Update an item in a DynamoDB table

You can update items from DynamoDB tables using the AWS Management Console, the AWS CLI, or an AWS SDK. For more information on items, see Core components of Amazon DynamoDB.

Update an item in a DynamoDB table using an AWS SDK

The following code examples show how to update an item in a DynamoDB table using an AWS SDK.

.NET

AWS SDK for .NET

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

        /// <summary>
        /// Updates an existing item in the movies table.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="client">An initialized Amazon DynamoDB client object.</param>
        /// <param name="newMovie">A Movie object containing information for
        /// the movie to update.</param>
        /// <param name="newInfo">A MovieInfo object that contains the
        /// information that will be changed.</param>
        /// <param name="tableName">The name of the table that contains the movie.</param>
        /// <returns>A Boolean value that indicates the success of the operation.</returns>
        public static async Task<bool> UpdateItemAsync(
            AmazonDynamoDBClient client,
            Movie newMovie,
            MovieInfo newInfo,
            string tableName)
        {
            var key = new Dictionary<string, AttributeValue>
            {
                ["title"] = new AttributeValue { S = newMovie.Title },
                ["year"] = new AttributeValue { N = newMovie.Year.ToString() },
            };
            var updates = new Dictionary<string, AttributeValueUpdate>
            {
                ["info.plot"] = new AttributeValueUpdate
                {
                    Action = AttributeAction.PUT,
                    Value = new AttributeValue { S = newInfo.Plot },
                },

                ["info.rating"] = new AttributeValueUpdate
                {
                    Action = AttributeAction.PUT,
                    Value = new AttributeValue { N = newInfo.Rank.ToString() },
                },
            };

            var request = new UpdateItemRequest
            {
                AttributeUpdates = updates,
                Key = key,
                TableName = tableName,
            };

            var response = await client.UpdateItemAsync(request);

            return response.HttpStatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.OK;
        }

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for .NET API Reference.

Bash

AWS CLI with Bash script

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

##############################################################################
# function dynamodb_update_item
#
# This function updates an item in a DynamoDB table.
#
#
# Parameters:
#       -n table_name  -- The name of the table.
#       -k keys  -- Path to json file containing the keys that identify the item to update.
#       -e update expression  -- An expression that defines one or more attributes to be updated.
#       -v values  -- Path to json file containing the update values.
#
#  Returns:
#       0 - If successful.
#       1 - If it fails.
#############################################################################
function dynamodb_update_item() {
  local table_name keys update_expression values response
  local option OPTARG # Required to use getopts command in a function.

  #######################################
  # Function usage explanation
  #######################################
  function usage() {
    echo "function dynamodb_update_item"
    echo "Update an item in a DynamoDB table."
    echo " -n table_name  -- The name of the table."
    echo " -k keys  -- Path to json file containing the keys that identify the item to update."
    echo " -e update expression  -- An expression that defines one or more attributes to be updated."
    echo " -v values  -- Path to json file containing the update values."
    echo ""
  }

  while getopts "n:k:e:v:h" option; do
    case "${option}" in
      n) table_name="${OPTARG}" ;;
      k) keys="${OPTARG}" ;;
      e) update_expression="${OPTARG}" ;;
      v) values="${OPTARG}" ;;
      h)
        usage
        return 0
        ;;
      \?)
        echo "Invalid parameter"
        usage
        return 1
        ;;
    esac
  done
  export OPTIND=1

  if [[ -z "$table_name" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide a table name with the -n parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi

  if [[ -z "$keys" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide a keys json file path the -k parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi
  if [[ -z "$update_expression" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide an update expression with the -e parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi

  if [[ -z "$values" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide a values json file path the -v parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi

  iecho "Parameters:\n"
  iecho "    table_name:   $table_name"
  iecho "    keys:   $keys"
  iecho "    update_expression:   $update_expression"
  iecho "    values:   $values"

  response=$(aws dynamodb update-item \
    --table-name "$table_name" \
    --key file://"$keys" \
    --update-expression "$update_expression" \
    --expression-attribute-values file://"$values")

  local error_code=${?}

  if [[ $error_code -ne 0 ]]; then
    aws_cli_error_log $error_code
    errecho "ERROR: AWS reports update-item operation failed.$response"
    return 1
  fi

  return 0

}

The utility functions used in this example.

