In MongoDB, the $setIsSubset aggregation pipeline operator accepts two arrays and returns true when the first array is a subset of the second, and false when it isn’t.
The first array is also considered a subset when it equals the second array.
$setIsSubset accepts two arguments, both of which can be any valid expression as long as they each resolve to an array. $setIsSubset treats the arrays as sets.
Example
Suppose we have a collection called data with the following documents:
{ "_id" : 1, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ] }
{ "_id" : 2, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2 ] }
{ "_id" : 3, "a" : [ 1, 2 ], "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ] }
{ "_id" : 4, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 3, 4, 5 ] }
{ "_id" : 5, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 4, 5, 6 ] }
We can apply the $setIsSubset operator against the a and b fields in those documents.
Example:
db.data.aggregate(
[
{ $match: { _id: { $in: [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ] } } },
{
$project:
{
_id: 0,
a: 1,
b: 1,
result: { $setIsSubset: [ "$a", "$b" ] }
}
}
]
)Result:
{ "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "result" : true }
{ "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2 ], "result" : false }
{ "a" : [ 1, 2 ], "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "result" : true }
{ "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 3, 4, 5 ], "result" : false }
{ "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ 4, 5, 6 ], "result" : false }
Nested Arrays
The $setIsSubset operator does not descend into any nested arrays. It only evaluates top-level arrays.
Suppose our collection also contains the following documents:
{ "_id" : 6, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ] }
{ "_id" : 7, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2 ], 3 ] }
And we apply $setIsSubset to those two documents:
db.data.aggregate(
[
{ $match: { _id: { $in: [ 6, 7 ] } } },
{
$project:
{
_id: 0,
a: 1,
b: 1,
result: { $setIsSubset: [ "$a", "$b" ] }
}
}
]
)Result:
{ "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ], "result" : false }
{ "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2 ], 3 ], "result" : false }
In the first document, the b field contained an array that contained just one element – another array. In this case it was found that a is not a subset of b.
However, suppose we have the following documents:
{ "_id" : 8, "a" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ] }
{ "_id" : 9, "a" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2 ], 3 ] }
Document 8 contains a nested array at both the a and b fields, and both arrays are identical.
Here’s what happens when we apply $setIsSubset to those documents:
db.data.aggregate(
[
{ $match: { _id: { $in: [ 8, 9 ] } } },
{
$project:
{
_id: 0,
a: 1,
b: 1,
result: { $setIsSubset: [ "$a", "$b" ] }
}
}
]
)Result:
{ "a" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ], "result" : true }
{ "a" : [ [ 1, 2, 3 ] ], "b" : [ [ 1, 2 ], 3 ], "result" : false }
In the first document, a matches b exactly, and so the result is true.
In the second document, a is not a subset of b, and so the result is false.
Missing Fields
Applying $setIsSubset to a non-existent field results in an error.
Consider the following documents:
{ "_id" : 10, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ] }
{ "_id" : 11, "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ] }
{ "_id" : 12 }
The first document doesn’t have a b field, the second document doesn’t have an a field, and the third document doesn’t have either.
Here’s what happens when we apply $setIsSubset to the a and b fields:
db.data.aggregate(
[
{ $match: { _id: { $in: [ 10, 11, 12 ] } } },
{
$project:
{
_id: 0,
a: 1,
b: 1,
result: { $setIsSubset: [ "$a", "$b" ] }
}
}
]
)Result:
Error: command failed: {
"ok" : 0,
"errmsg" : "both operands of $setIsSubset must be arrays. Second argument is of type: missing",
"code" : 17042,
"codeName" : "Location17042"
} : aggregate failed :
_getErrorWithCode@src/mongo/shell/utils.js:25:13
doassert@src/mongo/shell/assert.js:18:14
_assertCommandWorked@src/mongo/shell/assert.js:639:17
assert.commandWorked@src/mongo/shell/assert.js:729:16
DB.prototype._runAggregate@src/mongo/shell/db.js:266:5
DBCollection.prototype.aggregate@src/mongo/shell/collection.js:1058:12
@(shell):1:1
Wrong Data Type
Both operands of $setIsSubset must be arrays. If they aren’t, an error is thrown.
Suppose our collection contains the following documents:
{ "_id" : 13, "a" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "b" : 3 }
{ "_id" : 14, "a" : 3, "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ] }
{ "_id" : 15, "a" : 2, "b" : 3 }
And we apply $setIsSubset to those documents:
db.data.aggregate(
[
{ $match: { _id: { $in: [ 13, 14, 15 ] } } },
{
$project:
{
_id: 0,
a: 1,
b: 1,
result: { $setIsSubset: [ "$a", "$b" ] }
}
}
]
)Result:
Error: command failed: {
"ok" : 0,
"errmsg" : "both operands of $setIsSubset must be arrays. Second argument is of type: double",
"code" : 17042,
"codeName" : "Location17042"
} : aggregate failed :
_getErrorWithCode@src/mongo/shell/utils.js:25:13
doassert@src/mongo/shell/assert.js:18:14
_assertCommandWorked@src/mongo/shell/assert.js:639:17
assert.commandWorked@src/mongo/shell/assert.js:729:16
DB.prototype._runAggregate@src/mongo/shell/db.js:266:5
DBCollection.prototype.aggregate@src/mongo/shell/collection.js:1058:12
@(shell):1:1
Duplicate Values
The $setIsSubset operator ignores duplicates. It also ignores the order of the elements..
Suppose we have the following documents:
{ "_id" : 16, "a" : [ 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ] }
{ "_id" : 17, "a" : [ 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2 ] }
{ "_id" : 18, "a" : [ 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 ], "b" : [ ] }
{ "_id" : 19, "a" : [ 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1 ], "b" : [ 2, 3, 1 ] }
{ "_id" : 20, "a" : [ 1, 3, 2, 2, 3, 1 ], "b" : [ 2, 1 ] }
{ "_id" : 21, "a" : [ 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1 ], "b" : [ ] }
Then we apply the $setIsSubset operator to them:
db.data.aggregate(
[
{ $match: { _id: { $in: [ 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ] } } },
{
$project:
{
_id: 0,
a: 1,
b: 1,
result: { $setIsSubset: [ "$a", "$b" ] }
}
}
]
)Result:
{ "a" : [ 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2, 3 ], "result" : true }
{ "a" : [ 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 ], "b" : [ 1, 2 ], "result" : false }
{ "a" : [ 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3 ], "b" : [ ], "result" : false }
{ "a" : [ 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1 ], "b" : [ 2, 3, 1 ], "result" : true }
{ "a" : [ 1, 3, 2, 2, 3, 1 ], "b" : [ 2, 1 ], "result" : false }
{ "a" : [ 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1 ], "b" : [ ], "result" : false }