All Apps and Add-ons

Splunk Add-on Builder: when exporting JSON for auto-extracting, the following error occurs.

OBsecurity
Explorer

Hello.

i'm posting to an HTTP endpoint and exporting results as JSON for auto extracting:

json_data = r.json()

while using 'addevent' and 'writeevents' to index results:

helper.addevent(json_data,sourcetype=eventSourceType)
helper.writeevents(index="main",host="localhost", source="sourcetype")

an error occurred:
Error: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, list found

only converting JSON to string resolves the issue, but it's preventing the results from being auto extracted.

is there a workaround other than convert JSON to string?

Thanks.

0 Karma

chli_splunk
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

Usually when we got a big json, especially it's a list, we should iterate each element and call addevent() in a loop. However, if you want to compose a big event with all the elements, it's fine, Splunk will extract fields automatically only if it's a valid JSON.

0 Karma

OBsecurity
Explorer

Hey!
thanks for your comment.
my issue is not big json, but passing dict\list object to 'addevent' function.
even if i iterate it (see snip below). its still passing it as dict\list object. so error is still happening - signature="Error: coercing to Unicode: need string or buffer, list found.

passing it as string resolve it. the cons is the the results are not extracted automaticly
its all indexed as one line.

thanks

helper.addevent("",
sourcetype="sample_sourcetype")
for line in r.iter_lines():
if line:
print(json.loads(line))
helper.addevent(json.loads(line),
sourcetype=eventSourceType)
helper.writeevents(index="main", host="localhost", source="abuseipdb")

0 Karma

chli_splunk
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

addevent() only accepts string as a param instead of JSON.
If it's a valid JSON, Splunk should be able to extract events automatically. If it's not, please try to add KV_MODE=json in your props.conf under the sourcetype stanza.

0 Karma
Career Survey
First 500 qualified respondents will receive a $20 gift card! Tell us about your professional Splunk journey.

Can’t make it to .conf25? Join us online!

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Can’t Make It to Boston? Stream .conf25 and Learn with Haya Husain

Boston may be buzzing this September with Splunk University and .conf25, but you don’t have to pack a bag to ...

Splunk Lantern’s Guide to The Most Popular .conf25 Sessions

Splunk Lantern is a Splunk customer success center that provides advice from Splunk experts on valuable data ...

Unlock What’s Next: The Splunk Cloud Platform at .conf25

In just a few days, Boston will be buzzing as the Splunk team and thousands of community members come together ...