# Painless Script: Splitting a string by '/'

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/painless-script-splitting-a-string-by/233379>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** painless\
**Created:** [May 19, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/painless-script-splitting-a-string-by/233379 "2020-05-19T17:02:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tim\_Estes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tim_estes/32/64928_2.png) [@Tim\_Estes](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tim_Estes)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/painless-script-splitting-a-string-by/233379/1 "2020-05-19T17:02:47Z")

</div>

Hello,

Here's my scenario. I have an index full of documents. I'm trying to create a new field called `parent_folder_path` which will be based on the already existing `path` field.

For example, if `path` is populated by `example/file/path/document.pdf`, the `parent_folder_path` would be `example/file/path/`.

I'm using an update by query script to try and create the `parent_folder_path` from the `path` field using painless script, but I'm having difficulty finding my way about the painless documentation. I'll share what I have so far, any help would be appreciated!

Setup:

```auto
PUT my-index
PUT my-index/_mapping
{
    "properties": {
        "path": {"type": "keyword"},
        "parent_folder_path": {"type": "keyword"}
    }
}

PUT my-index/_doc/doc_1 
{
  "path": "files/uploads/doc_1.pdf"
}

PUT my-index/_doc/doc_2
{
  "path": "files/uploads/subdirectory/doc_2.pdf"
}

```

Update by query attempt:  
I know what I need to do, but I don't know the right syntax for it...

```auto
POST my-index/_update_by_query?conflicts=proceed
{
  "script": {
    "lang": "painless",
    "source": """
      def temp=ctx._source['parent'];
      def items= temp.splitOnToken('/');
      def temp2=Arrays.toString(items[:-1]);
      ctx._source['parent_folder_path'] = temp2;
    """
  }
}

```

End goal:

```auto
GET my-index/_search
{
  "took" : 0,
  "timed_out" : false,
  "_shards" : {
    "total" : 1,
    "successful" : 1,
    "skipped" : 0,
    "failed" : 0
  },
  "hits" : {
    "total" : {
      "value" : 2,
      "relation" : "eq"
    },
    "max_score" : 1.0,
    "hits" : [
      {
        "_index" : "my-index",
        "_type" : "_doc",
        "_id" : "doc_1",
        "_score" : 1.0,
        "_source" : {
          "path": "files/uploads/doc_1.pdf",
          "parent_folder_path": "files/uploads/"
        }
      },
      {
        "_index" : "my-index",
        "_type" : "_doc",
        "_id" : "doc_2",
        "_score" : 1.0,
        "_source" : {
          "path": "files/uploads/subdirectory/doc_2.pdf",
          "parent_folder_path": "files/uploads/subdirectory/"
        }
      }
   ]
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tim\_Estes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/tim_estes/32/64928_2.png) [@Tim\_Estes](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Tim_Estes)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/painless-script-splitting-a-string-by/233379/2 "2020-05-19T18:13:06Z")

</div>

Ok, I was able to figure out a script that worked, here it is:

```auto
POST my-index/_update_by_query?conflicts=proceed
{
  "script": {
    "lang": "painless",
    "source": """
      def split_path=ctx._source['path'].splitOnToken('/');
      int i = 0;
      String parent_folder = '';
      for (item in split_path) {
        i = i + 1;
        if (i != split_path.length) {parent_folder += item + '/'}
      }
      ctx._source['parent_folder_path'] = parent_folder;
    """
  }
}

```

And here's the beautiful results!

```auto
{
  "took" : 0,
  "timed_out" : false,
  "_shards" : {
    "total" : 1,
    "successful" : 1,
    "skipped" : 0,
    "failed" : 0
  },
  "hits" : {
    "total" : {
      "value" : 2,
      "relation" : "eq"
    },
    "max_score" : 1.0,
    "hits" : [
      {
        "_index" : "my-index",
        "_type" : "_doc",
        "_id" : "doc_1",
        "_score" : 1.0,
        "_source" : {
          "path" : "files/uploads/doc_1.pdf",
          "parent_folder_path" : "files/uploads/"
        }
      },
      {
        "_index" : "my-index",
        "_type" : "_doc",
        "_id" : "doc_2",
        "_score" : 1.0,
        "_source" : {
          "path" : "files/uploads/subdirectory/doc_2.pdf",
          "parent_folder_path" : "files/uploads/subdirectory/"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

```

```auto

```

---

<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:** [June 16, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/painless-script-splitting-a-string-by/233379/3 "2020-06-16T18:13:10Z")

</div>

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