# Merge Multiline json into single line json using codec multiline plugin

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/merge-multiline-json-into-single-line-json-using-codec-multiline-plugin/143175>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [August 6, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/merge-multiline-json-into-single-line-json-using-codec-multiline-plugin/143175 "2018-08-06T13:30:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![Badger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/badger/32/25190_2.png) [@Badger](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Badger)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/merge-multiline-json-into-single-line-json-using-codec-multiline-plugin/143175/2 "2018-08-06T14:08:58Z")

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If you want to read the entire file as a single event I would use this

```
input {
    file {
        path => "/tmp/iaas-install.output.json"
        codec => multiline { pattern => "^Spalanzani" negate => true what => "previous" auto_flush_interval => 2 }
        start_position => "beginning"
        sincedb_path => "/dev/null"
    }
}

```

That is, use a pattern that never matches and then auto\_flush after reading the whole file.

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/merge-multiline-json-into-single-line-json-using-codec-multiline-plugin/143175)._