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Troubleshooting GROQ query for accessing objects in an array from a Sanity schema

23 replies
Last updated: Mar 15, 2022
I am having a hard time reaching some objects in an array produced by a groq query. Maybe I need to write the query different, or find the object differently???
First, I have a schema for products. It looks something like this (simplified, of course):


name: "shopifyProduct",
  title: "Product",
  type: "document",
  fields: [
      {
      name: "title",
      title: "Title",
      type: "string",
    },
    {
      name: "descriptions",
      title: "Descriptions",
      type: "array",
      of: [
        { type: "descriptionShopify" },
        { type: "descriptionShortProduct" },
        { type: "descriptionSEO" },
      ],
    },
    {
      name: "images",
      title: "Images",
      description: "the first image will be displayed as the main product image in this site",
      type: "array",
      of: [{ type: "reference", to: [{ type: "shopifyImage" }] }],
    },
]}
Then, I have the groq query:


const queryString = `*[_id in ['${referenceArray.join("','")}']]{
    ...,
    descriptions[]{
      _type == 'descriptionShortProduct' => { "shortDesc": description},
      _type == 'descriptionShopify' => { "shopifyDesc": description }
    },
    "productImage": images[0]-> {...}    
  }`;
Which then creates this:


descriptions: 
    0: shopifyDesc:
        0: {_key: '7559c0a5afdb', _type: 'block', children: Array(1), markDefs: Array(0), style: 'normal'}
        1: {_key: '3723464efeb5', _type: 'block', children: Array(1), markDefs: Array(0), style: 'normal'}
        2: {_key: 'bc1f9950ce6f', _type: 'block', children: Array(3), markDefs: Array(1), style: 'normal'}
    1: shortDesc: 
        0: {_key: '342fd865500c', _type: 'block', children: Array(1), markDefs: Array(0), style: 'normal'}
images: (5) [{…}, {…}, {…}, {…}, {…}]
productImage: {_createdAt: '2022-02-15T22:19:24Z', _id: 'loems-14084081090700', _rev: 'ysQBVdnoEMKFWYdngqdrGZ', _type: 'shopifyImage', _updatedAt: '2022-02-15T22:19:46Z', …}
title: "Miles and Jax"
What I would like to do is grab the short description if it exists. If it doesn't, then grab the shopify description.
Mar 11, 2022, 7:18 PM
I changed the query to be this:
const queryString = `*[_id in ['${referenceArray.join("','")}']]{
    ...,
    *[_type == 'descriptionShortProduct']{ "shortDesc": coalesce(description, 'unknown')},
    *[_type == 'descriptionShopify']{ "shopifyDesc": coalesce(description, 'unknown')},
    "productImage": images[0]-> {...}    
  }`;
But I am getting this error:
{description: 'Attribute or a string key expected', type: 'queryParseError'}

What am I doing wrong?
Mar 14, 2022, 4:27 PM
Ah, you need to add a key before your projections:
const queryString = `*[_id in ['${referenceArray.join("','")}']]{
    ...,
    'insert-key-here': *[_type == 'descriptionShortProduct']{ "shortDesc": coalesce(description, 'unknown')},
    'insert-other-key-here': *[_type == 'descriptionShopify']{ "shopifyDesc": coalesce(description, 'unknown')},
    "productImage": images[0]-> {...}    
  }`;
Mar 14, 2022, 4:32 PM
oh, ok, so the key was in the wrong spot
Mar 14, 2022, 4:33 PM
I will try that out
Mar 14, 2022, 4:33 PM
Sorry to keep bugging you. I swear I am trying to figure this out without pinging you, but I am just struggling 😬
So, this is a screenshot of a returned product. You can see the list of descriptions, as well as the empty "shortDesc" and "shopifyDesc" towards the bottom. I am unable to get any data to show up for those new keys
Mar 14, 2022, 5:12 PM
Sorry to keep bugging you. I swear I am trying to figure this out without pinging you, but I am just struggling 😬
So, this is a screenshot of a returned product. You can see the list of descriptions, as well as the empty "shortDesc" and "shopifyDesc" towards the bottom. I am unable to get any data to show up for those new keys
Mar 14, 2022, 5:12 PM
Sorry to keep bugging you. I swear I am trying to figure this out without pinging you, but I am just struggling 😬
So, this is a screenshot of a returned product. You can see the list of descriptions, as well as the empty "shortDesc" and "shopifyDesc" towards the bottom. I am unable to get any data to show up for those new keys
Mar 14, 2022, 5:12 PM
Ah, you likely just don't need the projections if it's property inside of the object. Are 'descriptionShortProduct' and 'descriptionShopify' fields on the document?
Mar 14, 2022, 6:25 PM
Ah, you likely just don't need the projections if it's property inside of the object. Are 'descriptionShortProduct' and 'descriptionShopify' fields on the document?
Mar 14, 2022, 6:25 PM
The descriptionShortProduct and descriptionShopify are in the schema for the product - is that what you are asking?
{
      name: "descriptions",
      title: "Descriptions",
      type: "array",
      of: [
        { type: "descriptionShopify" },
        { type: "descriptionShortProduct" },
        { type: "descriptionSEO" },
      ],
    },

Mar 14, 2022, 6:26 PM
I think I need to play around with your actual data to figure this out 🙂 . Can you share the URL that Vision give you for one of your queries?
Mar 14, 2022, 6:30 PM
I am putting the query in the code since I am referencing variables, so I am not sure if this is helpful or not: https://t5kmb8b3.api.sanity.io/v2021-10-21/data/query/dev?query=*%5B_type%20%3D%3D%20'shopifyProduct'%5D
Mar 14, 2022, 6:33 PM
That works! Thanks! Let me play around with this.
Mar 14, 2022, 6:34 PM
Thank you! 🙏
Mar 14, 2022, 6:35 PM
Any luck?
Mar 15, 2022, 2:28 PM
Any luck?
Mar 15, 2022, 2:28 PM
Not yet! It's more complicated than I initially thought. Still playing around with it, though.
Mar 15, 2022, 8:15 PM
Give this a try:
'description':coalesce(descriptions[@._type == 'descriptionShortProduct'], descriptions[@._type == 'descriptionShopify'])
Mar 15, 2022, 8:20 PM
it's working
Mar 15, 2022, 10:37 PM
I split it into two

'shortDescription':coalesce(descriptions[@._type == 'descriptionShortProduct']),
    'shopifyDescription':coalesce(descriptions[@._type == 'descriptionShopify']),
then did the following in my widget to see if would finally get the right info:


if (shortDescription.length > 0){
            description = "short"
        }
        else if (shopifyDescription.length > 0) {
            description = "shopify"
        }
        else {
            description = "empty"
        }

Mar 15, 2022, 10:38 PM
Awesome! So glad we got it sorted out!
Mar 15, 2022, 10:39 PM
Thank you for your help! There is a lot I have to learn about groq
Mar 15, 2022, 10:39 PM
There's so much going on with GROQ. It takes a while to really get a feel for the complex stuff.
Mar 15, 2022, 10:40 PM

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