Feature: Optionally flatten a query that results in a object with a single field into a simple array

[Du-z]

Is your feature request related to a problem?

Currently the query SELECT name FROM user would result in something like the following.

[
  {
    "Name": "Name 1"
  },
  {
   "Name": "Name 2"
  }
]

However it would be far easier to deserialize and work with a simple string array.

[
  "Name 1",
  "Name 2"
]

Describe the solution

An example of this being implemented is with CosmosDB's FIELD keyword
SELECT VALUE name FROM user

Alternative methods

I don't have any other examples of how this could be done

SurrealDB version

1.0.0-beta.8+20220930.c246533

Contact Details

No response

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct

[mathe42]

I think a simple function array::flatten(...) should solve that. See #1308 for a PR.

[Du-z]

Hi, I considered if a function like array::flatten(...) would be suitable before making this issue and the outputs will be subtly different.

SELECT array::flatten(name) FROM user WHERE emailValidated = true will not result in a array of string. But instead will result in an array of objects that has a field with the type of string.

[mathe42]

Ah yes missread the issue - sorry.

Also in my mind it was

array::flatten(SELECT name FROM user WHERE emailValidated = true)