###############################################################################
# function iecho
#
# This function enables the script to display the specified text only if
# the global variable $VERBOSE is set to true.
###############################################################################
function iecho() {
  if [[ $VERBOSE == true ]]; then
    echo "$@"
  fi
}

###############################################################################
# function errecho
#
# This function outputs everything sent to it to STDERR (standard error output).
###############################################################################
function errecho() {
  printf "%s\n" "$*" 1>&2
}

##############################################################################
# function aws_cli_error_log()
#
# This function is used to log the error messages from the AWS CLI.
#
# See https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/topic/return-codes.html#cli-aws-help-return-codes.
#
# The function expects the following argument:
#         $1 - The error code returned by the AWS CLI.
#
#  Returns:
#          0: - Success.
#
##############################################################################
function aws_cli_error_log() {
  local err_code=$1
  errecho "Error code : $err_code"
  if [ "$err_code" == 1 ]; then
    errecho "  One or more S3 transfers failed."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 2 ]; then
    errecho "  Command line failed to parse."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 130 ]; then
    errecho "  Process received SIGINT."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 252 ]; then
    errecho "  Command syntax invalid."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 253 ]; then
    errecho "  The system environment or configuration was invalid."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 254 ]; then
    errecho "  The service returned an error."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 255 ]; then
    errecho "  255 is a catch-all error."
  fi

  return 0
}

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS CLI Command Reference.

C++

SDK for C++

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

//! Update an Amazon DynamoDB table item.
/*!
  \sa updateItem()
  \param tableName: The table name.
  \param partitionKey: The partition key.
  \param partitionValue: The value for the partition key.
  \param attributeKey: The key for the attribute to be updated.
  \param attributeValue: The value for the attribute to be updated.
  \param clientConfiguration: AWS client configuration.
  \return bool: Function succeeded.
  */

/*
 *  The example code only sets/updates an attribute value. It processes
 *  the attribute value as a string, even if the value could be interpreted
 *  as a number. Also, the example code does not remove an existing attribute
 *  from the key value.
 */

bool AwsDoc::DynamoDB::updateItem(const Aws::String &tableName,
                                  const Aws::String &partitionKey,
                                  const Aws::String &partitionValue,
                                  const Aws::String &attributeKey,
                                  const Aws::String &attributeValue,
                                  const Aws::Client::ClientConfiguration &clientConfiguration) {
    Aws::DynamoDB::DynamoDBClient dynamoClient(clientConfiguration);

    // *** Define UpdateItem request arguments.
    // Define TableName argument.
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::UpdateItemRequest request;
    request.SetTableName(tableName);

    // Define KeyName argument.
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::AttributeValue attribValue;
    attribValue.SetS(partitionValue);
    request.AddKey(partitionKey, attribValue);

    // Construct the SET update expression argument.
    Aws::String update_expression("SET #a = :valueA");
    request.SetUpdateExpression(update_expression);

    // Construct attribute name argument.
    Aws::Map<Aws::String, Aws::String> expressionAttributeNames;
    expressionAttributeNames["#a"] = attributeKey;
    request.SetExpressionAttributeNames(expressionAttributeNames);

    // Construct attribute value argument.
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::AttributeValue attributeUpdatedValue;
    attributeUpdatedValue.SetS(attributeValue);
    Aws::Map<Aws::String, Aws::DynamoDB::Model::AttributeValue> expressionAttributeValues;
    expressionAttributeValues[":valueA"] = attributeUpdatedValue;
    request.SetExpressionAttributeValues(expressionAttributeValues);

    // Update the item.
    const Aws::DynamoDB::Model::UpdateItemOutcome &outcome = dynamoClient.UpdateItem(
            request);
    if (outcome.IsSuccess()) {
        std::cout << "Item was updated" << std::endl;
    }
    else {
        std::cerr << outcome.GetError().GetMessage() << std::endl;
    }

    return outcome.IsSuccess();
}

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for C++ API Reference.

