Can I remove (update in general) nested attributes?

[dls314]

I'm trying to use EntityManager to write an update statement to remove a nested attribute, kind of like the following

import { Attribute, Entity, Table } from '@typedorm/common';
import { createConnection, getEntityManager } from '@typedorm/core';
import AWS from 'aws-sdk';

import DynamoDB = AWS.DynamoDB;

export class MyEntityAttribute {
  public readonly name: string | undefined;
  public readonly value: string | undefined;
}

@Entity<MyEntity>({
  name: 'MyEntity',
  primaryKey: {
    partitionKey: 'MyEntity#{{id}}',
  },
})
export class MyEntity {
  @Attribute()
  public id: string | undefined;

  @Attribute()
  public attribute: MyEntityAttribute | undefined;
}

export async function removeName(id: string): Promise<void> {
  const table = new Table({ name: 'MyTable', partitionKey: 'pk' });

  createConnection({ table: table, entities: [MyEntity], documentClient: new DynamoDB.DocumentClient() });

  const entityManager = getEntityManager();

  await entityManager.update(
    MyEntity,
    { id },
    {
      //
      // This doesn't work, the TSC error is the following
      //

      /*
      Type '{ name: { REMOVE: true; }; }' is not assignable to type '((SetValueType<MyEntity, "attribute"> | (Omit<{ ADD?: InvalidType<["number | any[]", "Update action 'ADD' can not be used for attribute", "attribute"]> | undefined; }, "ADD"> & Required<...> & Partial<...>) | (Omit<...> & ... 1 more ... & Partial<...>) | (Omit<...> & ... 1 more ... & Partial<...>)) & (SetValueType<....'.

      Type '{ name: { REMOVE: true; }; }' is not assignable to type 'Omit<{ DELETE?: InvalidType<[any[], "Update action 'DELETE' can not be used for attribute", "attribute"]> | undefined; }, "DELETE"> & Required<Pick<{ DELETE?: InvalidType<...> | undefined; }, "DELETE">> & Partial<...> & { ...; }'.

      Property 'DELETE' is missing in type '{ name: { REMOVE: true; }; }' but required in type 'Required<Pick<{ DELETE?: InvalidType<[any[], "Update action 'DELETE' can not be used for attribute", "attribute"]> | undefined; }, "DELETE">>'.ts(2322)

      update-body-type.d.ts(56, 5): 'DELETE' is declared here.

      example.ts(23, 5): The expected type comes from property 'attribute' which is declared here on type 'UpdateBody<MyEntity, { attribute: { name: { REMOVE: boolean; }; }; }>'
      */

      attribute: {
        name: { REMOVE: true },
      },
    },
  );
}

I don't think this is supported by TypeDORM at this time, but I hope I've missed something.

[dls314]

I was hoping that TypeDORM would generate an update expression using DynamoDB's document path, like https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/Expressions.Attributes.html#Expressions.Attributes.NestedElements.DocumentPathExamples

For an id like 1, I think the expression would end up as

{
  ExpressionAttributeNames: {
    '#attr0': 'attribute.name',
  },
  Key: {
    pk: 'MyEntity#1',
  },
  ReturnValues: 'ALL_NEW',
  TableName: 'MyTable',
  UpdateExpression:
    'REMOVE #attr0',
}

Or perhaps like this (sorry, my DynamoDB update expressions are weak)

{
  ExpressionAttributeNames: {
    '#attr0': 'attribute',
    '#attr1': 'name',
  },
  Key: {
    pk: 'MyEntity#1',
  },
  ReturnValues: 'ALL_NEW',
  TableName: 'MyTable',
  UpdateExpression:
    'REMOVE #attr0.#attr1',
}

[dls314]

I'd still love to hear information from the community, it's likely I'm missing something.

But, to update from what I've found.
TypeDORM can't work with nested attributes through entity manager.

I ended up refactoring entities here, to avoid the necessity of working with nested attributes. It's not a great solution in general, I think, but it worked.