API reference overview
The Data API is one way to programmatically interact with Hyper-Converged Database (HCD). DataStax provides clients to make it easier to use the Data API. See the extensive examples of methods and commands.
The other method of interacting with Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) is through the CQL API. CQL-compatible drivers can be used to interact with Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) databases. See the CQL API reference and the individual driver documentation under the Drivers navigation item.
The Data API and its AI-enabled, multi-region functionality is designed for Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) databases. The Data API and client apps offer high-demand features such as vector searches with AI projections that return similarity scores. The Data API eliminates the need for complex data modeling, and enables you to start coding applications quickly. This capability is critical in the rapidly evolving Generative AI (GenAI) field. Data API leverages the scalability, performance, and real-time indexing capabilities of Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) and Apache Cassandra®.
Also, the DataStax RAGStack implementation is based on the Data API. RAGStack is a curated stack of the best open-source software for easing implementation of the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pattern in production-ready applications using Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) or Apache Cassandra as a vector store.
When you create apps using the Python, TypeScript, and Java Data API clients, as your main entry point you will instantiate a DataAPIClient
object.
It is conceptually at the top of the overall coding hierarchy:
The client can spawn specific objects for use in various types of subsequent interactions.
Within each reference topic, task-based sections present per-language examples in adjacent tabs. Depending on a given task’s context, the tabs may include Python, TypeScript, Java, cURL, and CLI.
Also included in this overview are the Data API:
Prerequisites
In order to use the API, you must have completed the following step:
-
You have created a HCD namespace/keyspace and vector-enabled table.
Data API
Use the Data API to perform actions on namespaces, collections, and documents in Hyper-Converged Database (HCD).
See also:
Python client
AstraPy is the official Python client for Hyper-Converged Database (HCD). It requires Python 3.8+
Check out the project on GitHub.
For detailed examples, refer to the Python tab in the following topics: |
TypeScript client
astra-db-ts is the official TypeScript client for Hyper-Converged Database (HCD). It requires Node.js v16.20.2 or higher. Download and install Node.js.
Check out the project on GitHub.
For detailed examples, refer to the TypeScript tab in the following topics: |
Java client
Astra-db-java is the official Java client for Hyper-Converged Database (HCD). It requires Java 11+.
Check out the project on GitHub.
For detailed examples, refer to the Java tab in the following topics: |
Naming conventions
Property names must start and end with a letter or an underscore, and may only contain the following characters:
-
a-z
-
A-Z
-
0-9
-
_ (underscore)
Names must be between 1 and 48 characters.
The _id
property is reserved and interpreted as a document’s identity property.
The dollar sign $
is reserved for system-defined operator and property names. For example, $exists
, $and
, $or
, and $vector
.
Data types
Supported data types in Data API:
-
String
-
Number
-
Object (JSON object)
-
Array
-
Boolean
-
Vector (via
$vector
) -
Date (via
$date
) -
Null
-
UUID (via
$uuid
) -
ObjectId (via
$objectId
)
If you’re using a client, consult the appropriate reference on how to work with dates, UUIDs and ObjectIDs. |
Limits
The Data API includes guardrails to ensure best practices, foster availability, and promote optimal configurations for your Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) databases.
Entity | Limit | Notes |
---|---|---|
Number of collections per namespace |
Five |
Up to five collections in a HCD namespace. |
Page size |
20 |
A page may contain up to 20 documents. After that per-page maximum is reached, you can load any additional documents on the next page via the |
Sort page size |
100 |
Document page size for sorting; implemented as separate from page size because sort operations need more rows per page. |
Maximum property name |
100 |
Maximum of 100 characters in a property name. |
Maximum path length |
1,000 |
Maximum of 1,000 characters in a path name; total for all segments, including any dots (.) between properties in a path. |
String property maximum bytes |
8,000 |
Maximum of 8,000 UTF-8 bytes for |
Number property maximum characters |
100 |
Maximum of 100 characters for |
Maximum elements per array |
1,000 |
Maximum number of elements in an array. This limit applies to indexed properties only. This limit is ignored for non-indexed properties. |
Maximum dimensions in vector-enabled collection |
4,096 |
Maximum size of dimensions you can define for a vector-enabled collection. |
Maximum number of properties per JSON object |
1,000 |
Maximum number of properties for a JSON object. This limit applies to indexed properties only. This limit is ignored for non-indexed properties. A given JSON object may have nested objects, also known as sub-documents. This maximum total count of 1,000 refers to all the indexed properties in the main document, plus a count of 1 for each sub-document (if any). |
Maximum number of properties per JSON document |
2,000 |
Maximum number of properties allowed in a single JSON document is 2,000. This limit includes intermediate properties as well as leaf properties. For example, given this document:
For the purposes of the limit, the document has three properties: |
Maximum document size in characters |
4 million |
Maximum size of each document in a collection is 4 million characters. |
Maximum inserted batch size in characters |
20 million |
Maximum size of an entire batch of documents submitted via an |
Maximum number of documents deleted per transaction |
20 |
Maximum number of documents that can be deleted in each transaction. |
Maximum number of documents updated per transaction |
20 |
Maximum number of documents that can be updated in each transaction. |
Maximum number of documents inserted per transaction |
20 |
Maximum number of documents that can be inserted in each transaction when using |
Maximum size |
100 |
Maximum size of an |
Maximum number of documents returned with each vector search |
1,000 |
Maximum number of documents returned with each vector search. |
If your code exceeds a limit, Data API still responds with an
The SUCCESS response would contain a message such as:
|
Operators
Data API provides a diverse range of logical and update operators that you can use in filters.
For examples in Data API request payloads, see the cURL examples in Documents reference. Also see the Data API non-Astra vector collection in Postman.
Operator type | Name | Purpose |
---|---|---|
Logical query |
|
Joins query clauses with a logical |
|
Joins query clauses with a logical |
|
|
Returns documents that do not match the conditions of the filter clause. |
|
Range query |
|
Matches documents where the given property is greater than the specified value. |
|
Matches documents where the given property is greater than or equal to the specified value. |
|
|
Matches documents where the given property is less than the specified value. |
|
|
Matches documents where the given property is less than or equal to the specified value. |
|
Comparison query |
|
Matches documents where the value of a property equals the specified value. This is the default when you do not specify an operator. |
|
Matches documents where the value of a property does not equal the specified value. |
|
|
Matches any of the values specified in the array. |
|
|
Matches any of the values that are NOT IN the array. |
|
Element query |
|
Matches documents that have the specified property. |
Array query |
|
Matches arrays that contain all elements in the specified array. |
|
Selects documents where the array has the specified number of elements. |
|
Property update |
|
Used in an update operation. In the following example, the
|
|
Increments the value of the property by the specified amount. |
|
|
Updates the property only if the specified value is less than the existing property value. |
|
|
Updates the property only if the specified value is greater than the existing property value. |
|
|
Multiply the value of a property in the document. Example:
|
|
|
Renames the specified property in each matching document. |
|
|
Sets the value of a property in each matching document. |
|
|
Set the value of a property in the document if an upsert is performed. Example:
|
|
|
Removes the specified property from each matching document. |
|
Array update |
|
Adds elements to the array only if they do not already exist in the set. |
|
Removes the first or last item of the array, depending on the value of the operator ( |
|
|
Adds or appends data to the end of the property value. Or, if the value is not yet an array: * If the property has no value, creates a one-element array (containing the item given). * If the property has a non-array value, creates a two-element array, with the old value as the first entry, and the specified item as the second entry. |
|
|
An array update that modifies the |
|
|
An array update that modifies the |