Go

SDK for Go V2

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

// TableBasics encapsulates the Amazon DynamoDB service actions used in the examples.
// It contains a DynamoDB service client that is used to act on the specified table.
type TableBasics struct {
	DynamoDbClient *dynamodb.Client
	TableName      string
}



// UpdateMovie updates the rating and plot of a movie that already exists in the
// DynamoDB table. This function uses the `expression` package to build the update
// expression.
func (basics TableBasics) UpdateMovie(movie Movie) (map[string]map[string]interface{}, error) {
	var err error
	var response *dynamodb.UpdateItemOutput
	var attributeMap map[string]map[string]interface{}
	update := expression.Set(expression.Name("info.rating"), expression.Value(movie.Info["rating"]))
	update.Set(expression.Name("info.plot"), expression.Value(movie.Info["plot"]))
	expr, err := expression.NewBuilder().WithUpdate(update).Build()
	if err != nil {
		log.Printf("Couldn't build expression for update. Here's why: %v\n", err)
	} else {
		response, err = basics.DynamoDbClient.UpdateItem(context.TODO(), &dynamodb.UpdateItemInput{
			TableName:                 aws.String(basics.TableName),
			Key:                       movie.GetKey(),
			ExpressionAttributeNames:  expr.Names(),
			ExpressionAttributeValues: expr.Values(),
			UpdateExpression:          expr.Update(),
			ReturnValues:              types.ReturnValueUpdatedNew,
		})
		if err != nil {
			log.Printf("Couldn't update movie %v. Here's why: %v\n", movie.Title, err)
		} else {
			err = attributevalue.UnmarshalMap(response.Attributes, &attributeMap)
			if err != nil {
				log.Printf("Couldn't unmarshall update response. Here's why: %v\n", err)
			}
		}
	}
	return attributeMap, err
}

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for Go API Reference.

Java

SDK for Java 2.x

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

Updates an item in a table using DynamoDbClient.

    public static void updateTableItem(DynamoDbClient ddb,
                                       String tableName,
                                       String key,
                                       String keyVal,
                                       String name,
                                       String updateVal){

        HashMap<String,AttributeValue> itemKey = new HashMap<>();
        itemKey.put(key, AttributeValue.builder()
            .s(keyVal)
            .build());

        HashMap<String,AttributeValueUpdate> updatedValues = new HashMap<>();
        updatedValues.put(name, AttributeValueUpdate.builder()
            .value(AttributeValue.builder().s(updateVal).build())
            .action(AttributeAction.PUT)
            .build());

        UpdateItemRequest request = UpdateItemRequest.builder()
            .tableName(tableName)
            .key(itemKey)
            .attributeUpdates(updatedValues)
            .build();

        try {
            ddb.updateItem(request);
        } catch (ResourceNotFoundException e) {
            System.err.println(e.getMessage());
            System.exit(1);
        } catch (DynamoDbException e) {
            System.err.println(e.getMessage());
            System.exit(1);
        }
        System.out.println("The Amazon DynamoDB table was updated!");
    }

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for Java 2.x API Reference.

JavaScript

SDK for JavaScript (v3)

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

This example uses the document client to simplify working with items in DynamoDB. For API details see UpdateCommand.

import { DynamoDBClient } from "@aws-sdk/client-dynamodb";
import { DynamoDBDocumentClient, UpdateCommand } from "@aws-sdk/lib-dynamodb";

const client = new DynamoDBClient({});
const docClient = DynamoDBDocumentClient.from(client);

export const main = async () => {
  const command = new UpdateCommand({
    TableName: "Dogs",
    Key: {
      Breed: "Labrador",
    },
    UpdateExpression: "set Color = :color",
    ExpressionAttributeValues: {
      ":color": "black",
    },
    ReturnValues: "ALL_NEW",
  });

  const response = await docClient.send(command);
  console.log(response);
  return response;
};

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for JavaScript API Reference.

Kotlin

SDK for Kotlin

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

suspend fun updateTableItem(
    tableNameVal: String,
    keyName: String,
    keyVal: String,
    name: String,
    updateVal: String
) {

    val itemKey = mutableMapOf<String, AttributeValue>()
    itemKey[keyName] = AttributeValue.S(keyVal)

    val updatedValues = mutableMapOf<String, AttributeValueUpdate>()
    updatedValues[name] = AttributeValueUpdate {
        value = AttributeValue.S(updateVal)
        action = AttributeAction.Put
    }

    val request = UpdateItemRequest {
        tableName = tableNameVal
        key = itemKey
        attributeUpdates = updatedValues
    }

    DynamoDbClient { region = "us-east-1" }.use { ddb ->
        ddb.updateItem(request)
        println("Item in $tableNameVal was updated")
    }
}

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for Kotlin API reference.

