# JSON\_ARRAY\_UNPACK

Converts an encoded blob representing a vector to a JSON array representing the same vector.

It is a scalar function.

## Syntax

```sql
JSON_ARRAY_UNPACK(vector_expression)
```

## Arguments

* `vector_expression`: An expression that evaluates to a vector. The vector must be encoded as a blob containing packed single-precision or double-precision floating-point numbers in little-endian byte order. 

## Return Type

A JSON array of zero or more floating point numbers.

> **⚠️ Warning**: Beginning with 8.5 the blob data type will be replaced with the vector data type. Blob data types will be deprecated for vector databases.

## Remarks

A vector can be of any length, but blob lengths must be divisible by 4 bytes (or 8 bytes, depending on the data type specified).

You can specify the data type of the vector elements in which this operation is performed on the vector by adding a suffix to the function. Omitting the suffix from the function is equivalent to suffixing it with `_F32`. All operations are done using the specified data type. The following table lists the suffixes and their data type.

| Suffix | Data Type                                           |
| ------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `_I8`  | 8-bit signed integer                                |
| `_I16` | 16-bit signed integer                               |
| `_I32` | 32-bit signed integer                               |
| `_I64` | 64-bit signed integer                               |
| `_F32` | 32-bit floating-point number (IEEE standard format) |
| `_F64` | 64-bit floating-point number (IEEE standard format) |

## Examples

The following examples use the `ju_t` table.

```sql
CREATE TABLE ju_t (x BLOB, y BLOB);

INSERT INTO ju_t VALUES (JSON_ARRAY_PACK('[12.1, 6.4]'), JSON_ARRAY_PACK('[8.6,9.2]'));
INSERT INTO ju_t VALUES (JSON_ARRAY_PACK('[5.2, 11.7]'), JSON_ARRAY_PACK('[4.6,7.3]'));
```

## Querying Rows Using JSON\_ARRAY\_UNPACK

The following example queries the `t` table using the `JSON_ARRAY_UNPACK()` function:

```sql
SELECT JSON_ARRAY_UNPACK(x) "x", JSON_ARRAY_UNPACK(y) "y" from ju_t;

```

```output

+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| x                       | y                       |
+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| [12.1000004,6.4000001]  | [8.60000038,9.19999981] |
| [5.19999981,11.6999998] | [4.5999999,7.30000019]  |
+-------------------------+-------------------------+

```

## Typecasting the Data Type using Suffixes

The values inserted in the `t` table are 32-bit floating point numbers, because no suffix was specified with the `JSON_ARRAY_PACK()` function. The following query returns the vector blobs as 32-bit integers.

```sql
SELECT JSON_ARRAY_UNPACK_I32(x) "x", JSON_ARRAY_UNPACK_I32(y) "y" from ju_t;

```

```output

+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| x                       | y                       |
+-------------------------+-------------------------+
| [1094818202,1087163597] | [1091148186,1091777331] |
| [1084647014,1094398771] | [1083388723,1089051034] |
+-------------------------+-------------------------+

```

## Related Topics

* [JSON\_ARRAY\_PACK](https://docs.singlestore.com/cloud/reference/sql-reference/vector-functions/json-array-pack.md)
* [Vector Type](https://docs.singlestore.com/cloud/reference/sql-reference/data-types/vector-type.md)

***

Modified at: March 21, 2024

Source: [/cloud/reference/sql-reference/vector-functions/json-array-unpack/](https://docs.singlestore.com/cloud/reference/sql-reference/vector-functions/json-array-unpack/)

(An index of the documentation is available at /llms.txt)