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Capabilities

Quick Highlights {#highlights}

💎 Feature	What it gives you
Schema-only mode	Generate SurrealQL with `generateFullSchemaQl()` without touching the database—perfect for migrations & CI.
Embedded testing	Run SurrealDB fully in-process via `@surrealdb/node` engines (`mem://`) for ultra-fast unit tests.
Parameterized queries (`vars`)	Prevent injection; supported in `select`, `count`, `query`, etc.
Type-safe `fetch` projection	Automatic hydration of related records (`Field.record`) with full TypeScript types.
Circular dependency thunk	Use `Field.record(() => OtherTable)` to avoid import cycles while keeping types.
Advanced data types	Full, type-safe support for `bytes`, `duration`, `uuid`, `decimal`, and specific `geometry` types.
Custom Surreal types	Define `Field.custom<‘left'

`DEFINE TABLE` Features

Feature	SurrealDB Syntax Example	`unreal-orm` Support	Notes
Basic Table Definition	`DEFINE TABLE user;`	✅ Supported	`class User extends Table.normal({ name: 'user', ... })`
`IF NOT EXISTS`	`DEFINE TABLE user IF NOT EXISTS;`	✅ Supported	`Table.normal({ ..., method: 'IF NOT EXISTS' })`
`OVERWRITE`	`DEFINE TABLE user OVERWRITE;`	✅ Supported	`Table.normal({ ..., method: 'OVERWRITE' })`
`SCHEMAFULL`	`DEFINE TABLE user SCHEMAFULL;`	✅ Supported	`Table.normal({ ..., schemafull: true })` is the standard.
`SCHEMALESS`	`DEFINE TABLE user SCHEMALESS;`	✅ Supported	`Table.normal({ ..., schemafull: false })`
`TYPE NORMAL`	`DEFINE TABLE user TYPE NORMAL;`	✅ Supported	This is the default for `Table.normal`.
`TYPE ANY`	`DEFINE TABLE user TYPE ANY;`	✅ Supported	Not directly supported, use `schemafull: false`.
`TYPE RELATION IN ... OUT ...`	`DEFINE TABLE likes TYPE RELATION IN user OUT post;`	✅ Supported	Use `Table.relation({ fields: { in: Field.record(...), out: Field.record(...) } })`. `ENFORCED` not supported.
`ENFORCED` (for `TYPE RELATION`)	`DEFINE TABLE likes TYPE RELATION ... ENFORCED;`	❌ Not Supported	Tied to full `TYPE RELATION` syntax.
Table View (`AS SELECT ...`)	`DEFINE TABLE user_view AS SELECT ... FROM user;`	❌ Not Supported
`CHANGEFEED @duration [INCLUDE ORIGINAL]`	`DEFINE TABLE user CHANGEFEED 1h;`	❌ Not Supported
`PERMISSIONS` (Table-level)	`DEFINE TABLE user PERMISSIONS FOR select WHERE ...;`	✅ Supported	`Table.define({ ..., permissions: { select: '...' } })`
`COMMENT @string`	`DEFINE TABLE user COMMENT 'User accounts';`	✅ Supported	`Table.define({ ..., comment: '...' })`
`DROP` (within `DEFINE TABLE`)	`DEFINE TABLE user DROP;`	❌ Not Supported	`REMOVE TABLE` is a separate operation, not part of `Table.define`.

`DEFINE FIELD` Features

Feature	SurrealDB Syntax Example	`unreal-orm` Support	Notes
Basic Field Definition	`DEFINE FIELD email ON user;`	✅ Supported	Via `fields` object in `Table.define({ fields: { email: Field.string() } })`.
`IF NOT EXISTS` (Field-level)	`DEFINE FIELD email ON user IF NOT EXISTS;`	❌ Not Supported	ORM regenerates the whole schema.
`OVERWRITE` (Field-level)	`DEFINE FIELD email ON user OVERWRITE;`	❌ Not Supported	ORM regenerates the whole schema.
`TYPE @type` (various types)	`DEFINE FIELD age ON user TYPE number;`	⚠️ Partially	See “Data Type Support” section below for detailed coverage.
`FLEXIBLE TYPE @type`	`DEFINE FIELD meta ON user FLEXIBLE TYPE object;`	✅ Supported	Use `{ flexible: true }` with `Field.object()` or `Field.custom()`. Enables flexible schemas for object/custom fields.
`DEFAULT @expression`	`DEFINE FIELD role ON user TYPE string DEFAULT 'guest';`	✅ Supported	`Field.string({ default: 'guest' })`. Handles primitives, `time::now()`, functions.
`DEFAULT ALWAYS @expression`	`DEFINE FIELD updated_at ON user TYPE datetime DEFAULT ALWAYS time::now();`	❌ Not Supported	Only standard `DEFAULT` is supported.
`VALUE @expression`	`DEFINE FIELD created_at ON user VALUE time::now();`	✅ Supported	`Field.string({ value: 'time::now()' })` or e.g. `Field.string({ value: 'string::lowercase($value)' })`
`VALUE <future> { @expression }`	`DEFINE FIELD last_accessed ON user VALUE <future> { time::now() };`	❌ Not Supported	Only standard VALUE is supported, not VALUE .
`ASSERT @expression`	`DEFINE FIELD email ON user ASSERT string::is::email($value);`	✅ Supported	`Field.string({ assert: 'string::is::email($value)' })`
`READONLY`	`DEFINE FIELD id ON user READONLY;`	✅ Supported	`Field.string({ readonly: true })`
`PERMISSIONS` (Field-level)	`DEFINE FIELD email ON user PERMISSIONS FOR select WHERE...;`	✅ Supported	`Field.string({ permissions: { ... } })`
`COMMENT @string`	`DEFINE FIELD email ON user COMMENT 'User email';`	✅ Supported	`Field.string({ comment: '...' })`
`REFERENCE` (with `ON DELETE` actions)	`DEFINE FIELD author ON post TYPE record<user> REFERENCE ON DELETE CASCADE;`	❌ Not Supported
Define type for `id` field	`DEFINE FIELD id ON user TYPE string;`	✅ Supported	`Table.define({ fields: { id: Field.custom({ type: 'string' }) } })`
Define types for specific array indices	`DEFINE FIELD data[0] ON mytable TYPE string;`	❌ Not Supported	`Field.array(Field.string())` defines type for all items.

