# What's the best way in java or groovy to determine the existence of an index given it's name **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-best-way-in-java-or-groovy-to-determine-the-existence-of-an-index-given-its-name/3543 "2010-11-10T01:03:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gideon\_Kaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/779978/32.png) [@Gideon\_Kaplan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Gideon_Kaplan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-best-way-in-java-or-groovy-to-determine-the-existence-of-an-index-given-its-name/3543/1 "2010-11-10T01:03:59Z")
Hi Folks, There's code in our base (I didnt write, but inherited) like this, seems like there has to be a better way? Also when instantiating a new IndexStatusRequest, does the resulting object contains all the known indexes? Is there a true javadoc on this "low level" stuff The only think related on the site I saw was this [http://www.elasticsearch.com/docs/elasticsearch/java\_api/admin/](http://www.elasticsearch.com/docs/elasticsearch/java_api/admin/) I've resorted to looking at method sigs (in my ide) and guessing Is there a best way to build the javadoc? BTW were upgrading from .9 to .12.1 Thanks Gideon private boolean testIndexExists(indexName) { def statusResponse boolean retValue = false ``` try { statusResponse = client.admin().indices().status(new ``` IndicesStatusRequest()).actionGet() // check first to see if it doesn't exist or get an exception if trying to create existing if (statusResponse.index(indexName) != null) retValue = true //statusRespopnse if of type IndexStatusResponse - public org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.status.IndexStatus index(java.lang.String index) { /\* compiled code \*/ } } catch(IndexMissingException ime) { // I used to be able to check the statusresponse now I will get an IME so treat both the same logger.debug "Hit an indexedmissingexception in index test" retValue = false } ---
**Author:** ![James\_Cook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@James\_Cook](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/James_Cook)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-best-way-in-java-or-groovy-to-determine-the-existence-of-an-index-given-its-name/3543/2 "2010-11-10T01:47:04Z")
[http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/Finding-out-if-an-index-exists-td1820921.html#a1820921](http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/Finding-out-if-an-index-exists-td1820921.html#a1820921) On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 8:03 PM, Gideon Kaplan [gideonkaplan@gmail.com](mailto:gideonkaplan@gmail.com)wrote: > Hi Folks, > There's code in our base (I didnt write, but inherited) like this, > seems like there has to be a better way? > Also when instantiating a new IndexStatusRequest, does the resulting > object contains all the known indexes? > Is there a true javadoc on this "low level" stuff > The only think related on the site I saw was this > [http://www.elasticsearch.com/docs/elasticsearch/java\_api/admin/](http://www.elasticsearch.com/docs/elasticsearch/java_api/admin/) > I've resorted to looking at method sigs (in my ide) and guessing > Is there a best way to build the javadoc? > > BTW were upgrading from .9 to .12.1 > Thanks > Gideon > > private boolean testIndexExists(indexName) { > def statusResponse > boolean retValue = false > > ``` > try { > statusResponse = client.admin().indices().status(new > > ``` > > IndicesStatusRequest()).actionGet() // check first to see if it > doesn't exist or get an exception if trying to create existing > if (statusResponse.index(indexName) != null) retValue = > true //statusRespopnse if of type IndexStatusResponse - > public org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.status.IndexStatus > index(java.lang.String index) { /\* compiled code \*/ } > } catch(IndexMissingException ime) { // I used to be able to > check the statusresponse now I will get an IME so treat both the same > logger.debug "Hit an indexedmissingexception in index > test" > retValue = false > } ---
**Author:** ![Gideon\_Kaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/779978/32.png) [@Gideon\_Kaplan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Gideon_Kaplan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-best-way-in-java-or-groovy-to-determine-the-existence-of-an-index-given-its-name/3543/3 "2010-11-10T18:06:35Z")
Thanks James On Nov 9, 5:47 pm, James Cook [jc...@tracermedia.com](mailto:jc...@tracermedia.com) wrote: > [http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/Finding-out-if-an-ind](http://elasticsearch-users.115913.n3.nabble.com/Finding-out-if-an-ind)... > > On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 8:03 PM, Gideon Kaplan [gideonkap...@gmail.com](mailto:gideonkap...@gmail.com)wrote: > > > Hi Folks, > > There's code in our base (I didnt write, but inherited) like this, > > seems like there has to be a better way? > > Also when instantiating a new IndexStatusRequest, does the resulting > > object contains all the known indexes? > > Is there a true javadoc on this "low level" stuff > > The only think related on the site I saw was this > > [http://www.elasticsearch.com/docs/elasticsearch/java\_api/admin/](http://www.elasticsearch.com/docs/elasticsearch/java_api/admin/) > > I've resorted to looking at method sigs (in my ide) and guessing > > Is there a best way to build the javadoc? > > > BTW were upgrading from .9 to .12.1 > > Thanks > > Gideon > > > private boolean testIndexExists(indexName) { > > def statusResponse > > boolean retValue = false > > > ``` > > try { > > statusResponse = client.admin().indices().status(new > > > > ``` > > > > IndicesStatusRequest()).actionGet() // check first to see if it > > doesn't exist or get an exception if trying to create existing > > if (statusResponse.index(indexName) != null) retValue = > > true //statusRespopnse if of type IndexStatusResponse - > > public org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.status.IndexStatus > > index(java.lang.String index) { /\* compiled code \*/ } > > } catch(IndexMissingException ime) { // I used to be able to > > check the statusresponse now I will get an IME so treat both the same > > logger.debug "Hit an indexedmissingexception in index > > test" > > retValue = false > > } ---
**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, 4:16am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/whats-the-best-way-in-java-or-groovy-to-determine-the-existence-of-an-index-given-its-name/3543/4 "2017-07-06T04:16:45Z")