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Dictionaries - React Native SDK

New in version realm@10.5.0.

You can use the Realm.Dictionary data type to manage a collection of unique String keys paired with values. The dictionary data maps to the Javascript Object type.

For example, creating a HomeOwner Realm object where the home property is defined as a dictionary type could look like this:

realm.create('HomeOwner', {
  name: 'Anna Smith',
  home: {address: '2 jefferson lane', yearRenovated: 1994, color: 'blue'},
});

Realm Object Models

You can define a dictionary of mixed values for a Realm object model in three ways:

  • set the data type of your field to an empty object, "{}".

  • Add the data type before the brackets to create a dictionary with values of a specific type. For example, "int{}" to specify that dictionary values must be integers or "string{}" to specify that dictionary values must be strings.

  • Define the object type explicitly. This is necessary for using object Types in your Realm as ditionary values.

class HomeOwner extends Realm.Object {
  static schema = {
    name: 'HomeOwner',
    properties: {
      name: 'string',
      home: '{}',
      pets: {
        type: 'dictionary',
        objectType: 'Pet',
        optional: true,
      },
    },
  };
}

Use an interface that extends the Realm.Dictionary type to define the syntax for your dictionary object. All of your Realm Objects for this class must follow the syntax specified in the interface.

interface Home extends Realm.Dictionary {
  address?: string;
  color?: string;
  price?: number;
  yearRenovated?: number;
}
class HomeOwner extends Realm.Object<HomeOwner> {
  name!: string;
  home!: Home;
  pets?: Pet[];
  static schema: ObjectSchema = {
    name: 'HomeOwner',
    properties: {
      name: 'string',
      home: 'mixed{}',
      pets: {
        type: 'dictionary',
        objectType: 'Pet',
        optional: true,
      },
    },
  };
}

Realm disallows the use of . or $ characters in map keys. You can use percent encoding and decoding to store a map key that contains one of these disallowed characters.

// Percent encode . or $ characters to use them in map keys
const mapKey = "kitchen.windows";
const encodedMapKey = mapKey.replace(".", "%2E");

Create an Object with a Dictionary Value

In the following CreateHomeOwner example, we create a new object with a dictionary property.

The CreateHomeOwner component does the following:

  • Create React state that represents the homeowner's name and address, respectively.

  • Get access to an open realm instance by calling the useRealm() hook within the component.

  • Create a component method SubmitHomeOwner() that performs a write transaction and creates a new HomeOwner object based on the TextInput values for the homeowner's name and address, respectively.

  • Add an onPress event on the submit button that calls SubmitHomeOwner()

1const CreateHomeOwner = () => {
2  const [homeOwnerName, setHomeOwnerName] = useState('John Smith');
3  const [address, setAddress] = useState('1 Home Street');
4  const realm = useRealm();
5
6  const submitHomeOwner = () => {
7    // Create a HomeOwner realm object within a Write Transaction
8    realm.write(() => {
9      realm.create('HomeOwner', {
10        name: homeOwnerName,
11        // For the dictionary field, 'home', set the value
12        // to a regular JavaScript object
13        home: {
14          address,
15        },
16      });
17    });
18  };
19  return (
20    <View>
21      <TextInput
22        value={homeOwnerName}
23        onChangeText={text => setHomeOwnerName(text)}
24      />
25      <TextInput value={address} onChangeText={text => setAddress(text)} />
26      <Button
27        title='Submit Home Owner'
28        onPress={submitHomeOwner}
29      />
30    </View>
31  );
32};

Query for Objects with a Dictionary Property

To filter a query, run collection.filtered() to specify a subset of results based on the value(s) of one or more object properties. You can specify results based on the value of a dictionary's properties by using bracket notation.

You can also determine whether a results collection has a certain key or value by using <dictionary>.@keys or <dictionary>.@values. For instance, if you had a HomeOwner collection with a nested home dictionary, you could return all HomeOwner objects with a home with a "price" property by running the query: home.@keys = "price".

Example

In the following HomeList example, we query for objects that have dictionary properties.

The HomeList component does the following:

  • Performs a query for all homeowners by passing the HomeOwner class to the useQuery hook.

  • Performs a query for homeowners with a listed price by passing collection.filtered() the query: home.@keys = "price".

  • Performs a query for the summer hill house by running collection.filtered() using bracket notation to find the first homeowner with an address set to "Summerhill St." and getting their home by using dot syntax.

