Update Records

RushDB Python SDK provides two main methods for updating records: update() for partial updates and set() for complete replacement of record data.

Overview

The update methods allow you to:

• Update specific properties while preserving others (update())
• Completely replace record data (set())
• Apply changes either through the RecordsAPI or directly on Record objects

Prerequisites

Before updating records, make sure you have initialized the RushDB client with your API token:

from rushdb import RushDB

db = RushDB("YOUR_API_TOKEN", base_url="https://api.rushdb.com")

Updating Records with update()

The update() method allows you to modify specific properties of a record while preserving other existing properties.

Syntax

# Using RecordsAPI
db.records.update(
    record_id: str,
    data: Dict[str, Any],
    transaction: Optional[Transaction] = None
) -> Dict[str, str]

# Using Record object
record.update(
    data: Dict[str, Any],
    transaction: Optional[Transaction] = None
) -> Dict[str, str]

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
record_id	str	ID of the record to update (when using RecordsAPI)
data	Dict[str, Any]	Partial record data containing only the properties to update
transaction	Optional[Transaction]	Optional transaction object

Returns

A dictionary with the response data confirming the update.

Examples

Using RecordsAPI

# First, create or retrieve a record
person = db.records.create(
    label="PERSON",
    data={
        "name": "John Doe",
        "age": 30,
        "email": "john@example.com",
        "active": True
    }
)

# Later, update specific properties using the record's ID
response = db.records.update(
    record_id=person.id,
    data={
        "age": 31,
        "title": "Senior Developer",
        "active": False
    }
)

# The record now contains both original and updated properties:
# name: "John Doe" (preserved)
# age: 31 (updated)
# email: "john@example.com" (preserved)
# active: False (updated)
# title: "Senior Developer" (added)

Using Record Object

# If you have a record object, you can update it directly
person = db.records.create(
    label="PERSON",
    data={
        "name": "Jane Smith",
        "age": 28,
        "department": "Engineering"
    }
)

# Update the record
response = person.update({
    "age": 29,
    "department": "Product",
    "role": "Product Manager"
})

# The record now contains:
# name: "Jane Smith" (preserved)
# age: 29 (updated)
# department: "Product" (updated)
# role: "Product Manager" (added)

Replacing Records with set()

The set() method completely replaces all properties of a record with new data.

Syntax

# Using RecordsAPI
db.records.set(
    record_id: str,
    data: Dict[str, Any],
    transaction: Optional[Transaction] = None
) -> Dict[str, str]

# Using Record object
record.set(
    data: Dict[str, Any],
    transaction: Optional[Transaction] = None
) -> Dict[str, str]

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
record_id	str	ID of the record to replace (when using RecordsAPI)
data	Dict[str, Any]	New record data that will completely replace existing properties
transaction	Optional[Transaction]	Optional transaction object

Returns

A dictionary with the response data confirming the replacement.

Examples

Using RecordsAPI

# First, create or retrieve a record
product = db.records.create(
    label="PRODUCT",
    data={
        "name": "Smartphone X",
        "price": 899.99,
        "category": "Electronics",
        "features": ["5G", "Water Resistant"]
    }
)

# Later, completely replace the record data
response = db.records.set(
    record_id=product.id,
    data={
        "name": "Smartphone X Pro",
        "price": 1099.99,
        "inStock": True,
        "specifications": {
            "storage": "256GB",
            "color": "Midnight Blue"
        }
    }
)

# The record now ONLY contains the new properties:
# name: "Smartphone X Pro"
# price: 1099.99
# inStock: True
# specifications: { storage: "256GB", color: "Midnight Blue" }
# Note: "category" and "features" properties are removed

Using Record Object

# If you have a record object, you can replace it directly
product = db.records.create(
    label="PRODUCT",
    data={
        "name": "Laptop Basic",
        "price": 699.99,
        "category": "Computer"
    }
)

# Replace all record data
response = product.set({
    "name": "Laptop Pro",
    "price": 1299.99,
    "memory": "16GB",
    "processor": "i7"
})

# The record now ONLY contains:
# name: "Laptop Pro"
# price: 1299.99
# memory: "16GB"
# processor: "i7"
# Note: "category" property is removed

Working with Transactions

For operations that need to be atomic, you can use transactions:

# Start a transaction
tx = db.tx.begin()

try:
    # Update multiple records in the same transaction
    product1 = db.records.create(
        label="PRODUCT",
        data={"name": "Item 1", "price": 10.99},
        transaction=tx
    )

    product2 = db.records.create(
        label="PRODUCT",
        data={"name": "Item 2", "price": 20.99},
        transaction=tx
    )

    # Update first product
    db.records.update(
        record_id=product1.id,
        data={"price": 11.99, "featured": True},
        transaction=tx
    )

    # Replace second product
    db.records.set(
        record_id=product2.id,
        data={"name": "Item 2 Pro", "price": 29.99, "featured": True},
        transaction=tx
    )

    # Commit all changes
    tx.commit()
except Exception as e:
    # If any operation fails, roll back all changes
    tx.rollback()
    print(f"Transaction failed: {e}")

Best Practices

1. Use update() for partial updates when you want to preserve existing data.
2. Use set() for complete replacement when you want to ensure the record only has the properties you specify.
3. Use Record objects directly for more concise code when you already have a reference to the record.
4. Use transactions when updating multiple related records to ensure data consistency.
5. Validate data on the client side before sending update requests.
6. Handle exceptions properly to manage failed update operations.