Why does numeric input value keep dashboard search "Waiting for input"?

[yuanliu]

When I set a select list for a numeric field, panel search keeps "Waiting for input". Sample input:

      <input type="dropdown" token="score_tok" searchWhenChanged="true">
        <label>Severity cutoff</label>
        <choice value="10.0">Top</choice>
        <choice value="9.5">9.5</choice>
        <choice value="0.0">All</choice>
        <default>10.0</default>
      </input>

Sample search:

index=hubble score >= $score_tok$

I have used input tokens from dynamic search and from static values without problems. The only difference I can see is perhaps the use of static numeric values.

I can definitely run searches like index=hubble score>=10.0, even inside the panel search. I can also display values of $score_tok$ in the panel's title and so on. But score >= $score_tok$ inside the panel search always stalls. Suspecting that the decimal point may be causing problem, I even tried | where scroe >= tonumber($score_tok$), quoting the token, without decimal point, etc., to no avail. I even tried to throw the token value without comparison operator (i.e., just index=hubble $score_tok$), as long as the token returns only a numeric value, the search stalls.

The only alternative that works around the problem is to force the comparison search term into the input values, e.g.,

      <input type="dropdown" token="score_tok" searchWhenChanged="true">
        <label>Severity cutoff</label>
        <choice value="10">Top</choice>
        <choice value="9.5">≥ 9.5</choice>
        <choice value="0.0">All</choice>
        <default>10</default>
        <prefix>score >= </prefix>
      </input>

And change search to

index=hubble $score_tok$

Whereas this solves the problem, I am curious why the numeric value wouldn't be recognized as "input" even it can be displayed in title.

[yuanliu · Accepted solution]

Very much like @luna23 discovered in this thread, the problem magically disappeared after my "workaround" that forced an initial value for $score_tok$ in the Splunk system. Now I can revert the to original algorithm and have selected value propagating into panel searches (and not just titles). Maybe I should have set <initialValue>10.0</initialValue> instead of just <default>10.0</default>. There is no way for me to know now that an initial value is set. I'd consider this a usability bug.

[lfedak_splunk]

Hey @yuanliu, Nice job working out a workaround solution. Here's a link to report a bug if you would like to file a case about this workflow: http://www.splunk.com/r/bugs