PHP

SDK for PHP

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

        echo "What rating would you like to give {$movie['Item']['title']['S']}?\n";
        $rating = 0;
        while (!is_numeric($rating) || intval($rating) != $rating || $rating < 1 || $rating > 10) {
            $rating = testable_readline("Rating (1-10): ");
        }
        $service->updateItemAttributeByKey($tableName, $key, 'rating', 'N', $rating);

    public function updateItemAttributeByKey(
        string $tableName,
        array $key,
        string $attributeName,
        string $attributeType,
        string $newValue
    ) {
        $this->dynamoDbClient->updateItem([
            'Key' => $key['Item'],
            'TableName' => $tableName,
            'UpdateExpression' => "set #NV=:NV",
            'ExpressionAttributeNames' => [
                '#NV' => $attributeName,
            ],
            'ExpressionAttributeValues' => [
                ':NV' => [
                    $attributeType => $newValue
                ]
            ],
        ]);
    }

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for PHP API Reference.

Python

SDK for Python (Boto3)

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

Update an item by using an update expression.

class Movies:
    """Encapsulates an Amazon DynamoDB table of movie data."""

    def __init__(self, dyn_resource):
        """
        :param dyn_resource: A Boto3 DynamoDB resource.
        """
        self.dyn_resource = dyn_resource
        # The table variable is set during the scenario in the call to
        # 'exists' if the table exists. Otherwise, it is set by 'create_table'.
        self.table = None


    def update_movie(self, title, year, rating, plot):
        """
        Updates rating and plot data for a movie in the table.

        :param title: The title of the movie to update.
        :param year: The release year of the movie to update.
        :param rating: The updated rating to the give the movie.
        :param plot: The updated plot summary to give the movie.
        :return: The fields that were updated, with their new values.
        """
        try:
            response = self.table.update_item(
                Key={"year": year, "title": title},
                UpdateExpression="set info.rating=:r, info.plot=:p",
                ExpressionAttributeValues={":r": Decimal(str(rating)), ":p": plot},
                ReturnValues="UPDATED_NEW",
            )
        except ClientError as err:
            logger.error(
                "Couldn't update movie %s in table %s. Here's why: %s: %s",
                title,
                self.table.name,
                err.response["Error"]["Code"],
                err.response["Error"]["Message"],
            )
            raise
        else:
            return response["Attributes"]

Update an item by using an update expression that includes an arithmetic operation.

class UpdateQueryWrapper:
    def __init__(self, table):
        self.table = table


    def update_rating(self, title, year, rating_change):
        """
        Updates the quality rating of a movie in the table by using an arithmetic
        operation in the update expression. By specifying an arithmetic operation,
        you can adjust a value in a single request, rather than first getting its
        value and then setting its new value.

        :param title: The title of the movie to update.
        :param year: The release year of the movie to update.
        :param rating_change: The amount to add to the current rating for the movie.
        :return: The updated rating.
        """
        try:
            response = self.table.update_item(
                Key={"year": year, "title": title},
                UpdateExpression="set info.rating = info.rating + :val",
                ExpressionAttributeValues={":val": Decimal(str(rating_change))},
                ReturnValues="UPDATED_NEW",
            )
        except ClientError as err:
            logger.error(
                "Couldn't update movie %s in table %s. Here's why: %s: %s",
                title,
                self.table.name,
                err.response["Error"]["Code"],
                err.response["Error"]["Message"],
            )
            raise
        else:
            return response["Attributes"]

Update an item only when it meets certain conditions.

class UpdateQueryWrapper:
    def __init__(self, table):
        self.table = table


    def remove_actors(self, title, year, actor_threshold):
        """
        Removes an actor from a movie, but only when the number of actors is greater
        than a specified threshold. If the movie does not list more than the threshold,
        no actors are removed.

        :param title: The title of the movie to update.
        :param year: The release year of the movie to update.
        :param actor_threshold: The threshold of actors to check.
        :return: The movie data after the update.
        """
        try:
            response = self.table.update_item(
                Key={"year": year, "title": title},
                UpdateExpression="remove info.actors[0]",
                ConditionExpression="size(info.actors) > :num",
                ExpressionAttributeValues={":num": actor_threshold},
                ReturnValues="ALL_NEW",
            )
        except ClientError as err:
            if err.response["Error"]["Code"] == "ConditionalCheckFailedException":
                logger.warning(
                    "Didn't update %s because it has fewer than %s actors.",
                    title,
                    actor_threshold + 1,
                )
            else:
                logger.error(
                    "Couldn't update movie %s. Here's why: %s: %s",
                    title,
                    err.response["Error"]["Code"],
                    err.response["Error"]["Message"],
                )
            raise
        else:
            return response["Attributes"]

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for Python (Boto3) API Reference.

