# Put object

## Description

This command allows you to modify data at a given selector.

It generally works in the same way as [put](/v1/usage/put.md), but allows you to write entire maps with a single command.

Note that `put object` will completely overwrite any existing data at the given selector.

## Usage

```shell
dasel put object -f <file> -t <type> -t <type> <selector> <value:key=value> <value:key=value>
```

{% hint style="info" %}
Omit the types and values to create an empty object/map.
{% endhint %}

| Flag                             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `-t`, `<type>`                   | <p>The type of value you want to put.</p><p>You must repeat this argument for each value provided.</p><p>Available arguments:</p><ul><li>string</li><li>int</li><li>bool</li></ul>                                                                                              |
| `<value>`                        | <p>The key + value to write as<code>key=value</code></p><p>Dasel will parse this value as a string, int, or bool depending on the given <code>type</code>.</p><p>This is required.</p>                                                                                          |
| `-f`, `--file`                   | <p>Specify the file to query. This is required unless you are piping in data.</p><p>If piping in data you can optionally pass <code>-f stdin</code>/<code>-f -</code>.</p>                                                                                                      |
| `-o`, `--out`                    | <p>Specify the output file. If present, results will be written to the given file. If not present, results will be written to the input file (or stdout if none given).</p><p>To force output to be written to stdout, pass <code>-o stdout</code>or<code>-o -</code>.</p>      |
| `-r`, `--read`                   | <p>Specify the parser to use when reading the input data.</p><p>This is required if you are piping in data, otherwise dasel will use the given file extension to guess which parser to use.</p><p>See <a href="/pages/-MXgNylC4AkvSj351jU3">supported file types</a>.</p>       |
| `-w`, `--write`                  | <p>Specify the parser to use when writing the output data.</p><p>If not provided dasel will attempt to use the <code>--out</code> and <code>--read</code> flags to determine which parser to use.</p><p>See <a href="/pages/-MXgNylC4AkvSj351jU3">supported file types</a>.</p> |
| `-p`, `--parser`                 | Shorthand for `-r <value> -w <value>`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| `-m`, `--multiple`               | <p>Tells dasel to put multiple items.</p><p>See <a href="/pages/-MXgNylAqqL66l3g7A2u">multiple</a>.</p>                                                                                                                                                                         |
| `-s`, `--selector`, `<selector>` | <p>Specify the selector to use. See <a href="/pages/-MXgNylFbABKYJMirPOA">selectors</a> for more information.</p><p>If no selector flag is given, dasel assumes the first argument given is the selector.</p><p>This is required.</p>                                           |
| `--plain`                        | <p>By default, dasel formats the output using the specified parser.</p><p>If this flag is used no formatting occurs and the results output as a string.</p>                                                                                                                     |
| `-c`, `--compact`                | This tells dasel to output compact data where possible. E.g. not pretty printing JSON.                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| `--merge-input-documents`        | See [merge input documents](/v1/usage/flags/merge-input-documents.md).                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| `--escape-html`                  | See [escape html](/v1/usage/flags/escape-html.md).                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |

## Example

### Put object

```shell
$ echo "" | dasel put object -p yaml -t string -t int "my.favourites" colour=red number=3
my:
  favourites:
    colour: red
    number: 3
```


---

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