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$isArray

The $isArray operator is used to determine if a specified value is an array.

$isArray

The $isArray operator is used to determine if a specified value is an array. It returns true if the value is an array and false otherwise. This operator is often used in aggregation pipelines to filter or transform documents based on whether a field contains an array.

Syntax

{
  $isArray: <expression>
}

Parameters

ParameterDescription
<expression>Any valid expression that resolves to a value you want to check.

Examples

Consider this sample document from the stores collection.

{
    "_id": "7954bd5c-9ac2-4c10-bb7a-2b79bd0963c5",
    "name": "Lakeshore Retail | DJ Equipment Stop - Port Cecile",
    "location": {
        "lat": 60.1441,
        "lon": -141.5012
    },
    "staff": {
        "totalStaff": {
            "fullTime": 2,
            "partTime": 0
        }
    },
    "sales": {
        "salesByCategory": [
            {
                "categoryName": "DJ Headphones",
                "totalSales": 35921
            }
        ],
        "fullSales": 3700
    },
    "promotionEvents": [
        {
            "eventName": "Bargain Blitz Days",
            "promotionalDates": {
                "startDate": {
                    "Year": 2024,
                    "Month": 3,
                    "Day": 11
                },
                "endDate": {
                    "Year": 2024,
                    "Month": 2,
                    "Day": 18
                }
            },
            "discounts": [
                {
                    "categoryName": "DJ Turntables",
                    "discountPercentage": 18
                },
                {
                    "categoryName": "DJ Mixers",
                    "discountPercentage": 15
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "tag": [
        "#ShopLocal",
        "#SeasonalSale",
        "#FreeShipping",
        "#MembershipDeals"
    ]
}

Example 1: Checking if a field is an array

This query checks whether the sales.salesByCategory field in each store document is an array and returns that information for the first three documents.

db.stores.aggregate([
  {
    $project: {
      _id: 1,
      isSalesByCategoryArray: { $isArray: "$sales.salesByCategory" }
    }
  },
 // Limit the result to the first 3 documents
  { $limit: 3 } 
])

The first three results returned by this query are:

[
    {
        "_id": "649626c9-eda1-46c0-a27f-dcee19d97f41",
        "isSalesByCategoryArray": true
    },
    {
        "_id": "8345de34-73ec-4a99-9cb6-a81f7b145c34",
        "isSalesByCategoryArray": true
    },
    {
        "_id": "57cc4095-77d9-4345-af20-f8ead9ef0197",
        "isSalesByCategoryArray": true
    }
]

Example 2: Filtering documents based on array fields

This query demonstrates use of $isArray to filter documents where the promotionEvents field is an array.

db.stores.aggregate([
  {
    $match: {
      $expr: { $isArray: "$promotionEvents" }
    }
  },
  // Limit the result to the first 3 documents
  { $limit: 3 },
   // Include only _id and name fields in the output 
  { $project: { _id: 1, name: 1 } }    
])

The first three results returned by this query are:

[
    {
        "_id": "649626c9-eda1-46c0-a27f-dcee19d97f41",
        "name": "VanArsdel, Ltd. | Musical Instrument Outlet - East Cassie"
    },
    {
        "_id": "8345de34-73ec-4a99-9cb6-a81f7b145c34",
        "name": "Northwind Traders | Bed and Bath Place - West Oraland"
    },
    {
        "_id": "57cc4095-77d9-4345-af20-f8ead9ef0197",
        "name": "Wide World Importers | Bed and Bath Store - West Vitafort"
    }
]

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