# Partial update on a field, remove element from an array does not work **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [April 16, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/partial-update-on-a-field-remove-element-from-an-array-does-not-work/7346 "2012-04-16T12:07:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sisu\_Alexandru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Sisu\_Alexandru](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Sisu_Alexandru)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/partial-update-on-a-field-remove-element-from-an-array-does-not-work/7346/1 "2012-04-16T12:07:26Z")
Hi, Here's the gist: [https://gist.github.com/2398248](https://gist.github.com/2398248) Im adding elements into a field. Im trying to remove them from there. It doesnt work. curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels += label", "params" : { "label" : 5 } }' curl -XGET '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1)' This one does not work: curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels -= label", "params" : { "label" : 5 } }' #result is {"error":"ElasticSearchIllegalArgumentException[failed to execute script]; nested: StringIndexOutOfBoundsException[String index out of range: -1]; ","status":400} Am I using it incorrectly? Tnx in advance, Alex ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/partial-update-on-a-field-remove-element-from-an-array-does-not-work/7346/2 "2012-04-19T13:18:28Z")
Heya, I chased it down, and it seems like its a problem with the list that has remove by an index (integer) and an object (equality). Forcing it to use the remove with object works: curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels.remove((Object) label);", "params" : { "label" : 5 } }' On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 3:07 PM, Sisu Alexandru [sisu.eugen@gmail.com](mailto:sisu.eugen@gmail.com)wrote: > Hi, > > Here's the gist: [ElasticSearch partial field update: remove element from array, does not work · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/2398248) > Im adding elements into a field. Im trying to remove them from there. It > doesnt work. > > curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ > "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels += label", > "params" : { > "label" : 5 > } > }' > > curl -XGET '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1)' > > This one does not work: > curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ > "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels -= label", > "params" : { > "label" : 5 > } > }' > > #result is {"error":"ElasticSearchIllegalArgumentException[failed to > execute script]; nested: StringIndexOutOfBoundsException[String index out > of range: -1]; ","status":400} > > Am I using it incorrectly? > > Tnx in advance, > > Alex ---
**Author:** ![Sisu\_Alexandru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Sisu\_Alexandru](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Sisu_Alexandru)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/partial-update-on-a-field-remove-element-from-an-array-does-not-work/7346/3 "2012-04-19T13:55:18Z")
Tnx !🙂 On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 3:18 PM, Shay Banon [kimchy@gmail.com](mailto:kimchy@gmail.com) wrote: > Heya, > > I chased it down, and it seems like its a problem with the list that has > remove by an index (integer) and an object (equality). Forcing it to use > the remove with object works: > > curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ > "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels.remove((Object) label);", > "params" : { > "label" : 5 > } > }' > > On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 3:07 PM, Sisu Alexandru [sisu.eugen@gmail.com](mailto:sisu.eugen@gmail.com)wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > Here's the gist: [ElasticSearch partial field update: remove element from array, does not work · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/2398248) > > Im adding elements into a field. Im trying to remove them from there. It > > doesnt work. > > > > curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ > > "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels += label", > > "params" : { > > "label" : 5 > > } > > }' > > > > curl -XGET '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1)' > > > > This one does not work: > > curl -XPOST '[http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/\_update](http://localhost:9200/testindex/posting/1/_update)' -d '{ > > "script" : "ctx.\_source.labels -= label", > > "params" : { > > "label" : 5 > > } > > }' > > > > #result is {"error":"ElasticSearchIllegalArgumentException[failed to > > execute script]; nested: StringIndexOutOfBoundsException[String index out > > of range: -1]; ","status":400} > > > > Am I using it incorrectly? > > > > Tnx in advance, > > > > Alex ---
**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, 3:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/partial-update-on-a-field-remove-element-from-an-array-does-not-work/7346/4 "2017-07-06T03:31:57Z")