Alter a user-defined type (UDT)

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Adds and renames fields in a user-defined type (UDT).

This command can’t rename the user-defined type itself or drop fields from the user-defined type. Instead, you must drop the user-defined type and then re-create the user-defined type with the desired name and fields.

Ready to write code? See the examples for this method to get started. If you are new to the Data API, check out the quickstart.

Result

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Adds or renames fields in a user-defined type.

Does not return anything.

Adds or renames fields in a user-defined type.

Returns a promise that resolves once the operation completes.

Adds or renames fields in a user-defined type.

Does not return anything.

Adds and renames fields in a user-defined type.

If the command succeeds, the response indicates the success.

Example response:

{
  "status": {
    "ok": 1
  }
}

Parameters

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

Use the alter_type method, which belongs to the astrapy.Database class.

Method signature

alter_type(
  name: str,
  *,
  operation: AlterTypeOperation,
  keyspace: str,
  table_admin_timeout_ms: int,
  request_timeout_ms: int,
  timeout_ms: int,
) -> None

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name`	`str`	The name of the user-defined type to alter.
`operation`	`AlterTypeOperation`	The alter operation to perform. Can be one of the following: An `AlterTypeAddFields` object that defines the name and data type of each field to add to the user-defined type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types. An `AlterTypeRenameFields` object that describes the fields to rename. See Examples for usage.
`keyspace`	`str`	Optional. The keyspace where the user-defined type exists. Default: The database’s working keyspace.
`table_admin_timeout_ms`	`int`	Optional. A timeout, in milliseconds, to impose on the underlying API request. If not provided, the Table defaults apply. This parameter is aliased as `request_timeout_ms` and `timeout_ms` for convenience.

name

str

The name of the user-defined type to alter.

operation

AlterTypeOperation

The alter operation to perform.

Can be one of the following:

An AlterTypeAddFields object that defines the name and data type of each field to add to the user-defined type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types.
An AlterTypeRenameFields object that describes the fields to rename.

See Examples for usage.

keyspace

str

Optional. The keyspace where the user-defined type exists.

Default: The database’s working keyspace.

table_admin_timeout_ms

int

Optional. A timeout, in milliseconds, to impose on the underlying API request. If not provided, the Table defaults apply. This parameter is aliased as request_timeout_ms and timeout_ms for convenience.

Use the alterType method, which belongs to the Db class.

Method signature

async alterType(
  name: string,
  options: {
    operation: AlterTypeOperations,
    keyspace?: string,
    timeout?: number | TimeoutDescriptor,
  }
): void

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name`	`string`	The name of the user-defined type to alter.
`options`	`AlterTypeOptions`	The options for this operation. See Properties of `options` for more details.

name

string

The name of the user-defined type to alter.

options

AlterTypeOptions

The options for this operation. See Properties of options for more details.

Properties of `options`
Name	Type	Summary
`operation`	`AlterTypeOperations`	The alter operation to perform. Can be one of the following: An `AddFieldOperation` object that defines the name and data type of each field to add to the user-defined type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types. A `RenameFieldOperation` object that describes the fields to rename. See Examples for usage.
`keyspace`	`string`	Optional. The keyspace where the user-defined type exists. Default: The database’s working keyspace.
`timeout`	`number` \| `TimeoutDescriptor`	Optional. A timeout to impose on the underlying API request.

Use the alterType method, which belongs to the com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database class.

Method signature

void alterType(String name, AlterTypeOperation operation)

void alterType(
  String name,
  AlterTypeOperation operation,
  AlterTypeOptions options
)

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name`	`String`	The name of the user-defined type to alter.
`operation`	`AlterTypeOperation`	The alter operation to perform. Can be one of the following: An `AlterTypeAddFields` object that defines the name and data type of each field to add to the user-defined type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types. An `AlterTypeRenameFields` object that describes the fields to rename. See Examples for usage.
`options`	`AlterTypeOptions`	Optional. The options for this operation. See Methods of the `AlterTypeOptions` class for more details.

name

String

The name of the user-defined type to alter.

operation

AlterTypeOperation

The alter operation to perform.

Can be one of the following:

An AlterTypeAddFields object that defines the name and data type of each field to add to the user-defined type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types.
An AlterTypeRenameFields object that describes the fields to rename.

See Examples for usage.

options

AlterTypeOptions

Optional. The options for this operation. See Methods of the AlterTypeOptions class for more details.

Methods of the `AlterTypeOptions` class
Method	Parameters	Summary
`keyspace()`	`String`	Optional. The keyspace where the user-defined type exists. Default: The database’s working keyspace.

Use the alterType command.

