# Any way to see json representation of request constructed with SearchRequestBuilder? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [May 13, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402 "2011-05-13T20:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ellery\_Crane\_2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ellery_crane_2/32/3369_2.png) [@Ellery\_Crane\_2](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ellery_Crane_2)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402/1 "2011-05-13T20:28:57Z")
I'm trying to use the java api to construct a search request, and I'm encountering problems. Unfortunately, I have no idea what's causing them, because I can't find a way to see what query is actually getting constructed. Is there some way I can see the actual json that the SearchRequestBuilder gets converted into, so I can debug my query? ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2011, 11:48am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402/2 "2011-05-14T11:48:58Z")
There isn't a simple toString method (I'll add it). You can call SearchRequestBuilder#internalBuilder().buildAsBytes(XContentType.JSON). On Friday, May 13, 2011 at 11:28 PM, Ellery Crane wrote: > I'm trying to use the java api to construct a search request, and I'm > encountering problems. Unfortunately, I have no idea what's causing > them, because I can't find a way to see what query is actually getting > constructed. Is there some way I can see the actual json that the > SearchRequestBuilder gets converted into, so I can debug my query? ---
**Author:** ![js1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/51bf81/32.png) [@js1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/js1)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402/3 "2011-05-16T13:54:23Z")
Hi, maybe you wanna try this: XContentBuilder jsonBuilder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder(); XContentBuilder toXContent = queryBuilder.toXContent(jsonBuilder, ToXContent.EMPTY\_PARAMS); String query = toXContent.string(); where as queryBuilder is type of BaseQueryBuilder. ---
**Author:** ![Ellery\_Crane\_2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ellery_crane_2/32/3369_2.png) [@Ellery\_Crane\_2](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Ellery_Crane_2)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402/4 "2011-05-16T15:01:35Z")
Thanks Shay! Though as a note to anyone else trying to do this, you'll need to wrap the byte in a String: String json = new String(builder.internalBuilder().buildAsBytes(XContentType.JSON)); On May 14, 7:48 am, Shay Banon [shay.ba...@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.ba...@elasticsearch.com) wrote: > There isn't a simple toString method (I'll add it). You can call SearchRequestBuilder#internalBuilder().buildAsBytes(XContentType.JSON). > > On Friday, May 13, 2011 at 11:28 PM, Ellery Crane wrote: > > > I'm trying to use the java api to construct a search request, and I'm > > encountering problems. Unfortunately, I have no idea what's causing > > them, because I can't find a way to see what query is actually getting > > constructed. Is there some way I can see the actual json that the > > SearchRequestBuilder gets converted into, so I can debug my query? ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402/5 "2011-05-16T19:49:41Z")
Yes, though make sure to use UTF8 charset. There is a toString method now in master. On Monday, May 16, 2011 at 6:01 PM, Ellery Crane wrote: > Thanks Shay! Though as a note to anyone else trying to do this, you'll > need to wrap the byte in a String: > > String json = new > String(builder.internalBuilder().buildAsBytes(XContentType.JSON)); > > On May 14, 7:48 am, Shay Banon [shay.ba...@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.ba...@elasticsearch.com) wrote: > > > There isn't a simple toString method (I'll add it). You can call SearchRequestBuilder#internalBuilder().buildAsBytes(XContentType.JSON). > > > > On Friday, May 13, 2011 at 11:28 PM, Ellery Crane wrote: > > > > > I'm trying to use the java api to construct a search request, and I'm > > > encountering problems. Unfortunately, I have no idea what's causing > > > them, because I can't find a way to see what query is actually getting > > > constructed. Is there some way I can see the actual json that the > > > SearchRequestBuilder gets converted into, so I can debug my query? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/any-way-to-see-json-representation-of-request-constructed-with-searchrequestbuilder/4402/6 "2017-07-06T04:06:04Z")