# Document

Property Type: `document`

A Document can act in two ways. When configured as an array, it is a collection of documents with shared properties. When not defined as an array, the document properties are implemented as children.

Documents whose definition is configured as an array have an `_id` property which can be used to retrieve, update or remove individual documents from the array. For example, the Organization roles are defined as a document array. Retrieving the `_id` of all org roles could be done as follows:

`GET /orgs/5516ee1b34d8d934281699e3/roles?paths[]=_id`JSON

```
{
    "_id": "5516ee1b34d8d934281699e3",
    "object": "org",
    "roles": [{
        "_id": "000000000000000000000004"
    }, {
        "_id": "000000000000000000000005"
    }, {
        "_id": "000000000000000000000007"
    }]
}
```

{% hint style="info" %}
Notice the use of a relative path to the org roles identifiers in the query (paths\[]=\_id). Selection using paths, include and expand all work in this way.
{% endhint %}

An example of a non-array Document is the Account `name` property, having `first` and `last` child properties.

`GET /accounts/me`JSON

```
{
    "_id": "5516ee2634d8d93428169c0e",
    "object": "account",
    "name": {
        "first": "Jonas",
        "last": "Salk"
    }    
}
```

{% hint style="info" %}
When ACLs and filters are applied at the document level, they affect access to all its children.
{% endhint %}

#### Discriminators

Some Document arrays contain a discriminator, such as Post and Comment bodies. Because these arrays carry documents with potentially varying properties, the `name` property is used as a discriminator. When creating a Post, for example, the discriminator must be included in the json body.

`POST /c_vads/551f3515b8b206e835950b59/posts/c_heartrate`JSON

```
{
        "body": [{
            "name": "c_datapoint",
            "c_value": 65
        }] 
    }
```

When updating a document array that has a discriminator, the `_id` of the segment is sufficient:

`PUT /551f3a95b8b206e835950b6b`JSON

```
{
      "body": [{
          "_id": "551f3aa2b8b206e835950b6d",
          "c_value": 67
      }] 
  }
```

### Property Options

| Name       | Type                      | Description                                                                            |
| ---------- | ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| properties | Property Definition Array | An array of property definitions. These can be properties of any type except Document. |

**Base property options not available:**

* uniqueValues
* indexed
* unique
* auditable