# Logstash Syntax Error

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [November 11, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839 "2016-11-11T19:21:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kernel\_Panic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kernel_panic/32/12294_2.png) [@Kernel\_Panic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kernel_Panic)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/1 "2016-11-11T19:22:00Z")

</div>

Hi there guys,  
Can you help me with this issue?

```
output {
  if [@metadata][beat] {
    elasticsearch {
      hosts => ["server"]
      sniffing => true
      manage_template => false
      index => "%{[@metadata][beat]}-%{+YYYY.MM.dd}"
      document_type => "%{[@metadata][type]}"
    }
  } else if {
    elasticsearch {
      hosts => ["server"]
      sniffing => true
      manage_template => false
      index => "collectd-%{+YYYY.MM.dd}"
      document_type => "collectd"
    }
  }
   else {
    elasticsearch {
      hosts => ["server"]
      sniffing => true
      manage_template => false
      index => "sensu-%{+YYYY.MM.dd}"
      document_type => "sensu"
    }
  }
}

```

Configtest complains with the following:

```
Error: Expected one of #, (, !, ", ', -, [, / at line 59, column 13 (byte 1306) after output {
  if [@metadata][beat] {
    elasticsearch {
      hosts => ["server"]
      sniffing => true
      manage_template => false
      index => "%{[@metadata][beat]}-%{+YYYY.MM.dd}"
      document_type => "%{[@metadata][type]}"
    }
  } else if {:level=>:error}

```

What's wrong with it?  
Thanks  
Regards

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/2 "2016-11-12T16:20:07Z")

</div>

Your `else if` is missing a condition; there must be a logical expression after `if`.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kernel\_Panic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kernel_panic/32/12294_2.png) [@Kernel\_Panic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kernel_Panic)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/3 "2016-11-13T01:00:36Z")

</div>

> [@Kernel\_Panic](#):
>
> elasticsearch {  
> hosts =\> ["server"]  
> sniffing =\> true  
> manage\_template =\> false  
> index =\> "sensu-%{+YYYY.MM.dd}"  
> document\_type =\> "sensu"  
> }

Ok, and what happens if I split the output configuration to include only the sensu stuff? Can I do that? if I've got a file named 30-output.conf, should I named it 31-output-sensu.conf for example? is that order or naming convention important?

Thanks  
Regards

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/4 "2016-11-13T14:58:20Z")

</div>

> Ok, and what happens if I split the output configuration to include only the sensu stuff? Can I do that?

I'm not sure what you mean.

> if I've got a file named 30-output.conf, should I named it 31-output-sensu.conf for example? is that order or naming convention important?

No, not for outputs. All events are sent to all outputs unless put under a condition.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kernel\_Panic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kernel_panic/32/12294_2.png) [@Kernel\_Panic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kernel_Panic)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/5 "2016-11-13T15:48:17Z")

</div>

Hi

What I mean is to have an output config file for every condition instead of having a big one output.conf file which holds all condition.. let say , one file name for example 30-output-sensu.conf 31-output-beat.conf 32-output-other-stuff.conf

One config file for document\_type =\> "sensu" another for document\_type =\> "beat" another for document\_type =\> "syslog-or-whatever-I-want"

Thank you very much for your time and support  
Regards

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/6 "2016-11-13T17:11:04Z")

</div>

You can certainly do as you describe if your prefer. Logstash doesn't care if you split your output blocks or keep them in a single file.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kernel\_Panic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kernel_panic/32/12294_2.png) [@Kernel\_Panic](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kernel_Panic)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/7 "2016-11-13T17:28:45Z")

</div>

Thank you very much Magnus, very kind of you.  
Regards

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-syntax-error/65839/8 "2016-12-11T17:28:51Z")

</div>

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