> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.pyck.cloud/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.pyck.cloud/graphql-api/scalars.md).

# Scalars

Custom and standard scalar types used throughout the pyck GraphQL API

Audience: Programmer

Scalar types represent the leaf values in a GraphQL type system. pyck uses both standard GraphQL scalars and custom scalars for specialized data types.

## Standard Scalars

GraphQL provides these built-in scalar types:

* **ID** - Unique identifier (serialized as String)
* **String** - UTF-8 character sequence
* **Int** - 32-bit signed integer
* **Float** - Double-precision floating-point value
* **Boolean** - true or false

## Custom Scalars

pyck defines additional scalar types for specific use cases:

### Time and Date

* [**Time**](/graphql-api/scalars/time.md) - RFC3339 formatted timestamps with timezone information

### Data Structures

* [**Map**](/graphql-api/scalars/map.md) - JSON object for storing custom data
* **Any** - Arbitrary JSON value

### Identifiers

* [**UUID**](https://github.com/pyck-ai/docs/blob/main/graphql/scalars/UUID.md) - Universally unique identifiers
* [**Cursor**](https://github.com/pyck-ai/docs/blob/main/graphql/scalars/Cursor.md) - Opaque pagination cursors for relay-style pagination

### Federation

* [**Federation Scalars**](/graphql-api/scalars/federation-scalars.md) - Scalars required for Apollo Federation

## Usage Examples

### Time Scalar

```graphql
query {
  inventoryItems(
    where: {
      createdAt_GTE: "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
    }
  ) {
    edges {
      node {
        createdAt  # Returns Time scalar
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Map Scalar

```graphql
mutation {
  updateInventoryItem(
    input: {
      id: "123"
      data: {  # Map scalar
        "color": "red",
        "size": "large"
      }
    }
  ) {
    inventoryItem {
      data
    }
  }
}
```

### UUID Scalar

```graphql
query {
  node(id: "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000") {  # UUID
    ... on InventoryItem {
      sku
    }
  }
}
```

## Validation

Custom scalars include built-in validation:

* **Time** - Must be valid RFC3339 format
* **UUID** - Must be valid UUID v4 format
* **Map** - Must be valid JSON object
* **Cursor** - Must be base64 encoded

## See Also

* [Input Types](/graphql-api/inputs.md) - Complex input types
* [Types](/graphql-api/types.md) - Object types that use scalars


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