`DEFINE INDEX` Features

Feature	SurrealDB Syntax Example	`unreal-orm` Support	Notes
Basic Index Definition	`DEFINE INDEX user_email ON user COLUMNS email;`	✅ Supported	`Table.define({ indexes: { user_email: { fields: ['email'] } } })`
`IF NOT EXISTS` (Index-level)	`DEFINE INDEX user_email ON user IF NOT EXISTS ...;`	❌ Not Supported	ORM regenerates the whole schema.
`OVERWRITE` (Index-level)	`DEFINE INDEX user_email ON user OVERWRITE ...;`	❌ Not Supported	ORM regenerates the whole schema.
`UNIQUE` Index	`DEFINE INDEX user_email ON user COLUMNS email UNIQUE;`	✅ Supported	`Index.define(() => User, { fields: ['email'], unique: true })`
`SEARCH ANALYZER` (Full-Text Search)	`DEFINE INDEX ... SEARCH ANALYZER ... BM25 HIGHLIGHTS;`	✅ Supported	Use the `analyzer` option in `Index.define`. Other keywords like `BM25` are not exposed.
Vector Index (`MTREE`, `HNSW`)	`DEFINE INDEX ... MTREE DIMENSION ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`COMMENT @string`	`DEFINE INDEX user_email ON user ... COMMENT '...';`	✅ Supported	Use the `comment` option in `Index.define`.
`CONCURRENTLY`	`DEFINE INDEX user_email ON user ... CONCURRENTLY;`	❌ Not Supported

Other `DEFINE` Statements

unreal-orm primarily focuses on schema generation for tables, fields, and indexes. Other DEFINE statements are not yet supported by the ORM.

Feature	SurrealDB Syntax Example	`unreal-orm` Support	Notes
`DEFINE NAMESPACE`	`DEFINE NAMESPACE test;`	❌ Not Supported	Operates within a given DB/NS connection.
`DEFINE DATABASE`	`DEFINE DATABASE test;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE USER`	`DEFINE USER ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE TOKEN`	`DEFINE TOKEN ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE SCOPE`	`DEFINE SCOPE ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE ANALYZER`	`DEFINE ANALYZER ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE EVENT`	`DEFINE EVENT ... ON TABLE ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE FUNCTION`	`DEFINE FUNCTION fn::abc() ...;`	❌ Not Supported
`DEFINE PARAM`	`DEFINE PARAM $myparam ...;`	❌ Not Supported

Data Type Support

Field Definition Examples

import { Table, Field } from 'unreal-orm';

class User extends Table.normal({
  name: 'user',
  schemafull: true,
  fields: {
    name: Field.string({ assert: '$value.length > 2' }),
    age: Field.number({ assert: '$value >= 0', default: 0 }),
    isActive: Field.bool({ default: true }),
    createdAt: Field.datetime({ default: () => new Date() }),
    profile: Field.object({
      bio: Field.string(),
      website: Field.option(Field.string()),
    }),
    tags: Field.array(Field.string(), { max: 10 }),
    posts: Field.array(Field.record(() => Post)),
    nickname: Field.option(Field.string()),
    // Advanced Types
    balance: Field.decimal(),
    apiKey: Field.uuid(),
    lastLogin: Field.duration(),
    avatar: Field.bytes(),
    location: Field.geometry('point'),
    side: Field.custom<'left' | 'right'>('"left" | "right"'),
  },
}) {}

// Define indexes separately
const UserNameIndex = Index.define(() => User, {
  name: 'user_name_idx',
  fields: ['name'],
  unique: true,
});