# Searching key names as well **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [May 1, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-key-names-as-well/7519 "2012-05-01T03:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@bcoder](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/bcoder)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-key-names-as-well/7519/1 "2012-05-01T03:53:40Z")
I have documents of following form indexed in ES: { "foo1": { "blah1": "hello1", "blah2": "hello2" } } I want to be able to search a prefix, inside "foo1" hash (both key names and values should be searched). So for example if I search "blah1", then it should be a valid match (in the example above: since a key with "blah1" exist). Similarly "hello1" is also a valid match (key value). Is there a way to do that ? I know that I can search something like this: {"query": {"prefix": {"foo1.blah1": "hello1"}}}, but this does not: 1) search entire "foo1" hash, 2) Search only key value of specified key (foo1.blah1 in this case), and not the strings representing key names. I want to be able to say something like: Find me all documents which have some "text" inside the hash "foo1" (irrespective of the fact, wheter the text matches a key name or key value). Note: The keys inside "foo1" hash are arbitrary and potentially different for each hash (both the actual name of keys and also number of them) Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-key-names-as-well/7519/2 "2012-05-02T16:23:59Z")
There isn't a way to do it unless you explicitly search on all the fields. There has been some discussions on automatically building a compound query based on a wildcarded name, something like foo.\*, but it hasn't move further than the discussion. On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 6:53 AM, bcoder [blitzkriegcoder@gmail.com](mailto:blitzkriegcoder@gmail.com) wrote: > I have documents of following form indexed in ES: > > { > "foo1": > { > "blah1": "hello1", > "blah2": "hello2" > } > } > > I want to be able to search a prefix, inside "foo1" hash (both key > names and values should be searched). So for example if I search > "blah1", then it should be a valid match (in the example above: since > a key with "blah1" exist). Similarly "hello1" is also a valid match > (key value). > > Is there a way to do that ? > > I know that I can search something like this: {"query": {"prefix": > {"foo1.blah1": "hello1"}}}, but this does not: 1) search entire "foo1" > hash, 2) Search only key value of specified key (foo1.blah1 in this > case), and not the strings representing key names. > > I want to be able to say something like: Find me all documents which > have some "text" inside the hash "foo1" (irrespective of the fact, > wheter the text matches a key name or key value). > > Note: The keys inside "foo1" hash are arbitrary and potentially > different for each hash (both the actual name of keys and also number > of them) > > Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![bcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3e96dc/32.png) [@bcoder](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/bcoder)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-key-names-as-well/7519/3 "2012-05-04T18:13:51Z")
Thanks for the swift reply! 🙂 On May 2, 9:23 am, Shay Banon [kim...@gmail.com](mailto:kim...@gmail.com) wrote: > There isn't a way to do it unless you explicitly search on all the fields. > There has been some discussions on automatically building a compound query > based on a wildcarded name, something like foo.\*, but it hasn't move > further than the discussion. > > On Tue, May 1, 2012 at 6:53 AM, bcoder [blitzkriegco...@gmail.com](mailto:blitzkriegco...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > I have documents of following form indexed in ES: > > > { > > "foo1": > > { > > "blah1": "hello1", > > "blah2": "hello2" > > } > > } > > > I want to be able to search a prefix, inside "foo1" hash (both key > > names and values should be searched). So for example if I search > > "blah1", then it should be a valid match (in the example above: since > > a key with "blah1" exist). Similarly "hello1" is also a valid match > > (key value). > > > Is there a way to do that ? > > > I know that I can search something like this: {"query": {"prefix": > > {"foo1.blah1": "hello1"}}}, but this does not: 1) search entire "foo1" > > hash, 2) Search only key value of specified key (foo1.blah1 in this > > case), and not the strings representing key names. > > > I want to be able to say something like: Find me all documents which > > have some "text" inside the hash "foo1" (irrespective of the fact, > > wheter the text matches a key name or key value). > > > Note: The keys inside "foo1" hash are arbitrary and potentially > > different for each hash (both the actual name of keys and also number > > of them) > > > Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/searching-key-names-as-well/7519/4 "2017-07-06T03:30:01Z")