Rust SDK

Install the SDK

First, create a new project using cargo new and add the SurrealDB SDK to your dependencies:

cargo add surrealdb

Connect to SurrealDB

Open src/main.rs and replace everything in there with the following code to try out some basic operations using the SurrealDB SDK.

use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
use surrealdb::engine::remote::ws::Ws;
use surrealdb::opt::auth::Root;
use surrealdb::sql::Thing;
use surrealdb::Surreal;

#[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
struct Name<'a> {
    first: &'a str,
    last: &'a str,
}

#[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
struct Person<'a> {
    title: &'a str,
    name: Name<'a>,
    marketing: bool,
}

#[derive(Debug, Serialize)]
struct Responsibility {
    marketing: bool,
}

#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
struct Record {
    #[allow(dead_code)]
    id: Thing,
}

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> surrealdb::Result<()> {
    // Connect to the server
    let db = Surreal::new::<Ws>("127.0.0.1:8000").await?;

    // Signin as a namespace, database, or root user
    db.signin(Root {
        username: "root",
        password: "root",
    })
    .await?;

    // Select a specific namespace / database
    db.use_ns("test").use_db("test").await?;

    // Create a new person with a random id
    let created: Option<Record> = db
        .create("person")
        .content(Person {
            title: "Founder & CEO",
            name: Name {
                first: "Tobie",
                last: "Morgan Hitchcock",
            },
            marketing: true,
        })
    .await?;
    dbg!(created);

    // Update a person record with a specific id
    let updated: Option<Record> = db
        .update(("person", "jaime"))
        .merge(Responsibility { marketing: true })
        .await?;
    dbg!(updated);

    // Select all people records
    let people: Vec<Record> = db.select("person").await?;
    dbg!(people);

    // Perform a custom advanced query
    let groups = db
        .query("SELECT marketing, count() FROM type::table($table) GROUP BY marketing")
        .bind(("table", "person"))
        .await?;
    dbg!(groups);

    Ok(())
}

To run the example above, you will need to add the following additional dependencies:

cargo add serde --features derive
cargo add tokio --features macros,rt-multi-thread

Then make sure your SurrealDB server is running on 127.0.0.1:8000 and run your app from the command line with:

cargo run

SDK methods

The Rust SDK comes with a number of built-in functions.

.init()

The DB static singleton ensures that a single database instance is available across very large or complicated applications. With the singleton, only one connection to the database is instantiated, and the database connection does not have to be shared across components or controllers.

Method Syntax
Surreal::init()

Example usage

static DB: LazyLock<Surreal<Client>> = LazyLock::new(Surreal::init);

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> surrealdb::Result<()> {
    // Connect to the database
    DB.connect::<Wss>("cloud.surrealdb.com").await?;
    // Select a namespace + database
    DB.use_ns("test").use_db("test").await?;
    // Create or update a specific record
    let tobie: Option<Record> = DB
        .update(("person", "tobie"))
        .content(Person { name: "Tobie" })
        .await?;
    Ok(())
}

.connect()

Connects to a local or remote database endpoint.

Method Syntax
db.connect(endpoint)

Arguments

Example usage

// Connect to a local endpoint
DB.connect::<Ws>("127.0.0.1:8000").await?;
// Connect to a remote endpoint
DB.connect::<Wss>("cloud.surrealdb.com").await?;

.new()

Connects to a local or remote database endpoint.

Method Syntax
Surreal::new::<T>(endpoint)

Arguments

Example usage

let db = Surreal::new::<Ws>("127.0.0.1:8000").await?;

.use_ns() and .use_db()

Switch to a specific namespace and database.

Method Syntax
db.use_ns(ns).use_db(db)

Arguments

Example usage

db.use_ns("test").use_db("test").await?;

.signup()

Signs up to a specific authentication scope.

Method Syntax
db.signup(credentials)

Arguments

Example usage

use serde::Serialize;
use surrealdb::opt::auth::Scope;

#[derive(Serialize)]
struct Credentials<'a> {
    email: &'a str,
    pass: &'a str,
}

let jwt = db.signup(Scope {
    namespace: "test",
    database: "test",
    scope: "user",
    params: Credentials {
        email: "info@surrealdb.com",
        pass: "123456",
    },
}).await?;

// ⚠️: It is important to note that the token should be handled securely and protected from unauthorized access.
let token = jwt.as_insecure_token();

.signin()

Signs in to a specific authentication scope.

Method Syntax
db.signin(credentials)

Arguments

Example usage

use serde::Serialize;
use surrealdb::opt::auth::Scope;

#[derive(Serialize)]
struct Credentials<'a> {
    email: &'a str,
    pass: &'a str,
}

let jwt = db.signin(Scope {
    namespace: "test",
    database: "test",
    scope: "user",
    params: Credentials {
        email: "info@surrealdb.com",
        pass: "123456",
    },
}).await?;

// ⚠️: It is important to note that the token should be handled securely and protected from unauthorized access.
let token = jwt.as_insecure_token();

.invalidate()

Invalidates the authentication for the current connection.

