Update multi level nested document in elasticsearch - elasticsearch

Question

Using Elasticsearch 1.7.1, I have the following document structure
"_source" : {
"questions" : {
"defaultQuestion" : {
"tag" : 0,
"gid" : 0,
"rid" : 0,
"caption" : "SRID",
},
"tableQuestion" : {
"rows" : [{
"ids" : {
"answerList" : ["3547", "3548"],
"tag" : "0",
"caption" : "Accounts",
},
"name" : {
"answerList" : ["Some Name"],
"tag" : "0",
"caption" : "Name",
}
}
],
"caption" : "BPI 1500541753537",
"id" : 644251570,
"tag" : ""
}
},
"id" : "447722821"
}
I want to add a new object in in questions.tableQuestion.rows. My current script is replacing the existing object with the new one. Kindly suggest how to append it instead. Following is my update script.
{ "update": {"_id": "935663867", "_retry_on_conflict" : 3} }
{ "script" : "ctx._source.questions += param1", "params" : {"param1" : {"tableQuestion": {"rows" : [ NEWROWOBJECT ]} } }}

Answer 1

You can build the path with next nested fields, right to the rows property and then use += operator. It's also good to have a check if rows array is null and initialize it in this case.
Checked with ES 2.4, but should be similar for earlier versions:
POST http://127.0.0.1:9200/sample/demo/{document_id}/_update
{
"script": {
"inline": "if (ctx._source.questions.tableQuestion.rows == null) ctx._source.questions.tableQuestion.rows = new ArrayList(); ctx._source.questions.tableQuestion.rows += param1;",
"params" : {
"param1" : {
"ids": {
"answerList": [
"478",
"255"
],
"tag": "2",
"caption": "My Test"
},
"name": {
"answerList": [
"My Name"
],
"tag": "1",
"caption": "My Demo"
}
}
}
}
}
For ES 5.x and Painless language the script is a bit different:
POST http://127.0.0.1:9200/sample/demo/{document_id}/_update
{
"script": {
"inline": "if (ctx._source.questions.tableQuestion.rows == null) { ctx._source.questions.tableQuestion.rows = new ArrayList();} ctx._source.questions.tableQuestion.rows.add(params.param1);",
"params" : {
"param1" : {
...
}
}
}
}
Update to the additional comment
If some part of the path is dynamic, you can also use parameters to build the path - with get(param_name) method - try this syntax (I removed the null check for simplicity):
{
"script": {
"inline": "ctx._source.questions.get(param2).rows += param1;",
"params" : {
"param2" : "6105243",
"param1" : {
"ids": {
"answerList": [
"478",
"255"
],
"tag": "2",
"caption": "My Test"
},
"name": {
"answerList": [
"My Name"
],
"tag": "1",
"caption": "My Demo"
}
}
}
}
}