# How to map a dynamic map of key values? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 11, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-map-a-dynamic-map-of-key-values/18030 "2014-06-11T01:09:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drew\_Kutcharian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/drew_kutcharian/32/742_2.png) [@Drew\_Kutcharian](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Drew_Kutcharian)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-map-a-dynamic-map-of-key-values/18030/1 "2014-06-11T01:09:03Z")
Hey Guys, How can I map an arbitrary map of key/values in ES? My JSON looks like the following, where "name" and "age" are static but "attributes" is dynamic: { "name": "john", "age": 25, "attributes" : { "key1": value1, "key2": value2, "key3": value3, ... } } Things to consider: 1. Not all documents have the same number of attributes or even the same attributes. 2. Different documents can have values of different types for the same name attributes (say "attr1" is string for doc 1 but is int for doc 2) 3. Attribute value can only be primitive json type (boolean, integer, number, null or string) or an array of primitive type. 4. It goes without saying that the attributes must be searchable. Thanks, Drew -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/BB50D9C2-1F16-437F-A6AB-7FEB25427743%40venarc.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/BB50D9C2-1F16-437F-A6AB-7FEB25427743%40venarc.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![Thomas\_Bolis](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/thomas_bolis/32/700_2.png) [@Thomas\_Bolis](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Thomas_Bolis)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-map-a-dynamic-map-of-key-values/18030/2 "2014-06-11T08:39:27Z")
one way would be to use a nested document structure like: check: [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/mapping-nested-type.html#mapping-nested-type) .. "properties" : { "type":"nested" "attributes":{ "key" : { "index" : "not\_analyzed", "type" : "string" }, "value" : { "index":"not\_analyzed" "type" : "string" } } } ... You may even use multiple fields depending of the type of the value, and if you know the type of each key to be able to index it properly and do search upon it "properties" : { "type":"nested" "attributes":{ "key" : { "index" : "not\_analyzed", "type" : "string" }, "stringValue" : { "index":"not\_analyzed" "type" : "string" }, "numericValue" : { "type" : "float" } } } How are you going to update the document? If you chose this way and you perform updates on a nested document(e.g. add a key value) the whole document is reindexed Hope it helps Thomas On Wednesday, 11 June 2014 04:09:16 UTC+3, Drew wrote: > Hey Guys, > > How can I map an arbitrary map of key/values in ES? My JSON looks like the > following, where “name" and “age” are static but “attributes” is dynamic: > > { > “name”: “john”, > “age”: 25, > “attributes” : { > “key1”: value1, > “key2”: value2, > “key3”: value3, > ... > } > } > > Things to consider: > > 1. Not all documents have the same number of attributes or even the same > attributes. > 2. Different documents can have values of different types for the same > name attributes (say “attr1” is string for doc 1 but is int for doc 2) > 3. Attribute value can only be primitive json type (boolean, integer, > number, null or string) or an array of primitive type. > 4. It goes without saying that the attributes must be searchable. > > Thanks, > > Drew -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/fb125974-b7a8-461b-9701-fea71cf38855%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/fb125974-b7a8-461b-9701-fea71cf38855%40googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![Drew\_Kutcharian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/drew_kutcharian/32/742_2.png) [@Drew\_Kutcharian](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Drew_Kutcharian)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-map-a-dynamic-map-of-key-values/18030/3 "2014-06-11T17:10:49Z")
Thanks. I was also looking at dynamic mapping templates ([Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/mapping-root-object-type.html#_dynamic_templates)) too. Would that approach work if I were to flatten my JSON so it'd be more like: { "name": "john", "age": 25, "attribute-key1" : value1, "attribute-key2" : value2, "attribute-key3" : value3, } I could even take this further and make the key/value pair multi-fields so they can contain multiple types either at application side or using ([Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/0.90/mapping-multi-field-type.html)) This is how the JSON will look like if I were to implement the multi-fields application side: { "name": "john", "age": 25, "attribute-string-key1" : value1, "attribute-int-key2" : value2, "attribute-string-key3" : value3, } Do you see any pro/cons with this approach vs the nested types approach? - Drew On Jun 11, 2014, at 1:39 AM, Thomas [thomas.bolis@gmail.com](mailto:thomas.bolis@gmail.com) wrote: > one way would be to use a nested document structure like: > check: [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/mapping-nested-type.html#mapping-nested-type) > .. > "properties" : { > "type":"nested" > "attributes":{ > "key" : { > "index" : "not\_analyzed", > "type" : "string" > }, > "value" : { > "index":"not\_analyzed" > "type" : "string" > } > } > } > ... > You may even use multiple fields depending of the type of the value, and if you know the type of each key to be able to index it properly and do search upon it > > "properties" : { > "type":"nested" > "attributes":{ > "key" : { > "index" : "not\_analyzed", > "type" : "string" > }, > "stringValue" : { > "index":"not\_analyzed" > "type" : "string" > }, > "numericValue" : { > "type" : "float" > } > } > } > > How are you going to update the document? If you chose this way and you perform updates on a nested document(e.g. add a key value) the whole document is reindexed > > Hope it helps > > Thomas > > On Wednesday, 11 June 2014 04:09:16 UTC+3, Drew wrote: > Hey Guys, > > How can I map an arbitrary map of key/values in ES? My JSON looks like the following, where "name" and "age" are static but "attributes" is dynamic: > > { > "name": "john", > "age": 25, > "attributes" : { > "key1": value1, > "key2": value2, > "key3": value3, > ... > } > } > > Things to consider: > > 1. Not all documents have the same number of attributes or even the same attributes. > 2. Different documents can have values of different types for the same name attributes (say "attr1" is string for doc 1 but is int for doc 2) > 3. Attribute value can only be primitive json type (boolean, integer, number, null or string) or an array of primitive type. > 4. It goes without saying that the attributes must be searchable. > > Thanks, > > Drew > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/fb125974-b7a8-461b-9701-fea71cf38855%40googlegroups.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/fb125974-b7a8-461b-9701-fea71cf38855%40googlegroups.com). > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). To view this discussion on the web visit [https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/688F6074-9B85-4769-99BD-706EEE8903B3%40venarc.com](https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/elasticsearch/688F6074-9B85-4769-99BD-706EEE8903B3%40venarc.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-map-a-dynamic-map-of-key-values/18030/4 "2017-07-06T01:23:12Z")