Postgres: Update mutation

Auto-generated update mutation schema

For example, the auto-generated schema for the update mutation field for a table article looks like the following:

update_article (
  _inc: article_inc_input
  _set: article_set_input
  where: article_bool_exp!
): article_mutation_response

# response of any mutation on the table "article"
type article_mutation_response {
  # number of affected rows by the mutation
  affected_rows: Int!
  # data of the affected rows by the mutation
  returning: [article!]!
}

# single object update (supported from v1.2.0)
update_article_by_pk (
  _inc: article_inc_input
  _set: article_set_input
  # primary key columns arg
  pk_columns: article_pk_columns_input!
): article

As you can see from the schema:

  • The where argument is compulsory to filter rows to be updated. See Filter queries for filtering options. Objects can be updated based on filters on their own fields or those in their nested objects. The {} expression can be used to update all rows.
  • You can return the number of affected rows and the affected objects (with nested objects) in the response.

See the update mutation API reference for the full specifications.

Note

  • At least any one of _set, _inc operators or the jsonb operators _append, _prepend, _delete_key, _delete_elem, _delete_at_path is required.
  • If a table is not in the public Postgres schema, the update mutation field will be of the format update_<schema_name>_<table_name>.

Update an object by its primary key

You can update a single object in a table using the primary key. The output type is the nullable table object. The mutation returns the updated row object or null if the row does not exist.

Example: Update an article where id is 1:

mutation update_an_article {
  update_article_by_pk (
    pk_columns: {id: 1}
    _set: { is_published: true }
  ) {
    id
    is_published
  }
}
mutation update_an_article { update_article_by_pk ( pk_columns: {id: 1} _set: { is_published: true } ) { id is_published } }
{ "data": { "update_article_by_pk": { "id": 1, "is_published": true } } }

Example: Update a non-existent article:

mutation update_an_article {
  update_article_by_pk (
    pk_columns: {id: 100}
    _set: { is_published: true }
  ) {
    id
    is_published
  }
}
mutation update_an_article { update_article_by_pk ( pk_columns: {id: 100} _set: { is_published: true } ) { id is_published } }
{ "data": { "update_article_by_pk": null } }

Note

update_<table>_by_pk will only be available if you have select permissions on the table, as it returns the updated row.

Supported from

The update_<table>_by_pk mutation is supported in versions v1.2.0 and above.

Update objects based on their fields

Example: Update the rating and is_published of articles with a low rating:

mutation update_article {
  update_article(
    where: {rating: {_lte: 2}},
    _set: {
      rating: 1,
      is_published: false
    }
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      title
      content
      rating
      is_published
    }
  }
}
mutation update_article { update_article( where: {rating: {_lte: 2}}, _set: { rating: 1, is_published: false } ) { affected_rows returning { id title content rating is_published } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 2, "returning": [ { "id": 3, "title": "article 3", "content": "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "rating": 1, "is_published": false }, { "id": 6, "title": "article 6", "content": "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "rating": 1, "is_published": false } ] } } }

Using variables:

mutation update_article($rating: Int, $changes: article_set_input) {
  update_article(
    where: {rating: {_lte: $rating}},
    _set: $changes
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      title
      content
      rating
      is_published
    }
  }
}

with variables:

{
  "rating": 2,
  "changes": {
    "rating": 1,
    "is_published": false,
  }
}
mutation update_article($rating: Int, $changes: article_set_input) { update_article( where: {rating: {_lte: $rating}}, _set: $changes ) { affected_rows returning { id title content rating is_published } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 2, "returning": [ { "id": 3, "title": "article 3", "content": "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "rating": 1, "is_published": false }, { "id": 6, "title": "article 6", "content": "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "rating": 1, "is_published": false } ] } } }
{ "rating": 2, "changes": { "rating": 1, "is_published": false, } }

OR

mutation update_article($ratingLimit: Int, $rating: Int, $isPublished: Boolean) {
  update_article(
    where: {rating: {_lte: $ratingLimit}},
    _set: {
      rating: $rating,
      is_published: $isPublished
    }
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      title
      content
      rating
      is_published
    }
  }
}

with variables:

