Extracting "First Level" Data Fields
In the code below, 'item_status' is a "first level" jsonb field. In the JSON data array in this table, the main field 'status' has only one subfield (one possible value). The data field is extracted from the folio_users.users__ table because this table contains JSON data array where that field exists (this field is not available in the users__t "transformed" table). Note that the folio_users.users__ table has 2 underscores at the end of its name.
SELECT
folio_users.users__.id,
jsonb_extract_path_text (folio_users.users__ .jsonb, 'status') AS item_status,
FROM folio_users.users__
Extracting "Second Level" Data Fields
In the code below, 'requester_last_name' and 'requester_first_name' are both "second-level" subfields in the JSON data array of the folio_users.users__ table. They are found under the "first level" field called "personal." The "personal" field contains many additional "second-level" subfields in the JSON data array (e.g., first_name, middle_name, last_name, id, etc.). Note that the folio_users.users__ table has 2 underscores at the end of its name.
SELECT
folio_users.users__.id,
jsonb_extract_path_text (folio_users.users__ .jsonb, 'personal', 'lastName') AS requestor_last_name,
jsonb_extract_path_text (folio_users.users__ .jsonb, 'personal', 'firstName') AS requestor_first_name
FROM
folio_users.users__
Extracting "Third level" Data Fields and embedded arrays
In the previous examples, the elements being extracted were "objects" within the JSON array, denoted by curly brackets. In this next example, we need to extract multiple values from an "array" element (denoted by square brackets) that is embedded in a hierarchy of object elements. This calls for nested json extract statements, a strucure very similar to what we used in Access with nested "GetField" and "GetXXXBLOB" functions.
- Nested extract statements are applied from the outside in. So the left-most json statement applies to the right-most element in the parentheses
- The nested extract statement is cast as a "jsonb" object
- That jsonb object is then used in the select stanza to get the needed fields (by using another json extract statement on it)
The example below uses the folio_users.custom_fields table, which has embedded array elements ("id","value" and "default") nested within a hierarchy of objects:
- "selectField" (object)
- "options" (object)
- "values" (array). – "Values" is the array that contains fields we need
Here is what the custom_fields data array looks like:
We want to get the elements under the "values" array (denoted by square brackets):
The code to do that is:
SELECT
cft.id AS custom_fields_id,
cft.ref_id,
cft.name AS custom_fields_name,
jsonb_extract_path_text (values.jsonb,'id') AS value_id, ----- note that in this case, the "id" we're getting is a text element, not a UUID
jsonb_extract_path_text (values.jsonb,'value') AS value_name
------ because "values" is a jsonb object (produced by the cross join below), we need to use json extract statements in "Select" to get the value id and the value name from "values"
------ the shorthand way to get the same "id" and "value" extracts is by using the "#>>" operator:
values.jsonb #>> '{id}'
values.jsonb #>> '{value}'
FROM folio_users.custom_fields AS cf
CROSS JOIN LATERAL jsonb_array_elements (jsonb_extract_path (cf.jsonb, 'selectField', 'options', 'values')) AS values (jsonb)
----- "jsonb_array_elements" works on the 'values' element in the parentheses; we use this extract function because "values" is an array
----- "jsonb_extract_path" works on the "selectField" and "options" objects – the order of objects listed must be in the same hierarchical order as they appear in the table
----- the entire cross join statement produces a jsonb object named "values" (note: what you name this object is totally arbitrary - you could call it "stuff" if you felt like it)
LEFT JOIN folio_users.custom_fields__t AS cft
ON jsonb_extract_path_text (cf.jsonb,'id')::UUID = cft.id
------ I'm joining to the custom_fields__t table to show the custom fields id, the ref_id and the custom_fields name (this is not necessary, it's just a convenience)
ORDER BY name, jsonb_extract_path_text (values.jsonb,'id'), jsonb_extract_path_text (values.jsonb,'value')
- Final note: if you want to include "ordinality" as part of your results – this is the order in which the extracted values appear in the source record – you would insert "WITH ordinality" before "AS values (jsonb)":
CROSS JOIN LATERAL jsonb_array_elements (jsonb_extract_path (cf.jsonb, 'selectField', 'options', 'values')) WITH ordinality AS values (jsonb)
Then you would add a line in the Select stanza to show the ordinality:
values.ordinality AS custom_fields_ordinality
RESULT:
Extracting an array that is at the top-most level in a table
Sometimes you want to extract an array that is at the top-most hierarchical level of a table – that is, it is not embedded within any other object. An example of this is "departments" element in the folio_users.users table:
