need to update a contact. This is what I tried using arrayFilters:

Group.update(
    {},
    {'$set': {'people.$[i].contacts.$[j].data': 'new data'}},
    {arrayFilters: [
        {'i._id': mongoose.Types.ObjectId(req.params.personId)},
        {'j._id': mongoose.Types.ObjectId(req.params.contactId)}]},
    function(err, doc) {
        if (err) {
            res.status(500).send(err);
        }
        res.send(doc);
    }
);

The document is never updated and I get this response:

{
    "ok": 0,
    "n": 0,
    "nModified": 0
}

What am I doing wrong?

Saulo Mendes
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  • Looks kind of correct at a first glance. Are you sure your values in `req.params.personId` and `req.params.contactId` are the correct ones? Try hardcoding them to make sure that's not the problem... Also, have you tried running that query through another client to make sure it's not a Mongoose issue? – dnickless Nov 10 '17 at 14:58
  • I found out I was using a MongoDB version below 3.5.12, which implements this 'arrayFilters' feature. I'm currently setting up 3.5.13 and I'll post results here. – Saulo Mendes Nov 10 '17 at 18:37
  • I updated MongoDB to 3.5.13 and still could not edit the nested doc. Getting same result: 0, 0, 0 – Saulo Mendes Nov 10 '17 at 19:04
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    If you turn on "debugging" `mongoose.set('debug', true)` then you will in fact see that the `"arrayFilters" is actually being **stripped** from the statement and not being sent to MongoDB at all. I also want to strongly note that MongoDB 3.5 is a **development release** ( so are current 3.6 release candidates ) and as such `arrayFilters` is not actually **officially** released to the world as yet. Updated drivers are in development for the pending actual release. The command works just fine when issued from the `mongo` shell matched to the release. – Neil Lunn Nov 11 '17 at 01:10
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    Related: [Mongodb 3.6.0-rc3 array filters not working?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47225822/mongodb-3-6-0-rc3-array-filters-not-working). So it does work just fine. It's just that the "released" drivers you are using have not actually caught up to allow the necessary arguments to be passed through. – Neil Lunn Nov 11 '17 at 01:11
  • Is there something in the provided answer that you believe does not address your question? If so then please comment on the answer to clarify what exactly needs to be addressed that has not. If it does in fact answer the question you asked then please note to [Accept your Answers](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/5234/how-does-accepting-an-answer-work) to the questions you ask – Neil Lunn Nov 13 '17 at 09:59

2 Answers2

3

So the arrayFilters option with positional filtered $[<identifier>] does actually work properly with the development release series since MongoDB 3.5.12 and also in the current release candidates for the MongoDB 3.6 series, where this will actually be officially released. The only problem is of course is that the "drivers" in use have not actually caught up to this yet.

Re-iterating the same content I have already placed on Updating a Nested Array with MongoDB:

NOTE Somewhat ironically, since this is specified in the "options" argument for .update() and like methods, the syntax is generally compatible with all recent release driver versions.

However this is not true of the mongo shell, since the way the method is implemented there ( "ironically for backward compatibility" ) the arrayFilters argument is not recognized and removed by an internal method that parses the options in order to deliver "backward compatibility" with prior MongoDB server versions and a "legacy" .update() API call syntax.

So if you want to use the command in the mongo shell or other "shell based" products ( notably Robo 3T ) you need a latest version from either the development branch or production release as of 3.6 or greater.

All this means is that the current "driver" implementation of .update() actually "removes" the necessary arguments with the definition of arrayFilters. For NodeJS this will be addressed in the 3.x release series of the driver, and of course "mongoose" will then likely take some time after that release to implement it's own dependencies on the updated driver, which would then no longer "strip" such actions.

You can however still run this on a supported server instance, by dropping back to the basic "update command" syntax usage, since this bypassed the implemented driver method:

const mongoose = require('mongoose'),
      Schema = mongoose.Schema,
      ObjectId = mongoose.Types.ObjectId;

mongoose.Promise = global.Promise;
mongoose.set('debug',true);

const uri = 'mongodb://localhost/test',
      options = { useMongoClient: true };

const contactSchema = new Schema({
  data: String,
  type: String,
  priority: String,
  retries: String
});

const personSchema = new Schema({
  name: String,
  level: String,
  priority: String,
  enabled: Boolean,
  contacts: [contactSchema]
});

const groupSchema = new Schema({
  name: String,
  people: [personSchema],
  workingHours: { start: String, end: String },
  workingDays: { type: [Number], default: undefined },
  contactTypes: {
    workingHours: { type: [String], default: undefined },
    contactTypes: { type: [String], default: undefined }
  }
});

const Group = mongoose.model('Group', groupSchema);

function log(data) {
  console.log(JSON.stringify(data, undefined, 2))
}

(async function() {

  try {

    const conn = await mongoose.connect(uri,options);

    // Clean data
    await Promise.all(
      Object.entries(conn.models).map(([k,m]) => m.remove() )
    );

    // Create sample

    await Group.create({
      name: "support",
      people: [
        {
          "_id": ObjectId("5a05a8c3e0ce3444f8ec5bd8"),
          "enabled": true,
          "level": "1",
          "name": "Someone",
          "contacts": [
            {
              "type": "email",
              "data": "adifferent.email@example.com"
            },
            {
              "_id": ObjectId("5a05a8dee0ce3444f8ec5bda"),
              "retries": "1",
              "priority": "1",
              "type": "email",
              "data": "some.email@example.com"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    });

    let result = await conn.db.command({
      "update": Group.collection.name,
      "updates": [
        {
          "q": {},
          "u": { "$set": { "people.$[i].contacts.$[j].data": "new data" } },
          "multi": true,
          "arrayFilters": [
            { "i._id": ObjectId("5a05a8c3e0ce3444f8ec5bd8") },
            { "j._id": ObjectId("5a05a8dee0ce3444f8ec5bda") }
          ]
        }
      ]
    });

    log(result);

    let group = await Group.findOne();
    log(group);

