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.

Data types

Type	Description
`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 required length.
`bool`	A value that can be either `true` or `false`.
`bytes`	Stores a value in a byte array.
`datetime`	An RFC 3339 compliant data type that stores a date with time and time zone.
`decimal`	Data type for storing decimal floating point numbers.
`duration`	Store a value representing a length of time. Can be added or subtracted from datetimes or other durations.
`float`	Data type for storing floating point numbers. Larger or extremely precise values should be stored as a decimal.
`geometry`	RFC 7946 compliant data type for storing geometry in the GeoJson format.
`int`	Store a value in a 64 bit signed integer. Values can range between `-9223372036854775808` and `9223372036854775807` (inclusive). Larger values should be stored as a float or a decimal.
`number`	Store numbers without specifying the type. SurrealDB will detect the type of number and store it using the minimal number of bytes.
`object`	Store formatted objects containing values of any supported type including nested objects or arrays.
`range`	A range of possible values. Lower and upper bounds can be set, in the absence of which the range becomes open-ended. A range of integers can be used in a FOR loop.
`regex`	A regular expression that can be used for matching strings.
`record`	A record ID. Table names can be added inside angle brackets to restrict to certain table names.
`set`	A set of items. The set type also allows you to define which types can be stored in the set and the required length. Items are automatically deduplicated and orderd.
`string`	A value composed of text or text-like characters such as emojis.

Examples

Examples of the geometry type:

-- 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>;

Examples of the bytes type:

-- 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";

Type expressions

Type expressions are not standalone types, but expressions to indicate which types are permitted.

Type	Description
literal	A value that may have multiple representations or formats, similar to an enum or a union type. Can be composed of strings, numbers, objects, arrays, or durations.
`option`	Makes types optional and guarantees the field to be either empty (NONE) or some other type. Syntactic sugar for `type_name \| NONE`.

Examples

Example of an option in a schema:

DEFINE FIELD friends ON TABLE person TYPE option<array<person>>;

Example of a literal type:

DEFINE FIELD error_msg ON TABLE log TYPE 
    { code: 200, message: string } | 
    { code: 404, message: string };

As an option is syntactic sugar for type | NONE, an option is also simply another type of literal. This field definition is identical to the option example above.

DEFINE FIELD friends ON TABLE person TYPE array<person> | NONE;