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INCRBYFLOAT

Introduction​

In Dragonfly, as well as in Redis and Valkey, the INCRBYFLOAT command is used to increment the value of a key by a specified floating-point number. This command is particularly useful when you need to store numerical data and perform frequent updates with floating-point precision, such as tracking scores, balances, or statistics.

If the key does not exist, INCRBYFLOAT will initialize it to 0 before executing the operation.

Syntax​

INCRBYFLOAT key increment

Parameter Explanations​

  • key: The key where the number is stored.
  • increment: The floating-point number by which to increment the value.

Return Values​

The command returns the new floating-point value after the increment.

Code Examples​

Basic Example​

Increment the float value of a key:

dragonfly> SET counter 10.5
OK
dragonfly> INCRBYFLOAT counter 1.5
"12"

Here, the value stored at counter is updated from 10.5 to 12 after adding 1.5.

Initializing and Incrementing Non-Existent Keys​

If the key does not exist, it is initialized to 0 before incrementing by the specified amount.


dragonfly> INCRBYFLOAT new_counter 2.5
"2.5"

Negative Floating-Point Increments​

You can also use negative numbers to decrement the value:

dragonfly> SET score 20.0
OK
dragonfly> INCRBYFLOAT score -5.5
"14.5"

Handling High Precision Increments​

INCRBYFLOAT maintains float precision, allowing fine-grained changes, such as adding a small decimal value:

dragonfly> SET balance 150.0
OK
dragonfly> INCRBYFLOAT balance 0.03
"150.03"

Multiple Increments on the Same Key​

You can repeatedly increment the same key for cumulative updates:

dragonfly> SET total 100.0
OK
dragonfly> INCRBYFLOAT total 10.7
"110.7"
dragonfly> INCRBYFLOAT total 2.3
"113"

Best Practices​

  • Use INCRBYFLOAT when you need arithmetic operations that require floating-point precision.
  • Be cautious when performing many small floating-point increments, as precision drift might occur over time.
  • Consider using this command for tracking metrics or scores where floating-point precision is essential.

Common Mistakes​

  • Incrementing non-numeric values can throw an error, so always ensure the stored value is a valid number (or numeric string).
  • Be aware that rounding errors are inherent to floating-point arithmetic, so the result might not have perfect precision for certain values.

FAQs​

What happens if the key stores a non-numeric value?​

If the key holds a non-numeric value, INCRBYFLOAT returns an error indicating that the value cannot be incremented.

Can I decrement a number using INCRBYFLOAT?​

Yes, providing a negative increment will effectively decrement the current value.

Does INCRBYFLOAT work with integers?​

While INCRBYFLOAT is designed for floating-point numbers, it can increment integer values as well. However, the result will always be returned as a floating-point number.