# Specifying fields in a search using the Java API results in no source being returned **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [April 6, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/specifying-fields-in-a-search-using-the-java-api-results-in-no-source-being-returned/4195 "2011-04-06T12:45:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Giles\_Velarde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8491ac/32.png) [@Giles\_Velarde](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Giles_Velarde)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/specifying-fields-in-a-search-using-the-java-api-results-in-no-source-being-returned/4195/1 "2011-04-06T12:45:54Z")
Hi, I am trying to search an index using the Java API, but only retrieve certain fields from it. I think I have encountered a situation where if one tries to specify any fields, using SearchRequestBuilder.addFields(), the source always comes back empty. Here is a gist : [https://gist.github.com/905570#file\_test\_es.java](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_test_es.java) which should run with only elasticsearch in its classpath. Its output is here : [https://gist.github.com/905570#file\_output\_java.txt](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_output_java.txt) For comparison, running the same search on the command line : [https://gist.github.com/905570#file\_search\_on\_command\_line.sh](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_search_on_command_line.sh) returns the correct results : [https://gist.github.com/905570#file\_output\_ommand\_line.json](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_output_ommand_line.json) Best, Giles. ---
**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:** [April 6, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/specifying-fields-in-a-search-using-the-java-api-results-in-no-source-being-returned/4195/2 "2011-04-06T13:36:44Z")
Thats the behavior (both in Java API and REST API), once you specify a field, then \_source is not returned, and you have access to only those fields. On Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 3:45 PM, Giles Velarde wrote: > Hi, > > I am trying to search an index using the Java API, but only retrieve certain fields from it. I think I have encountered a situation where if one tries to specify any fields, using SearchRequestBuilder.addFields(), the source always comes back empty. Here is a gist : > > [https://gist.github.com/905570#file\_test\_es.java](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_test_es.java) > > which should run with only elasticsearch in its classpath. Its output is here : > > [Retrieving selected \_source fields from a search using Java API · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_output_java.txt) > > For comparison, running the same search on the command line : > > [Retrieving selected \_source fields from a search using Java API · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_search_on_command_line.sh) > > returns the correct results : > > [Retrieving selected \_source fields from a search using Java API · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_output_ommand_line.json) > > Best, Giles. ---
**Author:** ![Giles\_Velarde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8491ac/32.png) [@Giles\_Velarde](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Giles_Velarde)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/specifying-fields-in-a-search-using-the-java-api-results-in-no-source-being-returned/4195/3 "2011-04-06T14:09:39Z")
That's taken me a long while to fathom. Thanks for clarifying this, Shay! Best, Giles. On 6 April 2011 14:36, Shay Banon [shay.banon@elasticsearch.com](mailto:shay.banon@elasticsearch.com) wrote: > Thats the behavior (both in Java API and REST API), once you specify a > field, then \_source is not returned, and you have access to only those > fields. > > On Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 3:45 PM, Giles Velarde wrote: > > Hi, > > I am trying to search an index using the Java API, but only retrieve > certain fields from it. I think I have encountered a situation where if one > tries to specify any fields, using SearchRequestBuilder.addFields(), the > source always comes back empty. Here is a gist : > > [https://gist.github.com/905570#file\_test\_es.java](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_test_es.java) > > which should run with only elasticsearch in its classpath. Its output is > here : > > [Retrieving selected \_source fields from a search using Java API · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_output_java.txt) > > For comparison, running the same search on the command line : > > [Retrieving selected \_source fields from a search using Java API · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_search_on_command_line.sh) > > returns the correct results : > > [Retrieving selected \_source fields from a search using Java API · GitHub](https://gist.github.com/905570#file_output_ommand_line.json) > > Best, Giles. ---
**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, 4:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/specifying-fields-in-a-search-using-the-java-api-results-in-no-source-being-returned/4195/4 "2017-07-06T04:08:48Z")