Search Manual

Add comments to a search

The most flexible way to add comments to your search strings is to use the built-in comment macro. You can use the macro multiple times in your search string and multiple times in a single command string. Comments in a search do not impact search performance.

By default the comment macro is shared only in the Search app.

The comment macro uses the same framework as search macros. For more information see Use search macros in searches in the Knowledge Manager Manual.

Using the comment macro

You can use the comment macro to add comments anywhere in your search string. The syntax for a comment is `comment("comment text")`.

Examples

`comment("THIS IS A COMMENT")`

`comment("This part of the search returns only one value")`

Comments begin and end with the back quote, or grave accent, character.

Use backslashes to escape double-quotes within the comment text:

`comment("Jorge said \"Leave that command in!\", so I did.")`

Adding multiple comments to a search

The following search example classifies recent earthquakes based on their depth.

source=usgs 
| eval Description=case(depth<=70, "Shallow", depth>70 AND depth<=300,  "Mid", 
  depth>300, "Deep") 
| stats count min(mag) max(mag) BY Description

When you add inline comments the search is easier to understand. This is the same search with multiple comments added to explain each part of the search.

source=usgs `comment("source is the us geological service (usgs)")`
| eval Description=case(depth<=70, "Shallow", depth>70 AND depth<=300, "Mid", 
  depth>300, "Deep") 
  `comment("Creates field Description. Case function specifies earthquake 
  depths, returns Description values - Shallow, Mid, Deep.")`
| stats count min(mag) max(mag) `comment("Counts earthquakes, displays min 
  and max magnitudes")` BY Description 

Consider using uppercase characters for your comments to make them easier to find. This is the same search with the comments in uppercase.

source=usgs `comment("SOURCE IS THE US GEOLOGICAL SERVICE (USGS)")`
| eval Description=case(depth<=70, "Shallow", depth>70 AND depth<=300, "Mid", 
  depth>300, "Deep") 
  `comment("CREATES FIELD DESCRIPTION. CASE FUNCTION SPECIFIES EARTHQUAKE DEPTHS, RETURNS DESCRIPTION VALUES - SHALLOW, MID, DEEP.")`
| stats count min(mag) max(mag) `comment("COUNTS EARTHQUAKES, DISPLAYS MIN AND MAX MAGNITUDES")` BY Description 

Using comments to troubleshoot a search

The following search example is attempting to return the bytes for the individual indexes. However, the search has the wrong field in the stats command <split-by clause>.

index=_internal source=*license* type=usage | stats sum(b) BY index

You can comment out portions of your search to help identify problems. Another option is to run the search in Verbose mode. In this search the stats portion of the search is commented out.

index=_internal source=*license* type=usage `comment("| stats sum(b) BY index")`

The results show the correct name for the field. You need to specify idx as the field name instead of index.

index=_internal source=*license* type=usage | stats sum(b) BY idx

(Thanks to Splunk user Runals for this example.)