# Where to define index and node module? A need for better documentation **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [January 28, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/where-to-define-index-and-node-module-a-need-for-better-documentation/10532 "2013-01-28T21:18:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![phill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@phill](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/phill)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/where-to-define-index-and-node-module-a-need-for-better-documentation/10532/1 "2013-01-28T21:18:58Z")
When I first read through nearly all the documentation last year, I thought there is a missing bit of information about defining _modules_. Now many months later when I actually want to define a some module info, I still can't find how to define a module using the REST interface. So far, I have created everything about an index using the REST interface, > curl -XPOST "[http://myNode.mycompany.com:9200/myIndex/?pretty=1](http://myNode.mycompany.com:9200/myIndex/?pretty=1)" -d '{ > settings: { > ... > }, > mappings: { > } > }' Therefore when I read "all the relevant modules settings can be provided when creating an index (and it is actually the recommended way to configure an index)." -- [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/index-modules/) I figured that I'd put more information in my curl commands for a particular index, but couldn't find how to do this,. I just wrote all kinds of paragraphs asking about where to put index module definitions vs. other module info and trying to tease out a few other clues I found until I finally found on the configuration page [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/setup/configuration.html) a section about index settings. It has an example which as far as I can tell is the only place that provides that syntax for using index-module YML in a REST command with no mention on the API create index page. It also says "the format can be either YAML or JSON". Is that a general comment about all REST commands or just the index creation command? Maybe the documentation bug is that the page > **[Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale](https://www.elastic.co)** > > Power insights and outcomes with the Elasticsearch Platform and AI. See into your data and find answers that matter with enterprise solutions designed to help you build, observe, and protect. Try Elasticsearch free today. is empty, so contains no overview about modules, where to and how to define them. It appears to me that what we need are the following the missing bits of documentation which I'd like to add: 1. [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/modules/) Mention closer to all the discussion of (non-index) modules that you should define these [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/modules/) ) in the elasticSearch.yml. Why because you can navigate to the modules page without seeing the configuration page nor would I think most people would assume configuration is the primary source for how to define modules. I'd add some type of overview statement about modules and mention that examples are already in the elasticSearch.yml and are commented out (assuming all of the discussed settable parameters are actually in the elasticsearch.yml file that comes with elasticSearch). 2. add a set of cross links on both pages between modules ( [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/modules/) ) and index modules ( [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/index-modules/) ) with a brief comment on the differences of the two. 3. List node.name on the node module page ( [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/modules/node.html) ) since according to the setup page it is a settable value. 🙂 4. Discuss (on [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/index-modules/_) how index module values can and should be declared when creating an index, including repeating (or referencing) the key json vs. yml syntax distinct as shown in an example on the create index page and particularly including a (simple as possible) example showing where to put each of of the modules: analysis ("index.analysis"), shard allocation ( "index.routing" ), slow log ( "index.search.slowlog"), merge ("index.merge"), store ("index.store" and "indicies.store"), mapper ("index.mapper"), translog ("index.translog"), cache ("indicies.cache" and "index.cache") in combination with "settings" and "mappings". The outer "index", "settings" and optional within "settings" of the "index" keyword discussion on [Elasticsearch Platform — Find real-time answers at scale | Elastic](http://www.elasticsearch.org/guide/reference/api/admin-indices-create-index.html) doesn't at all make it clear where to put any of these other module settings. 5. Create a brief, but separate page in the setup branch of the documentation that pulls out the discussion of the interaction between the elasticsearch.yml "index.\*" settings and explicit create index settings from the configuration page, but also gets the developer pointed toward the combination of the create index, dynamic mapping, index modules, and mappings pages. Of course leaving a link and discussion of the new page on the configuration page. Now that I've waited 7 months and no one "scratched this itch", I think I'll have to take this one myself, but if anyone else has any suggestions about tying configuration, index creation, modules etc. together, particularly for the new comer, please reply. -Paul -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "elasticsearch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:elasticsearch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/groups/opt\_out](https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out). ---
**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, 2:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/where-to-define-index-and-node-module-a-need-for-better-documentation/10532/2 "2017-07-06T02:54:18Z")
Closed on July 6, 2017, 2:54am UTC