Sanity.io GROQ query for array of objects - content-management-system

Question

I'm learning to code and now I am on the stage of a small pet project with Sanity as a CMS.
Long story short, making an API I'm trying to fetch cocktails data with votes for the cocktails. The votes are stored within persons who voted:
GROQ query
*[
_type == "cocktail" &&
!(_id in path('drafts.**'))
] {
name,
_id,
"votes" : *[_type == "person" && references(^._id)] {
votes[] {
score,
"id": cocktail._ref
}
}
}
which returns
[
{
"_id": "pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfx76nA",
"name": "Cuba Libre",
"votes": [
{
"votes": {
"id": "pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfx76nA",
"score": 2
}
},
{
"votes": {
"id": "pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfx76nA",
"score": 2
}
}
]
},
{
"_id": "pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfxBOyM",
"name": "The ERSH7",
"votes": []
}
]
As you can see, the merge provides embedded arrays of votes meanwhile I want sth like:
[{
...cocktail attributes...
"votes" : [
{score: 2, id: pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfx76nA},
{score: 2, id: pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfx76nA}
]
}
... more cocktails....
]
Trying to get this I modified the query:
*[
_type == "cocktail" &&
!(_id in path('drafts.**'))
] {
name,
_id,
"votes" : *[_type == "person" && references(^._id)].votes[] {
score,
"id": cocktail._ref
}
}
which should take a projection from every element of the votes arr. Unfortunately I get empty arrays:
[
{
"_id": "pdUGiuRzgLGpnc4cfx76nA",
"name": "Cuba Libre",
"votes": [
{},
{}
]
}
...more cocktails
]
How can I achieve the desired result?
Thank you for reading! Would appreciate any help!

Answer 1

Yes, had similar struggles with "flattening" the projections my self. I solved it with dot-syntax. Try just adding .votes on your first attempt:
*[
_type == "cocktail" &&
!(_id in path('drafts.**'))
]
{
name,
_id,
"votes" : *[_type == "person" && references(^._id)] {
votes[] {
score,
"id": cocktail._ref
}
}
.votes
}
If this is correct, the whole query can be simplified but I'm not at the level, yet, where I can do that without testing against a similar set ,'-)

Answer 2

Actually, GROQ has syntax to flatten array starting from v2021-03-25
find this example:
{
'nestedArray': [
{'foo': [1,2,3,4,5]},
{'foo': [6,7,8,9,10,11,12]},
{'foo': [13,14,15]},
]
}{
'stillNestedArray': #.nestedArray[].foo,
'flatArray': #.nestedArray[].foo[]
}
Note the [] right after foo - this is what's flatten it
So the original query from the question should look like
*[
_type == "cocktail" &&
!(_id in path('drafts.**'))
] {
name,
_id,
"votes" : *[_type == "person" && references(^._id)] {
votes[] {
score,
"id": cocktail._ref
}
}.votes[]
}