Help reading searches

The Search bar contains features to help you read, parse, or interpret the Splunk Search Processing Language (SPL) syntax. The syntax highlighting feature displays parts of SPL in different colors. There are also keyboard shortcuts to help you find information in your searches.

Syntax highlighting

With syntax highlighting, the SPL commands, arguments, functions, and keywords are color-coded to make it easer to read a search.

Consider the following search.

sourcetype=access_* | timechart count(eval(action=purchase)) BY productName usenull=false useother=false

With syntax highlighting turned on, the search is easier to read.

By default, syntax highlighting is turned on.

Color codes

The color coding that is used for the search syntax is described in the following table.

Syntax component	Color	Example
Commands	Blue	...timechart
Command arguments	Green	...timechart usenull=false
Functions	Pink	...timechart count
Keyword modifiers and Boolean operators	Orange	...timechart count BY productName

Syntax validation

If a command, argument, function, or boolean operator is not spelled or capitalized correctly, the term is not highlighted in color. The lack of color helps you ensure that the search is using the correct syntax.

If you specify an incorrect data type for an argument, the value is red. For example, the limit argument for the top command expects an integer. If you type ...|top limit=false the term false is highlighted in red because it is not an integer.

Turn off syntax highlighting

You can turn syntax highlighting off.

1. On the Splunk bar, select [User_account_name] > Account Settings.



2. In the Search section under Syntax highlighting, select Off.
3. Click Save.

Search bar shortcuts

In the Search bar, you can use keyboard shortcuts to help you develop, read, and parse your search criteria.

Make searches easier to read

Long searches can be difficult to read. For example, the following search uses multiple commands and includes many occurrences of renaming columns in the search results.

sourcetype=access_* status=200 | stats count AS views count(eval(action="addtocart")) AS addtocart count(eval(action="purchase")) AS purchases by productName | eval viewsToPurchases=(purchases/views)*100 | eval cartToPurchases=(purchases/addtocart)*100 | table productName views addtocart purchases viewsToPurchases cartToPurchases | rename productName AS "Product Name", views AS "Views", addtocart as "Adds To Cart", purchases AS "Purchases"

The following image shows how this search appears in the Search bar.

You can use a keyboard shortcut to parse each pipe section on a separate line. Any subsearches are indented.

• On Linux or Windows use Ctrl + \
• On Mac OSX use Command + \

The results of the shortcut are shown in the following image.

You can also force a new line by using Shift + Enter. See Line and word shortcuts.

Access the Learn More link

When you type a command, a list appears matching commands or arguments. Below the list is a brief description for the command and an example. There is also a Learn More link, which opens the Search Reference in a new window and displays documentation about the command.

To access the Learn More link, use your keyboard. Arrow down to the command or attribute name to highlight the name. Press Tab to highlight the Learn More link and then press Enter to activate the link.

Highlight search terms

• To highlight all of the occurrences of a word in the search, double-click that word.

Locate matching parenthesis

• To locate the matching parenthesis in your search, position your cursor immediately after an open or close parenthesis. The matching parenthesis is highlighted.

Undo and Redo shortcuts

Use the following keyboard shortcuts to undo and redo actions in the Search bar.

Action	Linux or Windows	Mac OSX
Undo the previous action.	Ctrl + Z	Command + Z
Redo the previous action.	Ctrl + Y or Ctrl + Shift + Z	Command + Y or Command + Shift + Z

Search assistant window shortcuts

With the Compact mode of the search assistant, you can use keyboard shortcuts to select items in the list, and close and reopen the search assistant window.

Action	Linux or Windows	Mac OSX
Move your cursor into the search assistant window.	Down arrow key	Down arrow key
Close the search assistant window.	ESC	ESC
Reopen the search assistant window.	Ctrl + Space	Control + Space
Select an item in the search assistant window and insert it into the Search bar.	Use the Up arrow and Down arrow keys to highlight the item and press Enter.	Use the Up arrow and Down arrow keys to highlight the item and press Enter.
Toggle between the list and the Learn More link in the search assistant window.	Tab	Tab

Find and replace shortcuts

Use the following keyboard shortcuts to find and replace terms in the Search bar.

Action	Linux or Windows	Mac OSX
Find a term.	Ctrl + F	Command + F
Find and replace a term.	Ctrl + H	Command + Option + F

Line and word shortcuts

The distinction between rows and lines is important to understand when you use keyboard shortcuts to manipulate rows or lines in your search criteria in the Search bar.

• Long searches appear on multiple rows in the Search bar.
• If the search is not parsed, the search is one line.
• If the search is parsed, separating each piped section and subsearch into its own line, a row is the same as a line.

Action	Linux or Windows	Mac OSX
Split the active row at the cursor.	Shift + Enter	Shift + Enter
Remove the active line. If the search is one line with multiple rows and not parsed into separate lines, the entire search is removed.	Ctrl + D	Command + D
Copy the active row and place the copy below the active row.	Alt + Shift + Down arrow	Command + Option + Down arrow
Copy the active row and place the copy above the active row.	Alt + Shift + Up arrow	Command + Option + Up arrow
Move the active row down one row.	Alt + Down arrow	Option + Down arrow
Move the active row up one row.	Alt + Up arrow	Option + Up arrow
Remove the search criteria from the cursor to the end of the row.	Alt + Delete	Control + K
Remove the search criteria from the cursor to the start of the row.	Alt + Backspace	Command + Delete
Remove the word or space to the right of the cursor.	Ctrl + Delete	Alt + Delete
Remove the word or space to the left of the cursor.	Ctrl + Backspace	Option + Delete