Use UpdateItem with an AWS SDK or CLI

    /// <summary>
    /// Updates an existing item in the movies table.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="newMovie">A Movie object containing information for
    /// the movie to update.</param>
    /// <param name="newInfo">A MovieInfo object that contains the
    /// information that will be changed.</param>
    /// <param name="tableName">The name of the table that contains the movie.</param>
    /// <returns>A Boolean value that indicates the success of the operation.</returns>
    public async Task<bool> UpdateItemAsync(
        Movie newMovie,
        MovieInfo newInfo,
        string tableName)
    {
        try
        {
            var key = new Dictionary<string, AttributeValue>
            {
                ["title"] = new AttributeValue { S = newMovie.Title },
                ["year"] = new AttributeValue { N = newMovie.Year.ToString() },
            };
            var updates = new Dictionary<string, AttributeValueUpdate>
            {
                ["info.plot"] = new AttributeValueUpdate
                {
                    Action = AttributeAction.PUT,
                    Value = new AttributeValue { S = newInfo.Plot },
                },

                ["info.rating"] = new AttributeValueUpdate
                {
                    Action = AttributeAction.PUT,
                    Value = new AttributeValue { N = newInfo.Rank.ToString() },
                },
            };

            var request = new UpdateItemRequest
            {
                AttributeUpdates = updates,
                Key = key,
                TableName = tableName,
            };

            await _amazonDynamoDB.UpdateItemAsync(request);
            return true;
        }
        catch (ResourceNotFoundException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Table {tableName} or item was not found. {ex.Message}");
            return false;
        }
        catch (AmazonDynamoDBException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"An Amazon DynamoDB error occurred while updating item. {ex.Message}");
            throw;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"An error occurred while updating item. {ex.Message}");
            throw;
        }
    }

##############################################################################
# function dynamodb_update_item
#
# This function updates an item in a DynamoDB table.
#
#
# Parameters:
#       -n table_name  -- The name of the table.
#       -k keys  -- Path to json file containing the keys that identify the item to update.
#       -e update expression  -- An expression that defines one or more attributes to be updated.
#       -v values  -- Path to json file containing the update values.
#
#  Returns:
#       0 - If successful.
#       1 - If it fails.
#############################################################################
function dynamodb_update_item() {
  local table_name keys update_expression values response
  local option OPTARG # Required to use getopts command in a function.

  #######################################
  # Function usage explanation
  #######################################
  function usage() {
    echo "function dynamodb_update_item"
    echo "Update an item in a DynamoDB table."
    echo " -n table_name  -- The name of the table."
    echo " -k keys  -- Path to json file containing the keys that identify the item to update."
    echo " -e update expression  -- An expression that defines one or more attributes to be updated."
    echo " -v values  -- Path to json file containing the update values."
    echo ""
  }

  while getopts "n:k:e:v:h" option; do
    case "${option}" in
      n) table_name="${OPTARG}" ;;
      k) keys="${OPTARG}" ;;
      e) update_expression="${OPTARG}" ;;
      v) values="${OPTARG}" ;;
      h)
        usage
        return 0
        ;;
      \?)
        echo "Invalid parameter"
        usage
        return 1
        ;;
    esac
  done
  export OPTIND=1

  if [[ -z "$table_name" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide a table name with the -n parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi

  if [[ -z "$keys" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide a keys json file path the -k parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi
  if [[ -z "$update_expression" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide an update expression with the -e parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi

  if [[ -z "$values" ]]; then
    errecho "ERROR: You must provide a values json file path the -v parameter."
    usage
    return 1
  fi

  iecho "Parameters:\n"
  iecho "    table_name:   $table_name"
  iecho "    keys:   $keys"
  iecho "    update_expression:   $update_expression"
  iecho "    values:   $values"

  response=$(aws dynamodb update-item \
    --table-name "$table_name" \
    --key file://"$keys" \
    --update-expression "$update_expression" \
    --expression-attribute-values file://"$values")

  local error_code=${?}

  if [[ $error_code -ne 0 ]]; then
    aws_cli_error_log $error_code
    errecho "ERROR: AWS reports update-item operation failed.$response"
    return 1
  fi

  return 0

}

The utility functions used in this example.

