# Record

These functions can be used to retrieve specific metadata from a SurrealDB Record ID.

These functions can be used to retrieve specific metadata from a SurrealDB Record ID.

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">Function</th>
      <th scope="col">Description</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Function"><a href="#recordexists"><code>record::exists()</code></a></td>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Description">Checks to see if a SurrealDB Record ID exists</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Function"><a href="#recordid"><code>record::id()</code></a></td>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Description">Extracts and returns the identifier from a SurrealDB Record ID</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Function"><a href="#recordtb"><code>record::tb()</code></a></td>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Description">Extracts and returns the table name from a SurrealDB Record ID</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Function"><a href="#recordis_edge"><code>record::is_edge()</code></a></td>
      <td scope="row" data-label="Description">Identifies whether the value passed in is a graph edge</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## `record::exists`

The `record::exists` function checks to see if a given record exists.

```surql title="API DEFINITION"
record::exists(record) -> bool
```

A simple example showing the output of this function when a record does not exist and when it does:

```surql
RETURN record::exists(r"person:tobie");
-- false

CREATE person:tobie;
RETURN record::exists(r"person:tobie");
-- true
```

A longer example of `record::exists` using method syntax:

```surql
FOR $person IN ["Haakon_VII", "Ferdinand_I", "Manuel_II", "Wilhelm_II", "George_I", "Albert_I", "Alfonso_XIII", "George_V", "Frederick_VIII"] {
    LET $record_name = type::record("person", $person.lowercase());
    IF !$record_name.exists() {
        CREATE $record_name;
    }
}
```

## `record::id`

The `record::id` function extracts and returns the identifier from a SurrealDB Record ID.

```surql title="API DEFINITION"
record::id(record) -> value
```

The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a [`RETURN`](/docs/reference/query-language/statements/return.md) statement:

```surql
RETURN record::id(person:tobie);

'tobie'
```

## `record::tb`

The `record::tb` function extracts and returns the table name from a SurrealDB Record ID.

```surql title="API DEFINITION"
record::tb(record) -> string
```
The following example shows this function, and its output, when used in a [`RETURN`](/docs/reference/query-language/statements/return.md) statement:

```surql
RETURN record::tb(person:tobie);

-- 'person'
```

This function can also be called using the path `record::table`.

> [!NOTE]
> To retrieve the records that point at a record through a [reference](/docs/reference/query-language/language-primitives/record-references.md), define a computed field using the `<~` syntax rather than a function.

<br /><br />

## `record::is_edge`

_(since v3.0.0)_

The `record::is_edge` function checks to see if the value passed in is a graph edge.

```surql title="API DEFINITION"
record::is_edge(record | string) -> bool
```

```surql
RELATE person:one->likes:first_like->person:two;

-- Both return true
record::is_edge(likes:first_like);
record::is_edge("likes:first_like");
```

## 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.

```surql
-- Traditional syntax
record::id(r"person:aeon");

-- Method chaining syntax
r"person:aeon".id();
```

```surql title="Response"
'aeon'
```

This is particularly useful for readability when a function is called multiple times.

```surql
-- Traditional syntax
record::table(array::max([r"person:aeon", r"person:landevin"]));

-- Method chaining syntax
[r"person:aeon", r"person:landevin"].max().table();
```

```surql title="Response"
'person'
```