{
  "ratingLimit": 2,
  "rating": 1,
  "isPublished": false
}
mutation update_article($ratingLimit: Int, $rating: Int, $isPublished: Boolean) { update_article( where: {rating: {_lte: $ratingLimit}}, _set: { rating: $rating, is_published: $isPublished } ) { affected_rows returning { id title content rating is_published } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 2, "returning": [ { "id": 3, "title": "article 3", "content": "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "rating": 1, "is_published": false }, { "id": 6, "title": "article 6", "content": "lorem ipsum dolor sit amet", "rating": 1, "is_published": false } ] } } }
{ "ratingLimit": 2, "rating": 1, "isPublished": false }

Update objects based on nested objects’ fields

Example: Reset the rating of all articles authored by “Sidney”:

mutation update_ratings {
  update_article(
    where: {author: {name: {_eq: "Sidney"}}},
    _set: {rating: null}
  ) {
    affected_rows
  }
}
mutation update_ratings { update_article( where: {author: {name: {_eq: "Sidney"}}}, _set: {rating: null} ) { affected_rows } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 3 } } }

Update all objects

You can update all objects in a table using the {} expression as the where argument. {} basically evaluates to true for all objects.

Example: Reset rating of all articles:

mutation reset_rating {
  update_article (
    where: {}
    _set: { rating: null }
  ) {
    affected_rows
  }
}
mutation reset_rating { update_article ( where: {} _set: { rating: null } ) { affected_rows } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 20 } } }

Increment int columns

You can increment an int column with a given value using the _inc operator.

Example: Increment the likes of an article by 2:

mutation update_likes {
  update_article(
    where: {id: {_eq: 1}},
    _inc: {likes: 2}  # initial value: 1
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      likes
    }
  }
}
mutation update_likes { update_article( where: {id: {_eq: 1}}, _inc: {likes: 2} # initial value: 1 ) { affected_rows returning { id likes } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 1, "returning": { "id": 1, "likes": 3 } } } }

Update jsonb columns

The currently available jsonb operators are:

Operator Postgres equivalent Function
_append || append json value to a jsonb column
_prepend || prepend json value to a jsonb column
_delete_key - delete top-level key from jsonb column
_delete_elem - delete array element from jsonb column
_delete_at_path #- delete element at a path from jsonb column

Note

You can learn more about Postgres jsonb operators here.

Append a json to a jsonb column

You can append any jsonb column with another json value by using the _append operator.

Since the input is a json value, it should be provided through a variable.

Example: Append the json {"key1": "value1"} to the jsonb column extra_info of the article table:

mutation update_extra_info($value: jsonb) {
  update_article(
    where: {id: {_eq: 1}},
    _append: {extra_info: $value}  # initial value: {"key": "value"}
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      extra_info
    }
  }
}

with variables:

{
  "value": { "key1": "value1" }
}
mutation update_extra_info($value: jsonb) { update_article( where: {id: {_eq: 1}}, _append: {extra_info: $value} # initial value: {"key": "value"} ) { affected_rows returning { id extra_info } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 1, "returning": { "id": 1, "extra_info": { "key": "value", "key1": "value1" } } } } }
{ "value": { "key1": "value1" } }

Prepend a json to a jsonb column

You can prepend any jsonb column with another json value by using the _prepend operator.

Since the input is a json value, it should be provided through a variable.

Example: Prepend the json {"key0": "value0"} to the jsonb column extra_info of the article table:

mutation update_extra_info($value: jsonb) {
  update_article(
    where: {id: {_eq: 1}},
    _prepend: {extra_info: $value}  # initial value "{"key": "value", "key1": "value1"}"
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      extra_info
    }
  }
}

with variables:

{
  "value": { "key0": "value0" }
}
mutation update_extra_info($value: jsonb) { update_article( where: {id: {_eq: 1}}, _prepend: {extra_info: $value} # initial value "{"key": "value", "key1": "value1"}" ) { affected_rows returning { id extra_info } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 1, "returning": { "id": 1, "extra_info": { "key0": "value0", "key": "value", "key1": "value1" } } } } }
{ "value": { "key0": "value0" } }

Delete a top-level key from a jsonb column

You can delete a top-level key of a jsonb column by using the _delete_key operator.

