Using alt key code in logstash

[sahere37 (LR)]

Hi all, i am using logstash to write some data into txt file so that my output configuration of logstash is as following:

output {
csv {
fields => ["My_Data"]
path => "D:\app_%{year}_%{mounth}_%{day}.txt"
}
  stdout { codec => rubydebug }

}

it is note that "My_Data" is as following which is based on the some other data:

mutate {
	add_field => {
		"My_Data" => "%{Com}-%{Ser}-%{year}-%{mounth}-%{day}-%{count}"
	}
}

I am using "-" (dash) in order to separate the items. But, our customer tells us that the separator should be "alt0173" which leads to "-". How can i use "alt0173" instead of direct "-" in my script so that convert to dash in output txt?
Any advise will be so appreciated.
Regards

[sahere37 (LR)]

sorry. i think it has been solved just by using alt0173 in script

[cknz (Cameron Kerr)]

For reference, in Unicode, this would be U+00AD, although I doubt that the input would be in any Unicode encoding.

You're likely going to want to set the charset in your csv input to match your input file. Eg:

input{
    file{
        ...
        codec => csv{ charset=>"Windows-1250" }
    }
}

Unfortunately Logstash (still) doesn't have a mechanism for expressing Unicode escape sequences in its configuration, but the configuration file is meant to be UTF-8, so you can (as you've experienced) put literal Unicode characters into it.

[sahere37 (LR)]

Many thanks for your reply,
I used ­alt0173 in csv output fields and when open the output on my PC with Notepad++ it works fine and can find alt0173 (-). But when i open this file on another PC, it cannot find alt0173. Any advise will be so appreciated.

[sahere37 (LR)]

I checked out put in Notepad++ using Encode in ANSI which is as following:

O1ÂO2­2020­06­23­O3­4­0

where there is  instead of "-" (alt0173)

[sahere37 (LR)]

when i check my config file in notepad++ using Encoding in ANSI , Â exists in output filed:

when i delete Â, starting logstash face with following error:

`> [ERROR][logstash.agent           ] An exception happened when converging configuration 
{:exception=>RuntimeError, :message=>"Could not fetch the configuration, message: The 
following config files contains non-ascii characters but are not UTF-8 encoded 
 [\"F:/ELK_Windows/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-6.6.0/bin/OB13.conf\"]", :backtrace=>["F:/ELK_Windows/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:157:in `converge_state_and_update'", "F:/ELK_Windows/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-core/lib/logstash/agent.rb:101:in `execute'", "F:/ELK_Windows/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-core/lib/logstash/runner.rb:362:in `block in execute'", "F:/ELK_Windows/logstash-6.6.0/logstash-6.6.0/vendor/bundle/jruby/2.3.0/gems/stud-0.0.23/lib/stud/task.rb:24:in `block in initialize'"]}`

[cknz (Cameron Kerr)]

That's to be expected; the configuration file is expected to be in UTF-8. Nothing else will do. Logstash can process other encodings, but its configuration file must be UTF-8.

On Windows, you can use the Character Map application (if you can't type the character yourself). You'll want a Unicode font, such as Arial, tick the Advanced box, and in the 'Go to Unicode' box, enter 00AD. You'll find two things:

• Unicode calls this character 'Soft Hyphen'
• It also shows the Windows Alt-Keypad keystroke sequence (Alt+0173)

You can click on the Select the character for the 'Characters to copy' if you want to just copy it into your logstash configuration.

Hope that helps.

[sahere37 (LR)]

Many thanks for your reply. I type alt0173 for output field in the logstash config as fields separator, but the problem is in the output txt. txt file separator has been shown as "Â-" instead of "-". my config file is creating a txt file daily which includes some data separated using alt0173. customer is using ANSI encoding and they are seeing output separator as "Â-" instead of "-". how can i handle this issue so that output txt file separator automatically shows alt0173 (-) instead of (Â-).