# Ruby script for deleting some elements recursively \[Q&A\]
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/ruby-script-for-deleting-some-elements-recursively-q-a/295253
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [January 24, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/ruby-script-for-deleting-some-elements-recursively-q-a/295253 "2022-01-24T16:31:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SudoNova](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SudoNova)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2022, 4:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/ruby-script-for-deleting-some-elements-recursively-q-a/295253/1 "2022-01-24T16:31:24Z")
Hi
Just because I had troubles to make it work,I decided to share it maybe some other folks can use it some time.
**Requirement:** Delete all elements in a parsed json log where they are empty
**Note:** Haproxy sends empty fields as `-`, that's why I used `eql("-")` so mind changing it if you need
**Note:** I also delete empty arrays and hashes.
```auto
ruby
{
code =>
'
```
```ruby
def recursion(event,hashed,path)
hashed.keys.each do |k|
child = hashed["#{k}"]
if (child.is_a?(String) && child.eql?("-")) || (child.is_a?(Array) && child.empty?)
event.remove("#{path}[#{k}]")
elsif child.is_a?(Hash)
if child.empty?
event.remove("#{path}[#{k}]")
else
recursion event, child, "#{path}[#{k}]"
end
end
end
end
begin
recursion event, event.to_hash, ""
end
```
```auto
'
}
```
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2022, 4:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/ruby-script-for-deleting-some-elements-recursively-q-a/295253/2 "2022-02-21T16:32:16Z")
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