  • Performs a query for all homeowners with any field with a value of red by passing collection.filtered() the query: 'home.@values = "red"'. We then get the first homeowner's home.

  • Display the results of our queries in the UI by rendering information about the homes

1const HomeList = () => {
2  // query for all HomeOwner objects
3  const homeOwners = useQuery(HomeOwner);
4
5  // run the `.filtered()` method on all the returned homeOwners to
6  // find all homeOwners that have a house with a listed price
7  const listedPriceHomes = useQuer(HomeOwner, homeOwners => {
8    return homeOwners.filtered('home.@keys = "price"');
9  });
10
11  // run the `.filtered()` method on all the returned homeOwners to
12  // find the house with the address "Summerhill St."
13  const summerHillHouse = useQuery(HomeOwner, homeOwners => {
14    return homeOwners.filtered('home["address"] = "Summerhill St."');
15  })[0].home;
16
17  // run the `.filtered()` method on all the returned homeOwners to
18  // find the first house that has any field with a value of 'red'
19  const redHouse = useQuery(HomeOwner, homeOwners => {
20    return homeOwners.filtered('home.@values = "red"');
21  })[0].home;
22
23  return (
24    <View>
25      <Text>All homes:</Text>
26      {homeOwners.map(homeOwner => (
27        <View>
28          <Text>{homeOwner.home.address}</Text>
29        </View>
30      ))}
31
32      <Text>All homes with a price:</Text>
33      {listedPriceHomes.map(homeOwner => (
34        <View>
35          <Text>{homeOwner.home.address}</Text>
36          <Text>{homeOwner.home.price}</Text>
37        </View>
38      ))}
39
40      <Text>Summer Hill House:</Text>
41      <Text>{summerHillHouse.address}</Text>
42      <Text>{summerHillHouse.color}</Text>
43
44      <Text>Red House:</Text>
45      <Text>{redHouse.address}</Text>
46    </View>
47  );
48};
1const HomeList = () => {
2  // query for all HomeOwner objects
3  const homeOwners = useQuery(HomeOwner);
4
5  // run the `.filtered()` method on all the returned homeOwners to
6  // find all homeOwners that have a house with a listed price
7  const listedPriceHomes = useQuery(HomeOwner, homeOwners => {
8    return homeOwners.filtered('home.@keys = "price"');
9  });
10
11  // run the `.filtered()` method on all the returned homeOwners to
12  // find the house with the address "Summerhill St."
13  const summerHillHouse = useQuery(HomeOwner, homeOwners => {
14    return homeOwners.filtered('home["address"] = "Summerhill St."');
15  })[0].home;
16
17  // run the `.filtered()` method on all the returned homeOwners to
18  // find the first house that has any field with a value of 'red'
19  const redHouse = useQuery(HomeOwner, homeOwners => {
20    return homeOwners.filtered('home.@values = "red"');
21  })[0].home;
22
23  return (
24    <View>
25      <Text>All homes:</Text>
26      {homeOwners.map(homeOwner => (
27        <View>
28          <Text>{homeOwner.home.address}</Text>
29        </View>
30      ))}
31
32      <Text>All homes with a price:</Text>
33      {listedPriceHomes.map(homeOwner => (
34        <View>
35          <Text>{homeOwner.home.address}</Text>
36          <Text>{homeOwner.home.price}</Text>
37        </View>
38      ))}
39
40      <Text>Summer Hill House:</Text>
41      <Text>{summerHillHouse.address}</Text>
42      <Text>{summerHillHouse.color}</Text>
43
44      <Text>Red House:</Text>
45      <Text>{redHouse.address}</Text>
46    </View>
47  );
48};

Update a Dictionary

Update a dictionary's property by using the dictionary.set() method or dot notation to set its property to a new value.

Example

In the following UpdateHome example, we update a dictionary's property.

The UpdateHome component does the following:

  • Create a React state
    variable that represents the home address.
  • Get access to an opened realm instance by calling the useRealm() hook
    within the component.
  • Create a component method updateAddress() that performs a write
    transaction and uses dictionary.set() to set the home's address to the value of the address state variable. It also uses dot syntax to set the yearRenovated to 2004.

  • Render a TextInput that displays and changes the address state variable.

