> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://axiom.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# unicode_codepoints_to_string
> This page explains how to use the unicode_codepoints_to_string function in APL.
Use the `unicode_codepoints_to_string` function to convert an array of Unicode code points into a UTF-8 encoded string. This function is helpful when your data represents characters as numeric values—such as integer arrays from encodings, logs, or telemetry fields—and you want to decode them into readable text.
You can use `unicode_codepoints_to_string` to reconstruct log messages, parse encoded payloads, or normalize fragmented character sequences for visualization, comparison, or filtering.
## 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 doesn’t have a built-in function that directly converts an array of Unicode code points into a string. You typically need to use custom scripts, external commands, or workaround expressions to achieve similar functionality.
```sql Splunk example theme={null}
| eval decoded=custom_decode_function(codepoints)
```
```kusto APL equivalent theme={null}
print decoded = unicode_codepoints_to_string(dynamic([72, 101, 108, 108, 111]))
```
ANSI SQL doesn’t define a standard function for converting arrays of Unicode code points into strings. Implementing such functionality typically requires procedural code (e.g., in PL/pgSQL or T-SQL) or custom UDFs.
```sql SQL example theme={null}
-- Pseudo-code in PL/pgSQL
SELECT array_to_string(array_agg(chr(code)), '') FROM codepoints;
```
```kusto APL equivalent theme={null}
print decoded = unicode_codepoints_to_string(dynamic([72, 101, 108, 108, 111]))
```
## Usage
### Syntax
```kusto theme={null}
unicode_codepoints_to_string(array)
```
### Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
| ------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `array` | `dynamic` | An array of integers representing Unicode code points. |
### Returns
A string constructed from the given Unicode code points using UTF-8 encoding.
## Use case examples
Sometimes HTTP logs store user-agent strings or query parameters as numeric arrays for compact storage. You can use `unicode_codepoints_to_string` to decode those sequences.
**Query**
```kusto theme={null}
['sample-http-logs']
| extend codepoints = dynamic([72, 84, 84, 80])
| extend decoded_method = unicode_codepoints_to_string(codepoints)
| project _time, decoded_method
```
[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B'sample-http-logs'%5D%20%7C%20extend%20codepoints%20%3D%20dynamic\(%5B72%2C%2084%2C%2084%2C%2080%5D\)%20%7C%20extend%20decoded_method%20%3D%20unicode_codepoints_to_string\(codepoints\)%20%7C%20project%20_time%2C%20decoded_method%22%7D)
**Output**
| \_time | decoded\_method |
| -------------------- | --------------- |
| 2025-07-29T14:12:00Z | HTTP |
This query decodes the static Unicode array `[72, 84, 84, 80]` into the string `'HTTP'`.
In tracing systems, service metadata might be emitted as numeric codes for efficiency. You can use `unicode_codepoints_to_string` to interpret those codes during post-processing.
**Query**
```kusto theme={null}
['otel-demo-traces']
| where ['service.name'] == 'checkout'
| extend trace_label_codepoints = dynamic([67, 72, 69, 67, 75])
| extend decoded_label = unicode_codepoints_to_string(trace_label_codepoints)
| project _time, trace_id, ['service.name'], decoded_label
```
[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B'otel-demo-traces'%5D%20%7C%20where%20%5B'service.name'%5D%20%3D%3D%20'checkout'%20%7C%20extend%20trace_label_codepoints%20%3D%20dynamic\(%5B67%2C%2072%2C%2069%2C%2067%2C%2075%5D\)%20%7C%20extend%20decoded_label%20%3D%20unicode_codepoints_to_string\(trace_label_codepoints\)%20%7C%20project%20_time%2C%20trace_id%2C%20%5B'service.name'%5D%2C%20decoded_label%22%7D)
**Output**
| \_time | trace\_id | \['service.name'] | decoded\_label |
| -------------------- | ---------------- | ----------------- | -------------- |
| 2025-07-29T14:20:00Z | d4e9aefb8cc31b4d | checkout | CHECK |
The query decodes a fixed array into the label `'CHECK'` to tag traces visually in dashboards.
Sometimes security tools emit obfuscated payloads as numeric arrays. You can decode and inspect them using `unicode_codepoints_to_string`.
**Query**
```kusto theme={null}
['sample-http-logs']
| extend obfuscated_uri = dynamic([47, 108, 111, 103, 105, 110])
| extend decoded_uri = unicode_codepoints_to_string(obfuscated_uri)
| project _time, uri, decoded_uri
```
[Run in Playground](https://play.axiom.co/axiom-play-qf1k/query?initForm=%7B%22apl%22%3A%22%5B'sample-http-logs'%5D%20%7C%20extend%20obfuscated_uri%20%3D%20dynamic\(%5B47%2C%20108%2C%20111%2C%20103%2C%20105%2C%20110%5D\)%20%7C%20extend%20decoded_uri%20%3D%20unicode_codepoints_to_string\(obfuscated_uri\)%20%7C%20project%20_time%2C%20uri%2C%20decoded_uri%22%7D)
**Output**
| \_time | uri | decoded\_uri |
| -------------------- | -------- | ------------ |
| 2025-07-29T14:30:00Z | /blocked | /login |
This example shows how to reconstruct a denied URI (`/login`) from its obfuscated form using code points.
## List of related functions
* [array\_concat](/apl/scalar-functions/array-functions/array-concat): Combines multiple arrays. Useful when merging code point arrays from different strings.
* [array\_length](/apl/scalar-functions/array-functions/array-length): Returns the number of elements in an array. Use it to check how many code points a string contains.
* [parse\_path](apl/scalar-functions/string-functions/parse-path): Parses a path into components. Use it with `unicode_codepoints_from_string` when decoding or inspecting URL paths.
* [unicode\_codepoints\_from\_string](/apl/scalar-functions/string-functions/unicode-codepoints-from-string): Converts a UTF-8 string into an array of Unicode code points.