# XML filter error

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/xml-filter-error/36085>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [December 1, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/xml-filter-error/36085 "2015-12-01T18:34:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CraigFoote](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/craigfoote/32/4571_2.png) [@CraigFoote](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/CraigFoote)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/xml-filter-error/36085/1 "2015-12-01T18:34:04Z")

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Working with 2.1.0 logstash. With test.xml:  
`<node1>value1</node1>`

...and configuration:

> ```
> input{
> file{
> path => "/test.xml"
> start_position => "beginning"
> sincedb_path => "/dev/null"
> }
> }
> filter{
> xml{
> source => "message"
> store_xml => true
> }
> }
> output{
> stdout{ codec => rubydebug }
> }
> 
> ```

Gives \_xmlparsefailure error message:

` Trouble parsing xml with XmlSimple {:source=>"message", :value=>"<node1>value1</node1>", :exception=>#<NoMethodError: undefined method 'start_with?' for nil:NilClass>, :backtrace=>["logstash/vendor/bundle/jruby/1.9/gems/logstash-core-2.1.0-java/lib/logstash/filters/base.rb:151:in 'multi_filter'", etc.`

Any help appreciated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/xml-filter-error/36085/2 "2015-12-01T19:02:51Z")

</div>

As documented you need to set the `target` option if `store_xml` is true. Such a mistake should obviously result in a proper error message instead of a stacktrace—see [github.com/logstash-plugins/logstash-filter-xml issue #9](https://github.com/logstash-plugins/logstash-filter-xml/issues/9).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CraigFoote](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/craigfoote/32/4571_2.png) [@CraigFoote](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/CraigFoote)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/xml-filter-error/36085/3 "2015-12-01T19:32:12Z")

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Thanks Magnus.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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, 5:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/xml-filter-error/36085/4 "2017-07-06T05:20:30Z")

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