From b9130c7968f1e30676579ac99922835cad55ce59 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dave MacLeod <56599343+Dhghomon@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:18:27 +0900
Subject: [PATCH] Add section on strictness and post 3.0 statements

---
 .../doc-surrealql/statements/index.mdx        | 66 ++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 65 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/src/content/doc-surrealql/statements/index.mdx b/src/content/doc-surrealql/statements/index.mdx
index 498b3dab7..caee4e781 100644
--- a/src/content/doc-surrealql/statements/index.mdx
+++ b/src/content/doc-surrealql/statements/index.mdx
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ title: Statements | SurrealQL
 description: Statements are used to configure and query a database.
 ---
 
+import Since from '@components/shared/Since.astro'
+
 # Statements
 
 SurrealDB has a variety of statements that let you configure and query a database. In this section, we'll look at the different types of statements that are available.
@@ -86,4 +88,66 @@ A number of parameters prefixed with `$` are automatically available within a st
 * [$session](/docs/surrealql/parameters#session) provides context on the current session,
 * [$parent](/docs/surrealql/parameters#parent-this) provides access to the value in a primary query while inside a subquery.
 
-For a full list of these automatically generated parameters, see the [parameters](/docs/surrealql/parameters#reserved-variable-names) page.
\ No newline at end of file
+For a full list of these automatically generated parameters, see the [parameters](/docs/surrealql/parameters#reserved-variable-names) page.
+
+## Output when resource not defined
+
+<Since v="v3.0.0-beta.1" />
+
+Many but not all statements in versions before 3.0 returned an empty array when a resource was not defined.
+
+```surql
+SELECT * FROM person;
+DELETE person;
+REMOVE TABLE person;
+```
+
+```surql title="Output before 3.0"
+-------- Query 1 --------
+
+[]
+
+-------- Query 2 --------
+
+[]
+
+-------- Query 3 --------
+
+"The table 'person' does not exist"
+```
+
+All statements return an error if this is the case, making it clear that the resource is not defined as opposed to defined and empty.
+
+```surql
+SELECT * FROM person;
+DELETE person;
+```
+
+```surql title="Output"
+-------- Query --------
+
+"The table 'person' does not exist"
+
+-------- Query --------
+
+"The table 'person' does not exist"
+```
+
+However, statements that create a resource will not return an error unless the [database is defined](/docs/surrealql/statements/define/database) as `STRICT`. Instead, they will automatically define the needed table (and even use the [`$session`](/docs/surrealdb/security/authentication#session) parameter to define the database and namespace if necessary) so that the query will work.
+
+Note the output of the following queries, in which the value `[]` is returned after deleting the records of a defined table to show that zero records were returned. However, the final `REMOVE TABLE` statement returns a simple `NONE` to indicate that the statement succeeded.
+
+```surql
+SELECT * FROM person; -- Error
+DELETE person;        -- Error
+CREATE person:one;    -- Succeeds
+DELETE person;        -- Empty array
+REMOVE TABLE person;  -- NONE
+```
+
+The following chart can help to remember which output to expect depending on your SurrealDB version and database strictness.
+
+| Example of statement  | STRICT database      | Non-STRICT database behavior (default)                     | Behavior in versions < 3.0       |
+|-----------------------|----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
+| CREATE / UPDATE       | Error if not defined | Succeeds (defines table, database, namespace if necessary) | Identical                        |
+| SELECT / DELETE       | Error if not defined | Returns error if table not defined                         | Empty array if table not defined |
\ No newline at end of file