Qfyilyi

I specified the columns to be of type String. Why am I getting the following error:

q)test: ([key1:"s"$()] col1:"s"$();col2:"s"$();col3:"s"$())

q)`test upsert(`key1`col1`col2`col3)!(string "999"; string "693"; string "943"; 

string "249")



'type

[0]  `test upsert(`key1`col1`col2`col3)!(string "999"; string "693"; string "9

43"; string "249")

To do exactly this, you can remove the types of the list you defined in test:

q)test: ([key1:()] col1:();col2:();col3:())

q)test upsert (`key1`col1`col2`col3)!("999";"693";"943";"249")

key1 | col1  col2  col3

-----| -----------------

"999"| "693" "943" "249"

The reason you are getting a type error is because "s" corresponds to a list of symbols, not a list of characters. you can check this by using .Q.ty:

q).Q.ty `symbol$()

"s"

q).Q.ty `char$()

"c"

It is (generally) not a great idea to set the keys as nested list of chars, you might find it better to set them as integers ("i") or longs ("j") as in:

test: ([key1:"j"$()] col1:"j"$();col2:"j"$();col3:"j"$())

Having the keys as integers/longs will make the upsert function behave nicely. Also note that a table is a list of dictionaries, so each dictionary can be upserted inidividually as well as a table being upserted:

q)`test upsert (`key1`col1`col2`col3)!(9;4;6;2)

`test

q)test

key1| col1 col2 col3

----| --------------

9   | 4    6    2

q)`test upsert (`key1`col1`col2`col3)!(8;6;2;3)

`test

q)test

key1| col1 col2 col3

----| --------------

9   | 4    6    2

8   | 6    2    3

q)`test upsert (`key1`col1`col2`col3)!(9;1;7;4)

`test

q)test

key1| col1 col2 col3

----| --------------

9   | 1    7    4

8   | 6    2    3

q)`test upsert ([key1: 8 7] col1:2 4; col2:9 3; col3:1 9)

`test

q)test

key1| col1 col2 col3

----| --------------

9   | 1    7    4

8   | 2    9    1

7   | 4    3    9

You have a few issues:

• an array of chars in quotes is a string so no need to write string "abc"
  


• string "aaa" will split the string out in strings of strings


• your initial defined types are symbols "s" and not strings

This will allow you to insert as symbols:

q)test: ([key1:"s"$()] col1:"s"$();col2:"s"$();col3:"s"$())

q)`test upsert(`key1`col1`col2`col3)!`$("999"; "693"; "943"; "249")

`test

This will keep them as strings:

q)test: ([key1:()] col1:();col2:();col3:())

q)`test upsert(`key1`col1`col2`col3)!("999"; "693"; "943"; "249")

`test

Have a look at the diffs in metas of the two

HTH,
Sean