  • Add an onPress event on
    the "Update Address" button that calls updateAddress()
1const UpdateHome = ({homeOwnerName}) => {
2  const [address, setAddress] = useState('');
3  const realm = useRealm();
4  const homeOwner = useQuery(
5    HomeOwner,
6    homeOwners => {
7      return homeOwners.filtered(`name == '${homeOwnerName}'`);
8    },
9    [homeOwnerName],
10  )[0];
11
12  const updateAddress = () => {
13    // Update the home object with the new address
14    realm.write(() => {
15      // use the `set()` method to update a field of a dictionary
16      homeOwner.home.set({address});
17      // alternatively, update a field of a dictionary through dot notation
18      homeOwner.home.yearRenovated = 2004;
19    });
20  };
21
22  return (
23    <View>
24      <Text>{homeOwner.name}</Text>
25      <TextInput
26        value={address}
27        onChangeText={setAddress}
28        placeholder='Enter new address'
29      />
30      <Button
31        onPress={updateAddress}
32        title='Update Address'
33       
34      />
35    </View>
36  );
37};
1const UpdateHome = ({homeOwnerName}: {homeOwnerName: string}) => {
2  const [address, setAddress] = useState('');
3  const realm = useRealm();
4  const homeOwner = useQuery(
5    HomeOwner,
6    homeOwners => {
7      return homeOwners.filtered(`name == '${homeOwnerName}'`);
8    },
9    [homeOwnerName],
10  )[0];
11
12  const updateAddress = () => {
13    // Update the home object with the new address
14    realm.write(() => {
15      // use the `set()` method to update a field of a dictionary
16      homeOwner.home.set({address});
17      // alternatively, update a field of a dictionary through dot notation
18      homeOwner.home.yearRenovated = 2004;
19    });
20  };
21
22  return (
23    <View>
24      <Text>{homeOwner.name}</Text>
25      <TextInput
26        value={address}
27        onChangeText={setAddress}
28        placeholder='Enter new address'
29      />
30      <Button
31        onPress={updateAddress}
32        title='Update Address'
33      />
34    </View>
35  );
36};

Delete Members of a Dictionary

To delete members of a dictionary, use the dictionary.remove() method with an array of properties to remove from the dictionary.

Example

In the following HomeInfo example, we delete members of a dictionary.

The HomeInfo component does the following:

  • Get access to an open realm instance by calling the useRealm() hook within the component.

  • Retrieve the first homeowner that matches the name passed into the component as a prop. We do this by getting the first value returned from the query: useQuery(HomeOwner).filtered(`name == '${homeOwnerName}'`).

  • Create a component method deleteExtraHomeInfo() that performs a write transaction and calls dictionary.remove() to remove the yearRenovated and color properties.

  • Render the homeowner's name and home address in the UI.

  • Add an onPress event on the "Delete extra home info" button that calls deleteExtraHomeInfo().

1const HomeInfo = ({homeOwnerName}) => {
2  const realm = useRealm();
3  const homeOwner = useQuery(
4    HomeOwner,
5    homeOwners => {
6      return homeOwners.filtered(`name == '${homeOwnerName}'`);
7    },
8    [homeOwnerName],
9  )[0];
10
11  const deleteExtraHomeInfo = () => {
12    realm.write(() => {
13      // remove the 'yearRenovated' and 'color' field of the house
14      homeOwner.home.remove(['yearRenovated', 'color']);
15    });
16  };
17
18  return (
19    <View>
20      <Text>{homeOwner.name}</Text>
21      <Text>{homeOwner.home.address}</Text>
22      <Button
23        onPress={deleteExtraHomeInfo}
24        title='Delete extra home info'
25       
26      />
27    </View>
28  );
29};
1const HomeInfo = ({homeOwnerName}: {homeOwnerName: string}) => {
2  const realm = useRealm();
3  const homeOwner = useQuery(
4    HomeOwner,
5    homeOwners => {
6      return homeOwners.filtered(`name == '${homeOwnerName}'`);
7    },
8    [homeOwnerName],
9  )[0];
10
11  const deleteExtraHomeInfo = () => {
12    realm.write(() => {
13      // remove the 'yearRenovated' and 'color' field of the house
14      homeOwner.home.remove(['yearRenovated', 'color']);
15    });
16  };
17
18  return (
19    <View>
20      <Text>{homeOwner.name}</Text>
21      <Text>{homeOwner.home.address}</Text>
22      <Button
23        onPress={deleteExtraHomeInfo}
24        title='Delete extra home info'
25      />
26    </View>
27  );
28};

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