# How to define a new geo\_shape field using Painless
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161
**Category:** Elasticsearch
**Created:** [June 3, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161 "2017-06-03T21:27:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@raposa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/raposa)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/1 "2017-06-03T21:27:51Z")
I have two float fields that represent a latitude and longitude. I want to perform an `_update_by_query` and add a new `geo_shape` field to each document using the values from the lat/lon fields.
It works easily enough for a `geo_point`:
```auto
POST my_index/_update_by_query
{
"script" : {
"inline" : """
ctx._source.area.location=[ctx._source.area.longitude, ctx._source.area.latitude]
"""
}
}
```
But I cannot figure out the syntax for a `geo_shape` field. The following code does **_not_** work:
```auto
ctx._source.area.geo_shape['coordinates']=[ctx._source.area.longitude, ctx._source.area.latitude];
ctx._source.area.geo_shape['type']="point";
```
A null\_pointer\_exception is thrown on the `geo_shape` reference:
```auto
"type": "script_exception",
"reason": "runtime error",
"script_stack": [
"ctx._source.area.geo_shape['coordinates']=[ctx._source.area.longitude, ctx._source.area.latitude];\n",
" ^---- HERE"
],
"script": "ctx._source.area.geo_shape['coordinates']=[ctx._source.area.longitude, ctx._source.area.latitude];\nctx._source.area.geo_shape['type']=\"point\";",
"lang": "painless",
"caused_by": {
"type": "null_pointer_exception",
"reason": null
}
```
The mapping looks like:
```auto
"properties": {
"area": {
"properties": {
"geo_shape": {
"type": "geo_shape"
},
"latitude": {
"type": "float"
},
"location": {
"type": "geo_point"
},
"longitude": {
"type": "float"
},
...
```
Anyone tried this before?
---
### Author:  [@rjernst](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rjernst)
#### Post date: [June 5, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/2 "2017-06-05T17:36:40Z")
The `ctx._source` is a Map. It will not auto create fields. So you would either have to create sub maps (containing `area` and `geo_shape` keys), or just create a single field from the root (the dots will automatically be handled when indexing). Eg:
```auto
ctx._source['area.geo_shape.coordinates'] = // whatever
```
You should also aware that coordinates for a geo shape must be in an array, but what you have in your example is a geo json array, so you need to double it. Also not that this will never work, you cannot set mappings inside a document:
```auto
ctx._source.area.geo_shape['type']="point";
```
Finally, why are you using a `geo_shape` for a single point? You should use a `geo_point`.
---
### Author:  [@raposa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/raposa)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/3 "2017-06-06T11:49:30Z")
I am trying to use the `geo_shape` query to determine if a point is located within a preindexed set of `geo_shape`s. `geo_point` doesn't work in that scenario.
FWIW, if the document already has a `geo_shape` field defined, I can use Painless to update the coordinates and the type. The following code works fine:
```auto
PUT test/doc/1
{
"lon" : -87.942655,
"lat" : 42.034714,
"my_geo_shape" : {
"coordinates" : [0,0],
"type" : "point"
}
}
POST test/_update_by_query
{
"script" : {
"inline": """
ctx._source.my_geo_shape.coordinates = [ctx._source.lon,ctx._source.lat];
ctx._source.my_geo_shape.type="point";
"""
}
}
```
What I really want is for my script to add a new `geo_shape` field to the doc, but if I run the `_update_by_query` above on the following document, I get a null\_pointer\_exception:
```auto
PUT test/doc/2
{
"lon" : -87.942655,
"lat" : 42.034714
}
```
What is the syntax for adding a new `geo_shape` field to a document in Painless?
---
### Author:  [@raposa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/raposa)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/4 "2017-06-06T20:15:27Z")
FWIW: I could not figure out the Painless syntax, so I just moved the work back to Logstash and reindexed. Here is what the Logstash config looked like:
```auto
if(![area][latitude] or ![area][longitude]) {
mutate {
replace => {"[area][latitude]" => "0"}
replace => {"[area][longitude]" => "0"}
}
}
mutate {
add_field => {
"[area][my_geoshape][coordinates]" => ["%{[area][longitude]}","%{[area][latitude]}"]
"[area][my_geoshape][type]" => "point"
}
}
```
---
### Author:  [@rjernst](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rjernst)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/5 "2017-06-06T21:07:55Z")
Did you try what I suggested earlier, using the full key instead of assuming auto object creation?
```auto
ctx._source['area.geo_shape.coordinates'] = [ctx._source.lon, ctx._source.lat]
ctx._source['area.geo_shape.type'] = 'point'
```
Also, I misread your "type" earlier, thinking it was trying to set the mappings, but in fact it is just a part of the geo shape.
---
### Author:  [@raposa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/raposa)
#### Post date: [June 6, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/6 "2017-06-06T22:17:55Z")
I did try that. It generates the following error:
```auto
"cause": {
"type": "mapper_parsing_exception",
"reason": "Could not dynamically add mapping for field [area.geo_shape.coordinates]. Existing mapping for [area.geo_shape] must be of type object but found [geo_shape]."
}
```
---
### Author:  [@rjernst](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/rjernst)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/7 "2017-06-07T03:24:53Z")
Ok, then try:
```auto
ctx._source['area.geo_shape'] = [
'type': 'point',
'coordinates': [ctx._source.lon, ctx._source.lat]
]
```
---
### Author:  [@raposa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/raposa)
#### Post date: [June 7, 2017, 4:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/8 "2017-06-07T04:16:15Z")
Brilliant! That worked perfectly. Thanks for helping out with this!
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2017, 4:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-define-a-new-geo-shape-field-using-painless/88161/9 "2017-07-05T04:16:30Z")
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