  } catch(e) {
    console.error(e);
  } finally {
    mongoose.disconnect();
  }

})()

Since that sends the "command" directly through to the server, we see the expected update does in fact take place:

Mongoose: groups.remove({}, {})
Mongoose: groups.insert({ name: 'support', _id: ObjectId("5a06557fb568aa0ad793c5e4"), people: [ { _id: ObjectId("5a05a8c3e0ce3444f8ec5bd8"), enabled: true, level: '1', name: 'Someone', contacts: [ { type: 'email', data: 'adifferent.email@example.com', _id: ObjectId("5a06557fb568aa0ad793c5e5") }, { _id: ObjectId("5a05a8dee0ce3444f8ec5bda"), retries: '1', priority: '1', type: 'email', data: 'some.email@example.com' } ] } ], __v: 0 })
{ n: 1,
  nModified: 1,
  opTime:
   { ts: Timestamp { _bsontype: 'Timestamp', low_: 3, high_: 1510364543 },
     t: 24 },
  electionId: 7fffffff0000000000000018,
  ok: 1,
  operationTime: Timestamp { _bsontype: 'Timestamp', low_: 3, high_: 1510364543 },
  '$clusterTime':
   { clusterTime: Timestamp { _bsontype: 'Timestamp', low_: 3, high_: 1510364543 },
     signature: { hash: [Object], keyId: 0 } } }
Mongoose: groups.findOne({}, { fields: {} })
{
  "_id": "5a06557fb568aa0ad793c5e4",
  "name": "support",
  "__v": 0,
  "people": [
    {
      "_id": "5a05a8c3e0ce3444f8ec5bd8",
      "enabled": true,
      "level": "1",
      "name": "Someone",
      "contacts": [
        {
          "type": "email",
          "data": "adifferent.email@example.com",
          "_id": "5a06557fb568aa0ad793c5e5"
        },
        {
          "_id": "5a05a8dee0ce3444f8ec5bda",
          "retries": "1",
          "priority": "1",
          "type": "email",
          "data": "new data"            // <-- updated here
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

So right "now"[1] the drivers available "off the shelf" don't actually implement .update() or it's other implementing counterparts in a way that is compatible with actually passing through the necessary arrayFilters argument. So if you are "playing with" a development series or release candiate server, then you really should be prepared to be working with the "bleeding edge" and unreleased drivers as well.

But you can actually do this as demonstrated in any driver, in the correct form where the command being issued is not going to be altered.

[1] As of writing on November 11th 2017 there is no "official" release of MongoDB or the supported drivers that actually implement this. Production usage should be based on official releases of the server and supported drivers only.

Community
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Neil Lunn
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0

I had a similar use case. But my second level nested array doesn't have a key. While most examples out there showcase an example with arrays having a key like this:

{
  "id": 1,
  "items": [
    {
      "name": "Product 1",
      "colors": ["yellow", "blue", "black"]
    }
  ]
}

My use case is like this, without the key:

{
  "colors": [
    ["yellow"],
    ["blue"],
    ["black"]
  ]
}

I managed to use the arrayfilters by ommiting the label of the first level of the array nest. Example document:

db.createCollection('ProductFlow')

db.ProductFlow.insertOne(
  {
    "steps": [
      [
        {
          "actionType": "dispatch",
          "payload": {
            "vehicle": {
              "name": "Livestock Truck",
              "type": "road",
              "thirdParty": true
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "actionType": "dispatch",
          "payload": {
            "vehicle": {
              "name": "Airplane",
              "type": "air",
              "thirdParty": true
            }
          }
        }
      ],
      [
        {
          "actionType": "store",
          "payload": {
            "company": "Company A",
            "is_supplier": false
          }
        }
      ],
      [
        {
          "actionType": "sell",
          "payload": {
              "reseller": "Company B",
              "is_supplier": false
          }
        }
      ]
    ]
  }
)

In my case, I want to:

  1. Find all documents that have any steps with payload.vehicle.thirdParty=true and actionType=dispatch

  2. Update the actions set payload.vehicle.thirdParty=true only for the actions that have actionType=dispatch.

My first approach was withour arrayfilters. But it would create the property payload.vehicle.thirdParty=true inside the steps with actionType store and sell.

The final query that updated the properties only inside the steps with actionType=dispatch:

Mongo Shell:

db.ProductFlow.updateMany(
    {"steps": {"$elemMatch": {"$elemMatch": {"payload.vehicle.thirdParty": true, "actionType": "dispatch"}}}}, 
    {"$set": {"steps.$[].$[i].payload.vehicle.thirdParty": false}},
    {"arrayFilters": [ { "i.actionType": "dispatch" } ], multi: true}
)

PyMongo:

query = {
    "steps": {"$elemMatch": {"$elemMatch": {"payload.vehicle.thirdParty": True, "actionType": "dispatch"}}}
}

update_statement = {
    "$set": {
        "steps.$[].$[i].payload.vehicle.thirdParty": False
    }
}

array_filters = [
    { "i.actionType": "dispatch" }
]

NOTE that I'm omitting the label on the first array at the update statement steps.$[].$[i].payload.vehicle.thirdParty. Most examples out there will use both labels because their objects have a key for the array. I took me some time to figure that out.

Mauricio
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