# Reversing The Order Of Characters to a date valid format
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [May 20, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443 "2020-05-20T03:11:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Claudio\_Ract\_Costa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Claudio_Ract_Costa)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443/1 "2020-05-20T03:11:47Z")
Hi guys,
Does anyone know how can I reverse the order of the number bellow to transform it in a valid date format ?
I am trying to figure out how do it using mutate gsub or ruby but it is very complex.
from:
024042315405313000
to:
200424134550130300
And then to a valid date format:
**20** 20-04-24T13:45:50.13 **0** Z
I need that because, unfortunately, my field comes in this format ☹
> "time\_triggertime\_occ":"024042315405313000"
---
### Author:  [@Badger](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Badger)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443/2 "2020-05-20T16:06:19Z")
Using mutate+gsub you could reverse a pair of characters using something like
```
mutate { gsub => { "someField", "(.)(.)(.*)", "\2\1\3" ] }
```
---
### Author:  [@Claudio\_Ract\_Costa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Claudio_Ract_Costa)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443/3 "2020-05-20T19:46:33Z")
Hello Badger,
I was studying this piece of code.
Each "(.)" is a block with one char and you use "\1", "\2", ... to indicate each block.
Just one problem ... when I have to indicate a block greater than 9, for example, "\10", gsub get "\1" block and after, insert "0"
For example, the code:
> gsub =\> ["time\_triggertime\_occ", "(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)(.)", "\2\1\4\3\6\5\8\7' **\10'** \9"]
have the following output:
> "time\_triggertime\_occ" =\> "20042407'00'8",
the original value is:
> ```
> "time_triggertime_occ" => "024042708443313000",
>
> ```
do you know how can i fix it ? (sorry for my english)
---
### Author:  [@Badger](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Badger)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443/4 "2020-05-20T21:01:34Z")
After a lot of Googling and searching of forums I have learned the following: Back-references to numbered captures in Ruby regexps are limited to 9. If you want more you will have to use named captures.
For example
```
input { generator { count => 1 lines => ['abcdefghijkl'] } }
filter {
mutate {
gsub => [
"message",
"(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)",
"\k \k \k \k \k \k \k \k \k \k \k \k"
]
}
```
will result in
```
"message" => "a b c d e f g h i j k l",
```
---
### Author:  [@Claudio\_Ract\_Costa](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Claudio_Ract_Costa)
#### Post date: [May 20, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443/5 "2020-05-20T21:48:53Z")
Espetacular, Badger !
It worked !! Thanks my friend !!
Bellow is the final code:
```
mutate {
gsub => [
"time_triggertime_occ",
"(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)(?.)",
"20\k\k-\k\k-\k\kT\k\k:\k\k:\k\k.\k\k0-\k\k\k\k"
]
}
```
The output was:
> "time\_triggertime\_occ" =\> "2020-04-24T07:48:34.130-0300",
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/reversing-the-order-of-characters-to-a-date-valid-format/233443/6 "2020-06-17T22:03:21Z")
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