How to pre-process input to macro before searching in base search?

[koshyk]

We have a wonderful set of end-users who can enter dates in various formats.

Data sample is like

reportName="finance" team="financeTeam" reportDate="2020-08-20"
reportName="finance" team="financeTeam" reportDate="2020-08-22"
...

The macro wanted to return the dataset for a specific date and expectation was user to enter

`getmyReport(2020-08-22)`

but some users, enter it as `getmyReport(today)` and my challenge is to ensure such weird inputs are tackled before it hits the search engine and to do directly in the raw data

So is there a way, i can do a pre-processing of my inputs before I pass it to the raw search?

the basic trial i've done is

|makeresults
| eval reportDate=if(reportDate="2020*",reportDate,strftime(now(),"%F")
| search (earliest=-7d index=xyz reportDate=$reportDate$)

but the above doesn't work.

The SECOND option I've within the macro outside the base search

index=xyz
| eval reportDate=if(reportDate="2020*",reportDate,strvtime(now(),"%F")
| search (reportDate=$reportDate$)

This SECOND option works, But somehow I feel the second option is performance wise poor (or will Splunk automatically optimise for Splunk 6.5x onwards?)

Is there a better option to pre-process macro variables before searching within _raw dataset?

[isoutamo]

Hi
Maybe the easiest way is to use the input validation part of macro and require that your users enter a correctly formatted input to your macro?

Or did this help you https://community.splunk.com/t5/Dashboards-Visualizations/What-s-the-Token-name-for-the-Time-Picker-...
R. Ismo