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FieldMask represents a set of symbolic field paths, for example: paths: "f.a" paths: "f.b.d" Here f represents a field in some root message, a and b fields in the message found in f, and d a field found in the message in f.b.

Field masks are used to specify a subset of fields that should be returned by a get operation or modified by an update operation. Field masks also have a custom JSON encoding (see below).

Field Masks in Projections

When used in the context of a projection, a response message or sub-message is filtered by the API to only contain those fields as specified in the mask. For example, if the mask in the previous example is applied to a response message as follows: f { a : 22 b { d : 1 x : 2 } y : 13 } z: 8 The result will not contain specific values for fields x,y and z (their value will be set to the default, and omitted in proto text output): f { a : 22 b { d : 1 } } A repeated field is not allowed except at the last position of a paths string. If a FieldMask object is not present in a get operation, the operation applies to all fields (as if a FieldMask of all fields had been specified). Note that a field mask does not necessarily apply to the top-level response message. In case of a REST get operation, the field mask applies directly to the response, but in case of a REST list operation, the mask instead applies to each individual message in the returned resource list. In case of a REST custom method, other definitions may be used. Where the mask applies will be clearly documented together with its declaration in the API. In any case, the effect on the returned resource/resources is required behavior for APIs.

Field Masks in Update Operations

A field mask in update operations specifies which fields of the targeted resource are going to be updated. The API is required to only change the values of the fields as specified in the mask and leave the others untouched. If a resource is passed in to describe the updated values, the API ignores the values of all fields not covered by the mask. If a repeated field is specified for an update operation, new values will be appended to the existing repeated field in the target resource. Note that a repeated field is only allowed in the last position of a paths string. If a sub-message is specified in the last position of the field mask for an update operation, then new value will be merged into the existing sub-message in the target resource. For example, given the target message: f { b { d: 1 x: 2 } c: [1] } And an update message: f { b { d: 10 } c: [2] } then if the field mask is: paths: ["f.b", "f.c"] then the result will be: f { b { d: 10 x: 2 } c: [1, 2] } An implementation may provide options to override this default behavior for repeated and message fields. Note that libraries which implement FieldMask resolution have various different behaviors in the face of empty masks or the special "*" mask. When implementing a service you should confirm these cases have the appropriate behavior in the underlying FieldMask library that you desire, and you may need to special case those cases in your application code if the underlying field mask library behavior differs from your intended service semantics. Update methods implementing https://google.aip.dev/134

  • MUST support the special value * meaning "full replace"
  • MUST treat an omitted field mask as "replace fields which are present". Other methods implementing https://google.aip.dev/157
  • SHOULD support the special value "*" to mean "get all".
  • MUST treat an omitted field mask to mean "get all", unless otherwise documented.

Considerations for HTTP REST

The HTTP kind of an update operation which uses a field mask must be set to PATCH instead of PUT in order to satisfy HTTP semantics (PUT must only be used for full updates).

JSON Encoding of Field Masks

In JSON, a field mask is encoded as a single string where paths are separated by a comma. Fields name in each path are converted to/from lower-camel naming conventions. As an example, consider the following message declarations: message Profile { User user = 1; Photo photo = 2; } message User { string display_name = 1; string address = 2; } In proto a field mask for Profile may look as such: mask { paths: "user.display_name" paths: "photo" } In JSON, the same mask is represented as below: { mask: "user.displayName,photo" }

Field Masks and Oneof Fields

Field masks treat fields in oneofs just as regular fields. Consider the following message: message SampleMessage { oneof test_oneof { string name = 4; SubMessage sub_message = 9; } } The field mask can be: mask { paths: "name" } Or: mask { paths: "sub_message" } Note that oneof type names ("test_oneof" in this case) cannot be used in paths.

Field Mask Verification

The implementation of any API method which has a FieldMask type field in the request should verify the included field paths, and return an INVALID_ARGUMENT error if any path is unmappable.

Generated from protobuf message google.protobuf.FieldMask

CloneableInstantiable
Methods
public __construct( $data = NULL)
 

Constructor.

  • param array $data { Optional. Data for populating the Message object. 
    @type string[] $paths
      The set of field mask paths.
    }
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::__debugInfo()
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::byteSize()
 
  • ignore
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::clear()
 

Clear all containing fields.

  • return null
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::discardUnknownFields()
 

Clear all unknown fields previously parsed.

  • return null
public getPaths()
 

The set of field mask paths.

Generated from protobuf field repeated string paths = 1;

  • return \RepeatedField<string>
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::jsonByteSize( $options = 0)
 
  • ignore
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::mergeFrom( $msg)
 

Merges the contents of the specified message into current message.

This method merges the contents of the specified message into the current message. Singular fields that are set in the specified message overwrite the corresponding fields in the current message. Repeated fields are appended. Map fields key-value pairs are overwritten. Singular/Oneof sub-messages are recursively merged. All overwritten sub-messages are deep-copied.

  • param object $msg Protobuf message to be merged from.
  • return null
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::mergeFromJsonString( $data, $ignore_unknown = false)
 

Parses a json string to protobuf message.

This function takes a string in the json wire format, matching the encoding output by serializeToJsonString(). See mergeFrom() for merging behavior, if the field is already set in the specified message.

  • param string $data Json protobuf data.
  • param bool $ignore_unknown
  • return null
  • throws \Exception Invalid data.
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::mergeFromString( $data)
 

Parses a protocol buffer contained in a string.

This function takes a string in the (non-human-readable) binary wire format, matching the encoding output by serializeToString(). See mergeFrom() for merging behavior, if the field is already set in the specified message.

  • param string $data Binary protobuf data.
  • return null
  • throws \Exception Invalid data.
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::parseFromJsonStream( $input, $ignore_unknown)
 
  • ignore
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::parseFromStream( $input)
 
  • ignore
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::serializeToJsonStream( $output)
 
  • ignore
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::serializeToJsonString( $options = 0)
 

Serialize the message to json string.

  • return string Serialized json protobuf data.
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::serializeToStream( $output)
 
  • ignore
public Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::serializeToString()
 

Serialize the message to string.

  • return string Serialized binary protobuf data.
public setPaths(Google\Protobuf\RepeatedField|array $var)
 

The set of field mask paths.

Generated from protobuf field repeated string paths = 1;

  • param string[] $var
  • return $this
Methods
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::hasOneof( $number)
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::mergeFromArray(array $array)
 

Populates the message from a user-supplied PHP array. Array keys correspond to Message properties and nested message properties.

Example:

$message->mergeFromArray([
    'name' => 'This is a message name',
    'interval' => [
         'startTime' => time() - 60,
         'endTime' => time(),
    ]
]);

This method will trigger an error if it is passed data that cannot be converted to the correct type. For example, a StringValue field must receive data that is either a string or a StringValue object.

  • param array $array An array containing message properties and values.
  • return null
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::mergeFromJsonArray( $array, $ignore_unknown)
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::readOneof( $number)
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::readWrapperValue( $member)
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::whichOneof( $oneof_name)
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::writeOneof( $number, $value)
protected Google\Protobuf\Internal\Message::writeWrapperValue( $member, $value)
Properties
private $paths = NULL
 

The set of field mask paths.

Generated from protobuf field repeated string paths = 1;

© 2026 Bruce Wells
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