Skip to main content
Version: 2.x(alpha)

Data types

SurrealQL allows you to describe data with specific data types. These data types are used to validate data and to generate the appropriate database schema.

TypeDescription
any

Use this when you explicitly don't want to specify the field's data type. The field will allow any data type supported by SurrealDB.

array

An array of items. The array type also allows you to define which types can be stored in the array and the max length.

  • array
  • array<string>
  • array<string, 10>
set

A set of items. The set type also allows you to define which types can be stored in the set and the max length. Items are automatically deduplicated.

  • set
  • set<string>
  • set<string, 10>
bool

Describes whether something is truthy or not.

bytes

Stores a value in a byte array.

  • <bytes>value
  • bytes
datetime

An ISO 8601 compliant data type that stores a date with time and time zone.

decimal

Uses BigDecimal for storing any real number with arbitrary precision.

duration

Store a value representing a length of time. Can be added or subtracted from datetimes or other durations.

float

Store a value in a 64 bit float.

int

Store a value in a 64 bit integer.

number

Store numbers without specifying the type. SurrealDB will detect the type of number and store it using the minimal number of bytes. For numbers passed in as a string, this field will store the number in a BigDecimal.

object

Store formatted objects containing values of any supported type with no limit to object depth or nesting.

option

Makes types optional and guarantees the field to be either empty (NONE), or a number.

  • option<number>
string

Describes a text-like value.

record

Store a reference to another record. The value must be a Record ID.

  • record
  • record<string>
  • record<string | number>
geometry

RFC 7946 compliant data type for storing geometry in the GeoJson format.

  • geometry<feature>
  • geometry<point>
  • geometry<LineString>
  • geometry<polygon>
  • geometry<multipoint>
  • geometry<multiline>
  • geometry<multipolygon>
  • geometry<collection>

Examples

geometry

-- Define a field with a single type
DEFINE FIELD location ON TABLE restaurant TYPE geometry<point>;
-- Define a field with any geometric type
DEFINE FIELD area ON TABLE restaurant TYPE geometry<feature>;
-- Define a field with specific geometric types
DEFINE FIELD area ON TABLE restaurant TYPE geometry<polygon|multipolygon|collection>;

bytes

-- Define a field with a single type
DEFINE FIELD image ON TABLE product TYPE bytes;

-- Create a record with a bytes field and set the value
CREATE foo SET value = <bytes>"bar";