# Read and filter rows

> Read rows with select_rows: filters and operators, relative dates, sorting and paging, links, and the note behind each row.

`select_rows` is the one operation that reads rows: you filter, sort, page, group and join with it, and you store its queries as views.

The examples query a diary of classic films with three tables: `film`, `actor` for the cast, and `watch` with one row per viewing from the last few weeks. The viewing dates count back from the day of the site’s build.

## Filter rows, choose columns and sort

Every key of `where` must match, and a plain value means equal. `columns` picks the columns of the answer, which always includes `path`. `order_by` sorts the rows, and a leading `-` sorts them in descending order.

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title", "minutes"],
  "where": { "status": "watched" },
  "order_by": "-minutes"
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 6,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Charade.md",
      "title": "Charade",
      "minutes": 113
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Night of the Living Dead.md",
      "title": "Night of the Living Dead",
      "minutes": 96
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/The Gold Rush.md",
      "title": "The Gold Rush",
      "minutes": 95
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Nosferatu.md",
      "title": "Nosferatu",
      "minutes": 94
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/His Girl Friday.md",
      "title": "His Girl Friday",
      "minutes": 92
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Sherlock Jr..md",
      "title": "Sherlock Jr.",
      "minutes": 45
    }
  ]
}
```

## Compare values with operators

A `where` key takes an object of operators in place of a plain value. These are the operators:

* **`eq`** and **`ne`**: equal and not equal
* **`gt`**, **`gte`**, **`lt`** and **`lte`**: greater than, at least, less than and at most
* **`in`**: equal to one of the listed values
* **`contains`**: contains the text, or has the item in a list
* **`icontains`**: contains the text, ignoring case and accents
* **`exists`**: has a value (`true`) or has none (`false`)

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title", "minutes"],
  "where": { "minutes": { "gte": 90, "lt": 100 } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 4,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/His Girl Friday.md",
      "title": "His Girl Friday",
      "minutes": 92
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Night of the Living Dead.md",
      "title": "Night of the Living Dead",
      "minutes": 96
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Nosferatu.md",
      "title": "Nosferatu",
      "minutes": 94
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/The Gold Rush.md",
      "title": "The Gold Rush",
      "minutes": 95
    }
  ]
}
```

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title"],
  "where": { "cast": { "contains": "[[Cary Grant]]" } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 2,
  "rows": [
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Charade.md", "title": "Charade" },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/His Girl Friday.md",
      "title": "His Girl Friday"
    }
  ]
}
```

`icontains` finds Cary Grant from a part of his name in lowercase:

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "actor",
  "columns": ["name", "born"],
  "where": { "name": { "icontains": "grant" } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.actor",
  "total": 1,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/actor/Cary Grant.md",
      "name": "Cary Grant",
      "born": "1904-01-18"
    }
  ]
}
```

`exists: false` finds the films with no rating:

**`select_rows`**

```json
{ "table": "film", "columns": ["title"], "where": { "rating": { "exists": false } } }
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 2,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Battleship Potemkin.md",
      "title": "Battleship Potemkin"
    },
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Metropolis.md", "title": "Metropolis" }
  ]
}
```

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title", "year"],
  "where": { "year": { "in": [1925, 1927] } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 3,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Battleship Potemkin.md",
      "title": "Battleship Potemkin",
      "year": 1925
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Metropolis.md",
      "title": "Metropolis",
      "year": 1927
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/The Gold Rush.md",
      "title": "The Gold Rush",
      "year": 1925
    }
  ]
}
```

## Combine filters with `or`, `and` and `not`

`or`, `and` and `not` combine filters, and you can nest them. The first query finds the films still to watch and the watched films over 100 minutes. The second leaves out every film with Cary Grant.

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title", "status", "minutes"],
  "where": {
    "or": [
      { "status": "to watch" },
      { "and": [{ "status": "watched" }, { "minutes": { "gt": 100 } }] }
    ]
  }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 3,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Battleship Potemkin.md",
      "title": "Battleship Potemkin",
      "status": "to watch",
      "minutes": 75
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Charade.md",
      "title": "Charade",
      "status": "watched",
      "minutes": 113
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Metropolis.md",
      "title": "Metropolis",
      "status": "to watch",
      "minutes": 153
    }
  ]
}
```

