# Using nested values in script\_score

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-nested-values-in-script-score/228205>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** painless\
**Created:** [April 15, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-nested-values-in-script-score/228205 "2020-04-15T20:58:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SeverinDK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SeverinDK](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SeverinDK)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-nested-values-in-script-score/228205/1 "2020-04-15T20:58:10Z")

</div>

Hi. I am attempting to use nested values in a script score, but I am having issues making it work, because I am unable to iterate over the field by accessing it through **doc**. Also, when I try to query it in Kibana like `_type:images AND _exists_:colors`, it will not match any documents, even though the field is clearly present in all my docs when I view them individually. I am however able to access it using **params.\_source** , but I have read that it can be slow slow and is not really recommended.

I know that this issue is all due to the way we have created this nested field, so if I cannot come up with something better than this, I will have to reindex our 2m+ documents and see if I can find another way around the problem, but I would like to avoid that, and also just get a better understanding of how Elastic works behind the scenes, and why it acts the way it does here.

The example I will provide here is not my real life issue, but describes the issue just as well.  
Imagine we have a document, that describes an image. This document has a field that contains values for how much red, blue, and green exists in an image.

Requests to create index and documents with nested field that contains arrays of colors with a 100 point split between them:

```auto
PUT images
{
  "settings": {
    "number_of_shards": 1
  },
  "mappings": {
    "_doc": {
      "properties": {
        "id" : { "type" : "integer" },
        "title" : { "type" : "text" },
        "description" : { "type" : "text" },
        "colors": {
          "type": "nested",
          "properties": {
            "red": {
              "type": "double"
            },
            "green": {
              "type": "double"
            },
            "blue": {
              "type": "double"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
 
PUT images/_doc/1
{
    "id" : 1,
    "title" : "Red Image",
    "description" : "Description of Red Image",
    "colors": [
      {
        "red": 100
      },
      {
        "green": 0
      },
      {
        "blue": 0
      }
    ]
}
 
PUT images/_doc/2
{
    "id" : 2,
    "title" : "Green Image",
    "description" : "Description of Green Image",
    "colors": [
      {
        "red": 0
      },
      {
        "green": 100
      },
      {
        "blue": 0
      }
    ]
}
 
PUT images/_doc/3
{
    "id" : 3,
    "title" : "Blue Image",
    "description" : "Description of Blue Image",
    "colors": [
      {
        "red": 0
      },
      {
        "green": 0
      },
      {
        "blue": 100
      }
    ]
}

```

Now, if I run this query, using **doc** :

```auto
GET images/_search
{
  "query": {
    "function_score": {
      "functions": [
        {
          "script_score": {
            "script": {
              "source": """
                boolean debug = true;
                for(color in doc["colors"]) {
                  if (debug === true) {
                    throw new Exception(color["red"].toString());
                  }
                }
              """
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

```

I will get exception `No field found for [colors] in mapping with types []`, but if I use **params.\_source** instead, like so:

```auto
GET images/_search
{
  "query": {
    "function_score": {
      "functions": [
        {
          "script_score": {
            "script": {
              "source": """
                boolean debug = true;
                for(color in params._source["colors"]) {
                  if (debug === true) {
                    throw new Exception(color["red"].toString());
                  }
                }
              """
            }
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

```

I am able to output `"caused_by": {"type": "exception", "reason": "100"}`, so I know that it worked since the first document is "Red Image" and therefore has a red value of 100.

I am not even sure that this can classify as a question, but more a cry for help. If someone can explain why this is behaving the way it is, and give an idea of the best way to get around the issue, I would really appreciate it.

**(Also, some tips for debugging in Painless would also be lovely!!!)**

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/using-nested-values-in-script-score/228205/2 "2020-05-13T20:58:12Z")

</div>

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