Ruby

SDK for Ruby

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

class DynamoDBBasics
  attr_reader :dynamo_resource
  attr_reader :table

  def initialize(table_name)
    client = Aws::DynamoDB::Client.new(region: "us-east-1")
    @dynamo_resource = Aws::DynamoDB::Resource.new(client: client)
    @table = @dynamo_resource.table(table_name)
  end

  # Updates rating and plot data for a movie in the table.
  #
  # @param movie [Hash] The title, year, plot, rating of the movie.
  def update_item(movie)

    response = @table.update_item(
      key: {"year" => movie[:year], "title" => movie[:title]},
      update_expression: "set info.rating=:r",
      expression_attribute_values: { ":r" => movie[:rating] },
      return_values: "UPDATED_NEW")
  rescue Aws::DynamoDB::Errors::ServiceError => e
    puts("Couldn't update movie #{movie[:title]} (#{movie[:year]}) in table #{@table.name}\n")
    puts("\t#{e.code}: #{e.message}")
    raise
  else
    response.attributes
  end

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for Ruby API Reference.

SAP ABAP

SDK for SAP ABAP

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

    TRY.
        oo_output = lo_dyn->updateitem(
          iv_tablename        = iv_table_name
          it_key              = it_item_key
          it_attributeupdates = it_attribute_updates ).
        MESSAGE '1 item updated in DynamoDB Table' && iv_table_name TYPE 'I'.
      CATCH /aws1/cx_dyncondalcheckfaile00.
        MESSAGE 'A condition specified in the operation could not be evaluated.' TYPE 'E'.
      CATCH /aws1/cx_dynresourcenotfoundex.
        MESSAGE 'The table or index does not exist' TYPE 'E'.
      CATCH /aws1/cx_dyntransactconflictex.
        MESSAGE 'Another transaction is using the item' TYPE 'E'.
    ENDTRY.

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for SAP ABAP API reference.

Swift

SDK for Swift

Note

This is prerelease documentation for an SDK in preview release. It is subject to change.

Note

There's more on GitHub. Find the complete example and learn how to set up and run in the AWS Code Examples Repository.

    /// Update the specified movie with new `rating` and `plot` information.
    /// 
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - title: The title of the movie to update.
    ///   - year: The release year of the movie to update.
    ///   - rating: The new rating for the movie.
    ///   - plot: The new plot summary string for the movie.
    ///
    /// - Returns: An array of mappings of attribute names to their new
    ///   listing each item actually changed. Items that didn't need to change
    ///   aren't included in this list. `nil` if no changes were made.
    ///
    func update(title: String, year: Int, rating: Double? = nil, plot: String? = nil) async throws
                -> [Swift.String:DynamoDBClientTypes.AttributeValue]? {
        guard let client = self.ddbClient else {
            throw MoviesError.UninitializedClient
        }

        // Build the update expression and the list of expression attribute
        // values. Include only the information that's changed.

        var expressionParts: [String] = []
        var attrValues: [Swift.String:DynamoDBClientTypes.AttributeValue] = [:]

        if rating != nil {
            expressionParts.append("info.rating=:r")
            attrValues[":r"] = .n(String(rating!))
        }
        if plot != nil {
            expressionParts.append("info.plot=:p")
            attrValues[":p"] = .s(plot!)
        }
        let expression: String = "set \(expressionParts.joined(separator: ", "))"

        let input = UpdateItemInput(
            // Create substitution tokens for the attribute values, to ensure
            // no conflicts in expression syntax.
            expressionAttributeValues: attrValues,
            // The key identifying the movie to update consists of the release
            // year and title.
            key: [
                "year": .n(String(year)),
                "title": .s(title)
            ],
            returnValues: .updatedNew,
            tableName: self.tableName,
            updateExpression: expression
        )
        let output = try await client.updateItem(input: input)

        guard let attributes: [Swift.String:DynamoDBClientTypes.AttributeValue] = output.attributes else {
            throw MoviesError.InvalidAttributes
        }
        return attributes
    }

• For API details, see UpdateItem in AWS SDK for Swift API reference.

For more DynamoDB examples, see Code examples for DynamoDB using AWS SDKs.