This page explains how to use the todynamic function in APL.
Use the todynamic
function to parse a string as a dynamic value, such as a JSON object or array. This function is especially useful when your dataset contains structured data in string format and you want to access nested elements, iterate over arrays, or use dynamic-aware functions.
You often find todynamic
helpful when working with logs, telemetry, or security events that encode rich metadata or nested attributes in stringified JSON. By converting these strings into dynamic values, you can query, filter, and transform the nested fields using APL’s built-in support for dynamic types.
For users of other query languages
If you come from other query languages, this section explains how to adjust your existing queries to achieve the same results in APL.
Splunk SPL users
Splunk SPL users
Splunk automatically interprets structured JSON data and allows you to use dot notation directly on fields, without explicit conversion. In APL, you need to explicitly cast a JSON string into a dynamic value using todynamic
.
ANSI SQL users
ANSI SQL users
In standard SQL, you typically use JSON_VALUE
, JSON_QUERY
, or CAST(... AS JSON)
to access structured content in string format. In APL, use todynamic
to convert a string to a dynamic value that supports dot notation and further manipulation.
Usage
Syntax
Parameters
Name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
value | string | A string representing a JSON-encoded object or array. |
Returns
A dynamic value. If the input is not a valid JSON string, the function returns null
.
Example
You want to find events that match certain criteria such as URI and status code. The criteria are stored in a stringified dictionary.
Query
Output
_time | id |
---|---|
Jun 24, 09:28:10 | 2f2e5c40-1094-4237-a124-ec50fab7e726 |
Jun 24, 09:28:10 | 0f9724cb-fa9a-4a2f-bdf6-5c32b2f22efd |
Jun 24, 09:28:10 | a516c4e9-2ed9-4fb9-a191-94e2844e9b2a |
List of related functions
- pack_array: Use this to combine scalar values into an array. Use
pack_array
when you don’t need named keys and want positional data instead. - bag_keys: Returns the list of keys in a dynamic dictionary. Use this to inspect or filter contents created by
pack_dictionary
. - bag_pack: Expands a dictionary into multiple columns. Use it to revert the packing performed by
pack_dictionary
.