cannot resolve symbol[string] when using updateByQuery with ElasticSearch - elasticsearch

Question

I have the following set-up:
mapping:
esClient.indices.putMapping({
index: 'tests',
body: {
properties: {
name: {
type: 'text',
},
lastName: {
type: 'text',
},
},
},
});
this is the result when I post an entry:
this is the result when I query the entries:
curl -X GET "localhost:9200/tests/_search?pretty" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'
{
"size": 1000,
"query" : {
"match_all" : {}
}
}
'
{
"took" : 18,
"timed_out" : false,
"_shards" : {
"total" : 1,
"successful" : 1,
"skipped" : 0,
"failed" : 0
},
"hits" : {
"total" : {
"value" : 1,
"relation" : "eq"
},
"max_score" : 1.0,
"hits" : [
{
"_index" : "tests",
"_type" : "_doc",
"_id" : "KJbtj3kBRlqnip7VJLLI",
"_score" : 1.0,
"_source" : {
"lastName" : 1,
"name" : "lucas"
}
}
]
}
}
I tried to update the entry's last name with the following curl:
curl -X POST "localhost:9200/tests/_update_by_query?pretty" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'
{
"script": {
"source": "ctx._source.lastName='johnson'",
"lang": "painless"
},
"query": {
"term": {
"name": "lucas"
}
}
}
'
AND THIS IS THE ERROR I'M GETTIN:
{
"error" : {
"root_cause" : [
{
"type" : "script_exception",
"reason" : "compile error",
"script_stack" : [
"ctx._source.lastName=johnson",
" ^---- HERE"
],
"script" : "ctx._source.lastName=johnson",
"lang" : "painless",
"position" : {
"offset" : 21,
"start" : 0,
"end" : 28
}
}
],
"type" : "script_exception",
"reason" : "compile error",
"script_stack" : [
"ctx._source.lastName=johnson",
" ^---- HERE"
],
"script" : "ctx._source.lastName=johnson",
"lang" : "painless",
"position" : {
"offset" : 21,
"start" : 0,
"end" : 28
},
"caused_by" : {
"type" : "illegal_argument_exception",
"reason" : "cannot resolve symbol [johnson]"
}
},
"status" : 400
}
If I put an integer instead of a string it updates it otherwise I keep getting that error.
Thanks a lot for your help.

Answer 1

You need to surround the new lastName field value with ' '.
Adding a working example
Index Data:
{
"name":"lucas",
"lastName":"erla"
}
Query:
POST _update_by_query
{
"script": {
"source": "ctx._source.lastName='johnson'",
"lang": "painless"
},
"query": {
"term": {
"name": "lucas"
}
}
}
After hitting the update by query API, the document will be updated to
GET /_doc/1
{
"_index": "67641538",
"_type": "_doc",
"_id": "1",
"_version": 3,
"_seq_no": 2,
"_primary_term": 1,
"found": true,
"_source": {
"lastName": "johnson",
"name": "lucas"
}
}

Answer 2

You need to surround the new lastName field value with " ".
I faced similar problem and I solved by adding " " instead of ' '. My ES version is 8.4.
QUERY.
curl -X POST "localhost:9200/tests/_update_by_query?pretty" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'
{
"script": {
"source": "ctx._source.lastName=\"johnson\"",
"lang": "painless"
},
"query": {
"term": {
"name": "lucas"
}
}
}
'