# select

The .select() method for the SurrealDB Rust SDK selects all or specific records from the database.

**3.x**

Selects all records in a table, or a specific record, from the database.

```rust title="Method Syntax"
db.select(resource)
```

## Arguments
<table>
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="2" scope="col">Argument</th>
            <th colspan="2" scope="col">Description</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" scope="row" data-label="Argument">
                <code>resource</code>
            </td>
            <td colspan="2" scope="row" data-label="Description">
                The table name or a record ID to select.
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

## Example usage

```rust
// Select all records from a table
let people: Vec<Person> = db.select("person").await?;
// Select a specific record from a table
let person: Option<Person> = db.select(("person",
    "h5wxrf2ewk8xjxosxtyc")).await?;
```

## Example usage: Retrieve unique id of a record

```rust
use surrealdb::Surreal;
use surrealdb::engine::remote::ws::Ws;
use surrealdb::opt::auth::Root;
use surrealdb::types::{RecordId, SurrealValue};

#[derive(Debug, SurrealValue)]
struct Person {
    id: RecordId,
    name: String,
    age: u8,
}

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> surrealdb::Result<()> {
    // Connect to the database
    let db = Surreal::new::<Ws>("localhost:8000").await?;

    // Sign in
    db.signin(Root {
        username: "root".to_string(),
        password: "secret".to_string(),
    })
    .await?;

    // Select namespace and database to use
    db.use_ns("main").use_db("main").await?;

    // Create a person
    db.query("CREATE person:john SET name = 'John Doe', age = 25")
        .await?
        .check()?;

    // Query that person
    let john: Option<Person> = db.select(("person", "john")).await?;
    dbg!(john);

    Ok(())
}
```

## Restrict records with `.range()`

When selecting all records in a table (not a single record id), you can restrict results to a record-id range by chaining [`.range(...)`](https://docs.rs/surrealdb/latest/surrealdb/method/struct.Select.html#method.range-1). The argument implements [`Into<RecordIdKeyRange>`](https://docs.rs/surrealdb/latest/surrealdb/types/struct.RecordIdKeyRange.html): strings and tuples such as `"a"..="z"` or `(Bound::Included(x), Bound::Excluded(y))` express inclusive or exclusive bounds on the table’s record keys.

```rust
use surrealdb::{
    engine::any::connect,
    opt::Resource,
    types::{ToSql, Value},
};

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() {
    let db = connect("memory").await.unwrap();
    db.use_ns("ns").use_db("db").await.unwrap();

    db.query("CREATE person:alucard, person:plato, person:vlad")
        .await
        .unwrap();

    let res = db
        .select::<Value>(Resource::from("person"))
        .range("n"..="z")
        .await
        .unwrap()
        .to_sql();
    println!("{res:?}");
}
```

## Translated query
This function will run the following query in the database:

```surql
SELECT * FROM $resource;
```

## See also

* [.select() method on Docs.rs](https://docs.rs/surrealdb/latest/surrealdb/struct.Surreal.html#method.select)
* [`Select::range`](https://docs.rs/surrealdb/latest/surrealdb/method/struct.Select.html#method.range-1)
* [Live queries (`select().live()`)](/docs/reference/rust/methods/select-live.md); alternatively [`query()`](/docs/reference/rust/methods/query.md#live-select-stream) with `LIVE SELECT` and [`.stream()`](https://docs.rs/surrealdb/latest/surrealdb/struct.IndexedResults.html#method.stream)

**2.x**

Selects all records in a table, or a specific record, from the database.

```rust title="Method Syntax"
db.select(resource)
```

## Arguments
<table>
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="2" scope="col">Argument</th>
            <th colspan="2" scope="col">Description</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="2" scope="row" data-label="Argument">
                <code>resource</code>
            </td>
            <td colspan="2" scope="row" data-label="Description">
                The table name or a record ID to select.
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

## Example usage

```rust
// Select all records from a table
let people: Vec<Person> = db.select("person").await?;
// Select a specific record from a table
let person: Option<Person> = db.select(("person",
    "h5wxrf2ewk8xjxosxtyc")).await?;
```

## Example usage: retrieve unique id of a record

```rust
use serde::Deserialize;
use surrealdb::engine::remote::ws::Ws;
use surrealdb::opt::auth::Root;
use surrealdb::RecordId;
use surrealdb::Surreal;

#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
struct Person {
	id: RecordId,
	name: String,
	age: u8,
}

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> surrealdb::Result<()> {
	// Connect to the database
	let db = Surreal::new::<Ws>("localhost:8000").await?;

	// Sign in
	db.signin(Root {
		username: "root",
		password: "secret",
	})
	.await?;

	// Select namespace and database to use
	db.use_ns("namespace").use_db("database").await?;

	// Create a person
		db.query("CREATE person:john SET name = 'John Doe',
	    age = 25").await?.check()?;

	// Query that person
	let john: Option<Person> = db.select(("person", "john")).await?;
	dbg!(john);

	Ok(())
}
```

## Translated query
This function will run the following query in the database:

```surql
SELECT * FROM $resource;
```

## See also

* [.select() method on Docs.rs](https://docs.rs/surrealdb/latest/surrealdb/struct.Surreal.html#method.select)