Can't the database query results in the cloud code be modified?

Parse Server 📡 Cloud Code
1

I encountered a problem. I queried a batch of data from the database. It was normal to return the data to the client unchanged. The client received a Map of ParseObject, and I could convert it into a ParseObject. However, once I modified the data, the data received by the client became abnormal.

Normal data:

List (20 items)
[0] =
Map (12 items)
0 =
"images" -> List (1 item)
1 =
"location" -> Map (3 items)
2 =
"author" -> Map (11 items)
3 =
"content" -> "xxxxxxx"
4 =
"comments" -> 0
5 =
"likes" -> 1
6 =
"createdAt" -> "2025-03-25T14:41:49.282Z"
7 =
"updatedAt" -> "2025-03-26T23:58:06.532Z"
8 =
"ACL" -> Map (2 items)
9 =
"objectId" -> "FhO5vFdmFh"
10 =
"__type" -> "Object"
11 =
"className" -> "Post"
[1] =
Map (11 items)
[2] =
Map (12 items)
[3] =
Map (12 items)
[4] =
Map (12 items)
[5] =
Map (12 items)
[6] =
Map (12 items)

Abnormal data:

List (20 items)
[0] =
Map (3 items)
0 =
"__type" -> "Pointer"
1 =
"className" -> "Post"
2 =
"objectId" -> "FhO5vFdmFh"
[1] =
Map (3 items)
[2] =
Map (3 items)
[3] =
Map (3 items)
[4] =
Map (3 items)
[5] =
Map (3 items)
[6] =
Map (3 items)
[7] =
Map (3 items)
[8] =
Map (3 items)
[9] =
Map (3 items)
[10] =
Map (3 items)
[11] =
Map (3 items)
[12] =
Map (3 items)
[13] =
Map (3 items)
[14] =
Map (3 items)
[15] =
Map (3 items)
[16] =
Map (3 items)
[17] =
Map (3 items)
[18] =
Map (3 items)
[19] =
Map (3 items)

This is my cloudcode:

const results = await query.find({ sessionToken: sessionToken });
for (var post of results) {
       //post.set('aaa', 'aaaa'); //This line of code causes the problem.
}
return results;
2

The way cloud code works is when you return the results it gets encoded first and then decoded on the client side. If we add an options to either remove the encoding / decoding or both it should fix your issue. You can use the workaround posted here Return Plain Objects from Cloud Code - #7 by BobyIlea

Can you write a failing test on the JS SDK so we can replicate your issue?

3

Thank you for the reply from dplewis. The solution I’m using now is also to call toJSON in the cloud code, and then convert it using ParseObject('Post').fromJson on the client side. I’m really sorry, but I’m using the Flutter SDK.

4

I think it’s because of this:

If you set a value on an object without saving it, it becomes dirty. And it seems that the encoder checks if the object is dirty and if it is, it converts it to pointer. Not really sure what’s the reason behind this, but it seems intentional.