Method Syntax
db.invalidate(credentials)

Example usage

db.invalidate().await?;

.authenticate()

Authenticates the current connection with a JWT token.

Method Syntax
db.authenticate(token)

Arguments

Example usage

db.authenticate(jwt).await?;

.set()

Assigns a value as a parameter for this connection.

Method Syntax
db.set(key, val)

Arguments

Example usage

// Assign the variable on the connection
db.set("name", Name {
    first: "Tobie",
    last: "Morgan Hitchcock",
}).await?;
// Use the variable in a subsequent query
db.query("CREATE person SET name = $name").await?;
// Use the variable in a subsequent query
db.query("SELECT * FROM person WHERE name.first = $name.first").await?;

.query()

Runs a set of SurrealQL statements against the database.

Method Syntax
db.query(sql).bind(vars)

Arguments

Example usage

// Run some queries
let sql = "
    CREATE person;
    SELECT * FROM type::table($table);
";
let mut result = db
    .query(sql)
    .bind(("table", "person"))
    .await?;
// Get the first result from the first query
let created: Option<Person> = result.take(0)?;
// Get all of the results from the second query
let people: Vec<Person> = result.take(1)?;

.select()

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

Method Syntax
db.select(resource)

Arguments

Example usage

// 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

use serde::Deserialize;
use surrealdb::engine::remote::ws::Ws;
use surrealdb::opt::auth::Root;
use surrealdb::sql::Id;
use surrealdb::Surreal;

//  defining your own custom Thing struct and using that in place of `Thing` in the `Id` struct
#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
struct CustomThing {
	id: Id,
}

#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
struct Person {
	id: CustomThing,
	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: "root",
	})
	.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:

SELECT * FROM $resource;

.select().live()

Initiate live queries for live stream of notifications.

Method Syntax
db.select(resource).live()

Arguments

Example usage: Listen for live updates

// Select the "person" table and listen for live updates.
    let mut stream = db.select("person").live().await?;

    // Process updates as they come in.
    while let Some(result) = stream.next().await {
        // Do something with the notification
        handle(result);
    }

    // Handle the result of the live query notification
    fn handle(result: Result<Notification<Person>>) {
        println!("Received notification: {:?}", result);
    }

.create()

Creates a record in the database.

Method Syntax
db.create(resource).content(data)

Arguments

Example usage

// Create a record with a random ID
let person: Option<Person> = db.create("person").await?;
// Create a record with a specific ID
let record: Option<Record> = db
    .create(("person", "tobie"))
    .content(Person {
        name: "Tobie",
        settings: {
            active: true,
            marketing: true,
       },
    }).await?;

Translated query

This function will run the following query in the database:

CREATE $resource CONTENT $data;

.update().content()

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

Method Syntax
db.update(resource).content(data)

Note

This function replaces the current document / record data with the specified data.

Arguments

Example usage

// Update all records in a table
let people: Vec<Person> = db.update("person").await?;
// Update a record with a specific ID
let person: Option<Person> = db
    .update(("person", "tobie"))
    .content(Person {
        name: "Tobie",
        settings: {
            active: true,
            marketing: true,
        },
    }).await?;

Translated query

This function will run the following query in the database:

UPDATE $resource CONTENT $data;

.update().merge()

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

Method Syntax
db.update(resource).merge(data)

Note

This function merges the current document / record data with the specified data.

Arguments

Example usage

// Update all records in a table
let people: Vec<Person> = db.update("person")
    .merge(Document {
        updated_at: Datetime::default(),
    })
    .await?;
// Update a record with a specific ID
let person: Option<Person> = db.update(("person", "tobie"))
    .merge(Document {
        updated_at: Datetime::default(),
        settings: Settings {
            active: true,
        },
    })
    .await?;

Translated query

This function will run the following query in the database:

UPDATE $resource MERGE $data;

.update().patch()

Applies JSON Patch changes to all records, or a specific record, in the database.

Method Syntax
db.update(resource).patch(data)

Note

This function patches the current document / record data with the specified JSON Patch data.

Arguments

Example usage

// Update all records in a table
let people: Vec<Person> = db.update("person")
    .patch(PatchOp::replace("/created_at", Datetime::default()))
    .await?;

// Update a record with a specific ID
let person: Option<Person> = db.update(("person", "tobie"))
    .patch(PatchOp::replace("/settings/active", false))
    .patch(PatchOp::add("/tags", &["developer", "engineer"]))
    .patch(PatchOp::remove("/temp"))
    .await?;

Translated query

This function will run the following query in the database:

UPDATE $resource PATCH $data;

.delete()

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

Method Syntax
db.delete(resource)

Arguments

Example usage

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

Translated query

This function will run the following query in the database:

DELETE FROM $resource RETURN BEFORE;