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title"],
  "where": { "not": { "cast": { "contains": "[[Cary Grant]]" } } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 6,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Battleship Potemkin.md",
      "title": "Battleship Potemkin"
    },
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Metropolis.md", "title": "Metropolis" },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Night of the Living Dead.md",
      "title": "Night of the Living Dead"
    },
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Nosferatu.md", "title": "Nosferatu" },
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Sherlock Jr..md", "title": "Sherlock Jr." },
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/The Gold Rush.md", "title": "The Gold Rush" }
  ]
}
```

## Filter by relative dates

The engine resolves tokens like `{today}`, `{today-7d}` and `{now-24h}` when the query runs, so a stored query keeps returning current rows. On a date column, a date-time counts by its day, so `{now-7d}` matches as `{today-7d}` does. This query finds the viewings of the last seven days.

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "watch",
  "columns": ["film", "occurred_at", "where", "place"],
  "where": { "occurred_at": { "gte": "{today-7d}" } },
  "order_by": "occurred_at"
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.watch",
  "total": 3,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/watch/2026-10-07T2115.md",
      "film": "[[Charade]]",
      "occurred_at": "2026-10-07T21:15",
      "where": "home",
      "place": "my living room"
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/watch/2026-10-10T2030.md",
      "film": "[[The Gold Rush]]",
      "occurred_at": "2026-10-10T20:30",
      "where": "home",
      "place": "my living room"
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/watch/2026-10-11T2200.md",
      "film": "[[Night of the Living Dead]]",
      "occurred_at": "2026-10-11T22:00",
      "where": "cinema",
      "place": "the film club downtown"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Filter rows by a link

`contains` matches a list that holds the link, which you write with the note’s name.

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title"],
  "where": { "cast": { "contains": "[[Cary Grant]]" } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 2,
  "rows": [
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Charade.md", "title": "Charade" },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/His Girl Friday.md",
      "title": "His Girl Friday"
    }
  ]
}
```

A dotted key follows the link and filters on a column of the linked row. Here it finds the actors of a film released after 1950:

**`select_rows`**

```json
{ "table": "actor", "columns": ["name"], "where": { "films.year": { "gt": 1950 } } }
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.actor",
  "total": 2,
  "rows": [
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/actor/Audrey Hepburn.md", "name": "Audrey Hepburn" },
    { "path": "datanotes/main/public/actor/Cary Grant.md", "name": "Cary Grant" }
  ]
}
```

`film.minutes` finds the viewings of films longer than 100 minutes:

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "watch",
  "columns": ["film", "where"],
  "where": { "film.minutes": { "gt": 100 } }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.watch",
  "total": 1,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/watch/2026-09-26T2130.md",
      "film": "[[Charade]]",
      "where": "home"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Page through the results

`limit` sets the page size (default 100, at most 1,000) and `offset` skips rows before the page. `total` counts every matching row, whatever the page.

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "watch",
  "columns": ["occurred_at"],
  "order_by": "-occurred_at",
  "limit": 2,
  "offset": 2
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.watch",
  "total": 7,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/watch/2026-10-07T2115.md",
      "occurred_at": "2026-10-07T21:15"
    },
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/watch/2026-10-03T2130.md",
      "occurred_at": "2026-10-03T21:30"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Read the note behind a row

Every row is a note, and you can select and filter these file columns:

* **`file_name`**: the note’s name
* **`file_link`**: a link to the note
* **`file_modified`**: when the file last changed
* **`file_backlink_count`**: the notes that link to it

`include_body` adds the note’s text to each row.

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["file_name", "file_link", "file_backlink_count"],
  "where": { "title": "His Girl Friday" }
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 1,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/His Girl Friday.md",
      "file_name": "His Girl Friday",
      "file_link": "[[datanotes/main/public/film/His Girl Friday|His Girl Friday]]",
      "file_backlink_count": 2
    }
  ]
}
```

**`select_rows`**

```json
{
  "table": "film",
  "columns": ["title"],
  "where": { "title": "Charade" },
  "include_body": true
}
```

Answer:

```json
{
  "table": "main.public.film",
  "total": 1,
  "rows": [
    {
      "path": "datanotes/main/public/film/Charade.md",
      "title": "Charade",
      "body": "[[Cary Grant]] again, twenty years after [[His Girl Friday]], and just as quick.\n"
    }
  ]
}
```