ClickHouse/docs/en/sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-structure.md
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[docs] split aggregate function and system table references (#11742)
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---
toc_priority: 44
toc_title: Dictionary Key and Fields
---
# Dictionary Key and Fields {#dictionary-key-and-fields}
The `<structure>` clause describes the dictionary key and fields available for queries.
XML description:
``` xml
<dictionary>
<structure>
<id>
<name>Id</name>
</id>
<attribute>
<!-- Attribute parameters -->
</attribute>
...
</structure>
</dictionary>
```
Attributes are described in the elements:
- `<id>` — [Key column](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-structure.md#ext_dict_structure-key).
- `<attribute>` — [Data column](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-structure.md#ext_dict_structure-attributes). There can be a multiple number of attributes.
DDL query:
``` sql
CREATE DICTIONARY dict_name (
Id UInt64,
-- attributes
)
PRIMARY KEY Id
...
```
Attributes are described in the query body:
- `PRIMARY KEY` — [Key column](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-structure.md#ext_dict_structure-key)
- `AttrName AttrType` — [Data column](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-structure.md#ext_dict_structure-attributes). There can be a multiple number of attributes.
## Key {#ext_dict_structure-key}
ClickHouse supports the following types of keys:
- Numeric key. `UInt64`. Defined in the `<id>` tag or using `PRIMARY KEY` keyword.
- Composite key. Set of values of different types. Defined in the tag `<key>` or `PRIMARY KEY` keyword.
An xml structure can contain either `<id>` or `<key>`. DDL-query must contain single `PRIMARY KEY`.
!!! warning "Warning"
You must not describe key as an attribute.
### Numeric Key {#ext_dict-numeric-key}
Type: `UInt64`.
Configuration example:
``` xml
<id>
<name>Id</name>
</id>
```
Configuration fields:
- `name` The name of the column with keys.
For DDL-query:
``` sql
CREATE DICTIONARY (
Id UInt64,
...
)
PRIMARY KEY Id
...
```
- `PRIMARY KEY` The name of the column with keys.
### Composite Key {#composite-key}
The key can be a `tuple` from any types of fields. The [layout](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-layout.md) in this case must be `complex_key_hashed` or `complex_key_cache`.
!!! tip "Tip"
A composite key can consist of a single element. This makes it possible to use a string as the key, for instance.
The key structure is set in the element `<key>`. Key fields are specified in the same format as the dictionary [attributes](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-structure.md). Example:
``` xml
<structure>
<key>
<attribute>
<name>field1</name>
<type>String</type>
</attribute>
<attribute>
<name>field2</name>
<type>UInt32</type>
</attribute>
...
</key>
...
```
or
``` sql
CREATE DICTIONARY (
field1 String,
field2 String
...
)
PRIMARY KEY field1, field2
...
```
For a query to the `dictGet*` function, a tuple is passed as the key. Example: `dictGetString('dict_name', 'attr_name', tuple('string for field1', num_for_field2))`.
## Attributes {#ext_dict_structure-attributes}
Configuration example:
``` xml
<structure>
...
<attribute>
<name>Name</name>
<type>ClickHouseDataType</type>
<null_value></null_value>
<expression>rand64()</expression>
<hierarchical>true</hierarchical>
<injective>true</injective>
<is_object_id>true</is_object_id>
</attribute>
</structure>
```
or
``` sql
CREATE DICTIONARY somename (
Name ClickHouseDataType DEFAULT '' EXPRESSION rand64() HIERARCHICAL INJECTIVE IS_OBJECT_ID
)
```
Configuration fields:
| Tag | Description | Required |
|------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|
| `name` | Column name. | Yes |
| `type` | ClickHouse data type.<br/>ClickHouse tries to cast value from dictionary to the specified data type. For example, for MySQL, the field might be `TEXT`, `VARCHAR`, or `BLOB` in the MySQL source table, but it can be uploaded as `String` in ClickHouse.<br/>[Nullable](../../../sql-reference/data-types/nullable.md) is not supported. | Yes |
| `null_value` | Default value for a non-existing element.<br/>In the example, it is an empty string. You cannot use `NULL` in this field. | Yes |
| `expression` | [Expression](../../../sql-reference/syntax.md#syntax-expressions) that ClickHouse executes on the value.<br/>The expression can be a column name in the remote SQL database. Thus, you can use it to create an alias for the remote column.<br/><br/>Default value: no expression. | No |
| <a name="hierarchical-dict-attr"></a> `hierarchical` | If `true`, the attribute contains the value of a parent key for the current key. See [Hierarchical Dictionaries](../../../sql-reference/dictionaries/external-dictionaries/external-dicts-dict-hierarchical.md).<br/><br/>Default value: `false`. | No |
| `injective` | Flag that shows whether the `id -> attribute` image is [injective](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injective_function).<br/>If `true`, ClickHouse can automatically place after the `GROUP BY` clause the requests to dictionaries with injection. Usually it significantly reduces the amount of such requests.<br/><br/>Default value: `false`. | No |
| `is_object_id` | Flag that shows whether the query is executed for a MongoDB document by `ObjectID`.<br/><br/>Default value: `false`. | No |
## See Also {#see-also}
- [Functions for working with external dictionaries](../../../sql-reference/functions/ext-dict-functions.md).
[Original article](https://clickhouse.tech/docs/en/query_language/dicts/external_dicts_dict_structure/) <!--hide-->