###############################################################################
# function iecho
#
# This function enables the script to display the specified text only if
# the global variable $VERBOSE is set to true.
###############################################################################
function iecho() {
  if [[ $VERBOSE == true ]]; then
    echo "$@"
  fi
}

###############################################################################
# function errecho
#
# This function outputs everything sent to it to STDERR (standard error output).
###############################################################################
function errecho() {
  printf "%s\n" "$*" 1>&2
}

##############################################################################
# function aws_cli_error_log()
#
# This function is used to log the error messages from the AWS CLI.
#
# See https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/topic/return-codes.html#cli-aws-help-return-codes.
#
# The function expects the following argument:
#         $1 - The error code returned by the AWS CLI.
#
#  Returns:
#          0: - Success.
#
##############################################################################
function aws_cli_error_log() {
  local err_code=$1
  errecho "Error code : $err_code"
  if [ "$err_code" == 1 ]; then
    errecho "  One or more S3 transfers failed."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 2 ]; then
    errecho "  Command line failed to parse."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 130 ]; then
    errecho "  Process received SIGINT."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 252 ]; then
    errecho "  Command syntax invalid."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 253 ]; then
    errecho "  The system environment or configuration was invalid."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 254 ]; then
    errecho "  The service returned an error."
  elif [ "$err_code" == 255 ]; then
    errecho "  255 is a catch-all error."
  fi

  return 0
}

//! Update an Amazon DynamoDB table item.
/*!
  \sa updateItem()
  \param tableName: The table name.
  \param partitionKey: The partition key.
  \param partitionValue: The value for the partition key.
  \param attributeKey: The key for the attribute to be updated.
  \param attributeValue: The value for the attribute to be updated.
  \param clientConfiguration: AWS client configuration.
  \return bool: Function succeeded.
  */

/*
 *  The example code only sets/updates an attribute value. It processes
 *  the attribute value as a string, even if the value could be interpreted
 *  as a number. Also, the example code does not remove an existing attribute
 *  from the key value.
 */

bool AwsDoc::DynamoDB::updateItem(const Aws::String &tableName,
                                  const Aws::String &partitionKey,
                                  const Aws::String &partitionValue,
                                  const Aws::String &attributeKey,
                                  const Aws::String &attributeValue,
                                  const Aws::Client::ClientConfiguration &clientConfiguration) {
    Aws::DynamoDB::DynamoDBClient dynamoClient(clientConfiguration);

    // *** Define UpdateItem request arguments.
    // Define TableName argument.
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::UpdateItemRequest request;
    request.SetTableName(tableName);

    // Define KeyName argument.
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::AttributeValue attribValue;
    attribValue.SetS(partitionValue);
    request.AddKey(partitionKey, attribValue);

    // Construct the SET update expression argument.
    Aws::String update_expression("SET #a = :valueA");
    request.SetUpdateExpression(update_expression);

    // Construct attribute name argument.
    Aws::Map<Aws::String, Aws::String> expressionAttributeNames;
    expressionAttributeNames["#a"] = attributeKey;
    request.SetExpressionAttributeNames(expressionAttributeNames);

    // Construct attribute value argument.
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::AttributeValue attributeUpdatedValue;
    attributeUpdatedValue.SetS(attributeValue);
    Aws::Map<Aws::String, Aws::DynamoDB::Model::AttributeValue> expressionAttributeValues;
    expressionAttributeValues[":valueA"] = attributeUpdatedValue;
    request.SetExpressionAttributeValues(expressionAttributeValues);

    // Update the item.
    const Aws::DynamoDB::Model::UpdateItemOutcome &outcome = dynamoClient.UpdateItem(
            request);
    if (outcome.IsSuccess()) {
        std::cout << "Item was updated" << std::endl;
    } else {
        std::cerr << outcome.GetError().GetMessage() << std::endl;
        return false;
    }

    return waitTableActive(tableName, dynamoClient);
}

Code that waits for the table to become active.

//! Query a newly created DynamoDB table until it is active.
/*!
  \sa waitTableActive()
  \param waitTableActive: The DynamoDB table's name.
  \param dynamoClient: A DynamoDB client.
  \return bool: Function succeeded.
*/
bool AwsDoc::DynamoDB::waitTableActive(const Aws::String &tableName,
                                       const Aws::DynamoDB::DynamoDBClient &dynamoClient) {

    // Repeatedly call DescribeTable until table is ACTIVE.
    const int MAX_QUERIES = 20;
    Aws::DynamoDB::Model::DescribeTableRequest request;
    request.SetTableName(tableName);

    int count = 0;
    while (count < MAX_QUERIES) {
        const Aws::DynamoDB::Model::DescribeTableOutcome &result = dynamoClient.DescribeTable(
                request);
        if (result.IsSuccess()) {
            Aws::DynamoDB::Model::TableStatus status = result.GetResult().GetTable().GetTableStatus();

            if (Aws::DynamoDB::Model::TableStatus::ACTIVE != status) {
                std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1));
            }
            else {
                return true;
            }
        }
        else {
            std::cerr << "Error DynamoDB::waitTableActive "
                      << result.GetError().GetMessage() << std::endl;
            return false;
        }
        count++;
    }
    return false;
}

Example 1: To update an item in a table

The following update-item example updates an item in the MusicCollection table. It adds a new attribute (Year) and modifies the AlbumTitle attribute. All of the attributes in the item, as they appear after the update, are returned in the response.

aws dynamodb update-item \
    --table-name MusicCollection \
    --key file://key.json \
    --update-expression "SET #Y = :y, #AT = :t" \
    --expression-attribute-names