FT.SEARCH: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'length')

[nxps]

Description

Usage: client.ft.search(index, query, option) Exception: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'length') Error location: https://github.com/redis/node-redis/blob/master/packages/search/lib/commands/SEARCH.ts while (i < tuples.length) {

The debug log shows that the reply value is [100, [] ]

export type SearchRawReply = Array<any>;

export function transformReply(reply: SearchRawReply, withoutDocuments: boolean): SearchReply {
    const documents = [];
    let i = 1;
    while (i < reply.length) {
        documents.push({
            id: reply[i++],
            value: withoutDocuments ? Object.create(null) : documentValue(reply[i++])
        });
    }

    return {
        total: reply[0],
        documents
    };
}

function documentValue(tuples: any) {
    const message = Object.create(null);

    let i = 0;
    while (i < tuples.length) {
        const key = tuples[i++],
            value = tuples[i++];
        if (key === '$') { // might be a JSON reply
            try {
                Object.assign(message, JSON.parse(value));
                continue;
            } catch {
                // set as a regular property if not a valid JSON
            }
        }

        message[key] = value;
    }

    return message;
}

Node.js Version

v18.19.1

Redis Server Version

6.2.6

Node Redis Version

4.6.14

Platform

macOS

Logs

"TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'length')
    at documentValue (/Users/my/test/node_modules/@redis/search/dist/commands/SEARCH.js:30:23)
    at Object.transformReply (/Users/my/test/node_modules/@redis/search/dist/commands/SEARCH.js:18:61)
    at transformCommandReply (/Users/my/test/node_modules/@redis/client/dist/lib/commander.js:90:20)
    at Commander.commandsExecutor (/Users/my/test/node_modules/@redis/client/dist/lib/client/index.js:190:54)

[dmaier-redislabs]

Hi,

sorry for the late reply. We will take a look and come back to you.

Regards, David

[sjpotter]

is it possible to have the raw result (i.e. a redis-cli output) so that we can see what's going on?

edit: also the arguments as used to ft.search() could be useful, as the only thing I can imagine happening is that we aren't getting back results in the expected order of

<total # of doc's in search>
<doc-id>
<array of key/value pairs>
<doc-id>
<array of key/value pairs>
....

if for example it's

<total # of docs in search>
<doc-id>
<doc-id>
<doc-id>
....

the error would make sense, if the code expected the first response (as its now trying to parse the "next" doc-id as an array, when it isn't, but this should only happen if one specifies a RETURN option of an empty array.

But I have no idea how it could get into that state, I've run through different permutations of commands and can't duplicate it, so more info is desired if possible.

[CaptainTux]

I am having the same issue, often when using "*" as a query

[sjpotter]

I am having the same issue, often when using "*" as a query

if you can duplicate the query via a raw redis-cli output, it be useful.

[CaptainTux]

I am having the same issue, often when using "*" as a query

if you can duplicate the query via a raw redis-cli output, it be useful.

In the CLI it works fine and I also think it's because of expired keys which haven't been deleted yet because without expiring keys I don't get the error. I have a workaround for now which is not expiring the indexed keys, and creating a new key for expiration, listen to the event, and then delete the actual key, which seems to work but isn't pretty

[CaptainTux]

I did some research, it might be related to this issue: https://github.com/redis/redis/issues/12992 so perhaps this library should do a null check and skip null entries

[sjpotter]

this makes me think its a bug in the ft.search api with a expiration/eviction race that will be really ugly to directly fix in clients due to the buggy api (though I have an idea I'll mention), and has to be fixed in the product. will forward to them.

ex: ft.search does a search. it gets a number of documents ids back. so that's the first number in the array.

then it returns a single doc id, and then an array of key value pairs.

i'm guessing, that what it does is that it opens up the key associated with the doc-id and extract the key/value pairs then. however, what happens if that key is expired/evicted. this fails, and (my guess) is that it just goes onto to the next doc-id (though already returning this doc-id, but without any content).

however, the client expect an array to be there, which its not.

So if this were to be fixed in the client what would have to be done:

we need to look at i/i+1 (what should be a doc-id/key-array pair) together, if i+1 isn't an array, continue loop over returned array by just incrementing 1, but not returning anything to user. If it is an array, existing code will work as expected, so increment by 2 to move to next possible pair.

@leibale what do you think?

[leibale]

@sjpotter if this is the intended behavior - we should not change/"hide" it on the client side.. but I don't think it is since there is nothing the user can do with this null.. how does knowing there was a key that matched the query help the user?!

I think that you/we need to talk to the search team and see whats going on..

[sjpotter]

ok, this is documented on ft.search page, its not the next doc-id, it is still in pairs, but it returns a null instead of an array.

https://redis.io/docs/latest/commands/ft.search/

If a relevant key expires while a query is running, an attempt to load the key's value will return a null array. However, the key is still counted in the total number of results.

[Rimantovas]

Any news on this?

[jiriatipteldotorg]

I'm getting a similar error in a periodic FT.SEARCH query.

2025-06-03T16:18:02.617Z tickerloop alerts/ticker2.js BUG: queryJobs: failed: @timestamp:[-inf 1748967482.615] TypeError: Cannot read properties of null (reading 'length')
    at documentValue (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/redis/node_modules/@redis/search/dist/lib/commands/SEARCH.js:126:23)
    at 2 (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/redis/node_modules/@redis/search/dist/lib/commands/SEARCH.js:111:69)
    at Class._executeCommand (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/redis/node_modules/@redis/client/dist/lib/client/index.js:493:24)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
    at async queryJobs (/usr/local/cloudmon/alerts/ticker2.js:253:24)
    at async lambdaHandler (/usr/local/cloudmon/alerts/ticker2.js:141:21)
    at async mainLoop (/usr/local/cloudmon/alerts/ticker2.js:109:25)
    at async main (/usr/local/cloudmon/alerts/ticker2.js:97:27)
    at async /usr/local/cloudmon/alerts/ticker2.js:122:3

the code in question:

exports.default = {
    NOT_KEYED_COMMAND: true,
    IS_READ_ONLY: true,
    parseCommand(parser, index, query, options) {
        parser.push('FT.SEARCH', index, query);
        parseSearchOptions(parser, options);
    },
    transformReply: {
        2: (reply) => {
            const withoutDocuments = (reply[0] + 1 == reply.length);
            const documents = [];
            let i = 1;
            while (i < reply.length) {
                documents.push({
                    id: reply[i++],
                    // here the failing function documentValue is being called
                    value: withoutDocuments ? Object.create(null) : documentValue(reply[i++])
                });
            }
            return {
                total: reply[0],
                documents
            };
        },
        3: undefined
    },
    unstableResp3: true
};
function documentValue(tuples) {
    const message = Object.create(null);
    let i = 0;
   // failing line: tuples apparently null
    while (i < tuples.length) {