The input value should be a String.

Example: Delete the key key in the jsonb column extra_info of the article table:

mutation update_extra_info {
  update_article(
    where: {id: {_eq: 1}},
    _delete_key: {extra_info: "key"}  # initial value "{"key0": "value0, "key": "value", "key1": "value1"}"
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      extra_info
    }
  }
}
mutation update_extra_info { update_article( where: {id: {_eq: 1}}, _delete_key: {extra_info: "key"} # initial value "{"key0": "value0, "key": "value", "key1": "value1"}" ) { affected_rows returning { id extra_info } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 1, "returning": { "id": 1, "extra_info": { "key0": "value0", "key1": "value1" } } } } }

Delete an element from a jsonb column storing a json array

If a jsonb column is storing a json array, you can delete an element from the array using the _delete_elem operator.

The input value should be an Int.

Example: Delete the element at position 2 in the array value of the jsonb column extra_info of the article table:

mutation update_extra_info {
  update_article(
    where: {id: {_eq: 1}},
    _delete_elem: {extra_info: 2}  # initial value "["a", "b", "c"]"
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      extra_info
    }
  }
}
mutation update_extra_info { update_article( where: {id: {_eq: 1}}, _delete_elem: {extra_info: 2} # initial value "["a", "b", "c"]" ) { affected_rows returning { id extra_info } } }
{ "data": { "update_article": { "affected_rows": 1, "returning": { "id": 1, "extra_info": ["a", "b"] } } } }

Delete an element at a specific path in a jsonb column

You can delete a field or element of a jsonb column at a specified path by using the _delete_at_path operator.

The input value should be a String Array.

Example: Delete element at json path name.last in the jsonb column extra_info of the author table:

mutation update_extra_info {
  update_author(
    where: {id: {_eq: 1}},
    _delete_at_path: {extra_info: ["name", "first"]}  # initial value "{"name": {"first": "first_name", "last": "last_name"}}"
  ) {
    affected_rows
    returning {
      id
      extra_info
    }
  }
}
mutation update_extra_info { update_author( where: {id: {_eq: 1}}, _delete_at_path: {extra_info: ["name", "first"]} # initial value "{"name": {"first": "first_name", "last": "last_name"}}" ) { affected_rows returning { id extra_info } } }
{ "data": { "update_author": { "affected_rows": 1, "returning": { "id": 1, "extra_info": { "name": { "last": "last_name" } } } } } }

Replace all nested array objects of an object

In order to replace all existing nested array objects of an object, currently it’s required to use two mutations: one to delete all the existing objects and one to add a list of new nested objects.

Example: Replace all articles of an author with a new list:

mutation updateAuthorArticles($author_id: Int!) {
  delete_articles(
    where: {author_id: {_eq: $author_id}}
  ) {
    affected_rows
  }
  insert_articles(
    objects: [
      {
        author_id: $author_id,
        title: "title",
        content: "some content"
      },
      {
        author_id: $author_id,
        title: "another title",
        content: "some other content"
      }
    ]
  ) {
    affected_rows
  }
}

with variables:

{
  "author_id": 21
}
mutation updateAuthorArticles($author_id: Int!) { delete_articles( where: {author_id: {_eq: $author_id}} ) { affected_rows } insert_articles( objects: [ { author_id: $author_id, title: "title", content: "some content" }, { author_id: $author_id, title: "another title", content: "some other content" } ] ) { affected_rows } }
{ "data": { "delete_article_tags": { "affected_rows": 3 }, "insert_article_tags": { "affected_rows": 2 } } }
{ "author_id": 21 }