Command signature

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME" \
--header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
  "alterType": {
    "name": STRING,
    "rename": {
      "fields": {
          OLD_FIELD_NAME: NEW_FIELD_NAME,
          OLD_FIELD_NAME: NEW_FIELD_NAME
      }
    },
    "add": {
      "fields": {
          FIELD_NAME: FIELD_TYPE,
          FIELD_NAME: FIELD_TYPE
      }
    },
  }
}'

Name Type Summary

Name	Type	Summary
`name`	`string`	The name of the user-defined type to alter.
`rename.fields`	`object`	A JSON object that describes the fields to rename. Each key is an existing field name and each value is the new name for the field. See Examples for usage.
`add.fields`	`object`	A JSON object that defines the fields to add to the user-defined type. Each key is a field name and each value is the field’s data type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types. See Examples for usage.

name

string

The name of the user-defined type to alter.

rename.fields

object

A JSON object that describes the fields to rename. Each key is an existing field name and each value is the new name for the field.

See Examples for usage.

add.fields

object

A JSON object that defines the fields to add to the user-defined type. Each key is a field name and each value is the field’s data type. You can use any supported data type, except for maps, lists, sets, or other user-defined types.

See Examples for usage.

Examples

The following examples demonstrate how to alter a user-defined type.

Rename fields

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.info import (
    AlterTypeRenameFields,
)

# Get a database
client = DataAPIClient("APPLICATION_TOKEN")
database = client.get_database("API_ENDPOINT")

# Rename fields in a user-defined type
database.alter_type(
    "member",
    AlterTypeRenameFields(fields={"name": "first_name", "is_active": "is_member"}),
)

import { DataAPIClient } from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get a database
const client = new DataAPIClient("APPLICATION_TOKEN");
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT");

// Drop a user-defined type
(async function () {
  await database.alterType("UDT_NAME", {
    operation: {
      rename: {
        fields: {
          name: "first_name",
          is_active: "is_member",
        },
      },
    },
  });
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.commands.AlterTypeRenameFields;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get a database
    Database database = new DataAPIClient("APPLICATION_TOKEN").getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT");

    // Rename fields in a user-defined type
    database.alterType(
        "member",
        new AlterTypeRenameFields()
            .addField("name", "first_name")
            .addField("is_active", "is_member"));
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "alterType": {
    "name": "member",
    "rename": {
      "fields": {
          "name": "first_name",
          "is_active": "is_member"
      }
    }
  }
}'

Add fields

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

from astrapy import DataAPIClient
from astrapy.info import (
    AlterTypeAddFields,
    ColumnType,
    TableScalarColumnTypeDescriptor,
)

# Get a database
client = DataAPIClient("APPLICATION_TOKEN")
database = client.get_database("API_ENDPOINT")

# Add fields to a user-defined type
database.alter_type(
    "member",
    AlterTypeAddFields(
        fields={
            "email": TableScalarColumnTypeDescriptor(ColumnType.TEXT),
            "credits": TableScalarColumnTypeDescriptor(ColumnType.INT),
        }
    ),
)

import { DataAPIClient } from "@datastax/astra-db-ts";

// Get a database
const client = new DataAPIClient("APPLICATION_TOKEN");
const database = client.db("API_ENDPOINT");

// Drop a user-defined type
(async function () {
  await database.alterType("UDT_NAME", {
    operation: {
      add: {
        fields: {
          email: "text",
          credits: "int",
        },
      },
    },
  });
})();

import com.datastax.astra.client.DataAPIClient;
import com.datastax.astra.client.databases.Database;
import com.datastax.astra.client.tables.commands.AlterTypeAddFields;

public class Example {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Get a database
    Database database = new DataAPIClient("APPLICATION_TOKEN").getDatabase("API_ENDPOINT");

    // Add fields to a user-defined type
    database.alterType(
        "member", new AlterTypeAddFields().addFieldText("email").addFieldInt("credits"));
  }
}

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "alterType": {
    "name": "member",
    "add": {
      "fields": {
          "email": "text",
          "credits": "int"
      }
    }
  }
}'

Rename and add fields

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

You cannot use the client to rename and add fields in the same call. Either make separate calls, or use HTTP directly as demonstrated in the curl tab.

You may rename and add fields in the same call.
However, if one alteration fails, all subsequent operations are aborted.

curl -sS -L -X POST "API_ENDPOINT/api/json/v1/KEYSPACE_NAME" \
  --header "Token: APPLICATION_TOKEN" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "alterType": {
    "name": "member",
    "rename": {
      "fields": {
          "name": "first_name",
          "is_active": "is_member"
      }
    },
    "add": {
      "fields": {
          "email": "text",
          "credits": "int"
      }
    }
  }
}'

Client reference

Python
TypeScript
Java
curl

For more information, see the client reference.

Client reference documentation is not applicable for HTTP.

Alter a user-defined type (UDT)

Result

Parameters

Examples

Rename fields

Add fields

Rename and add fields

Client reference

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