PPL tostring() implementation issue #4492 #4497

asifabashar · 2025-10-10T05:54:16Z

Description

Is your feature request related to a problem?
SPL allows tostring which implemented here.
part of RFC #4287 - tostring implementation
issue #4492

What solution would you like?
Function: tostring(,)
Description
This function converts a value to a string. If the value is a number, this function reformats it as a string. If the value is a Boolean value, it returns the corresponding string value, "True" or "False".
Usage
You can use this function with the eval commands and as part of eval expressions.
The value argument can be a field name or a value.

Number is accepted as input to the function.

When you use the tostring function with the eval command, the returned values might not sort as expected. Use the tostring function to format the displayed values.

The format argument is optional and is only used when the value argument is a number. The tostring function supports the following formats.

Format Description
"binary" Converts a number to a binary value.
"hex" Converts the number to a hexadecimal value.
"commas" Formats the number with commas. If the number includes a decimal, the function rounds the number to nearest two decimal places.
"duration" Converts the value in seconds to the readable time format HH:MM:SS.
Binary conversion
You can use this function to convert a number to a string of its binary representation. For example, the result of the following function is 1001, because the binary representation of 9 is 1001.:
eval result = tostring(9, "binary")

For information about bitwise functions that you can use with the tostring function, see Bitwise functions.

Basic examples
The following example returns "True 0xF 12,345.68".
... | eval n=tostring(1==1) + " " + tostring(15, "hex") + " " + tostring(12345.6789, "commas")
The following example returns foo=615 and foo2=00:10:15. The 615 seconds is converted into minutes and seconds.

... | eval foo=615 | eval foo2 = tostring(foo, "duration")
The following example formats the column totalSales to display values with a currency symbol and commas. You must use a period between the currency value and the tostring function.

Related Issues

Resolves #[Issue number to be closed when this PR is merged]

Check List

New functionality includes testing.
New functionality has been documented.
New functionality has javadoc added.
New functionality has a user manual doc added.
New PPL command checklist all confirmed.
API changes companion pull request created.
Commits are signed per the DCO using --signoff or -s.
Public documentation issue/PR created.

By submitting this pull request, I confirm that my contribution is made under the terms of the Apache 2.0 license.
For more information on following Developer Certificate of Origin and signing off your commits, please check here.

asifabashar · 2025-10-10T05:56:18Z

@penghuo Please review

docs/user/ppl/functions/string.rst

async-query-core/src/main/antlr/OpenSearchPPLLexer.g4

ppl/src/test/java/org/opensearch/sql/ppl/calcite/CalcitePPLStringFunctionTest.java

language-grammar/src/main/antlr4/OpenSearchSQLParser.g4

language-grammar/src/main/antlr4/OpenSearchSQLLexer.g4

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/expression/DSL.java

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/expression/function/udf/ToStringFunction.java

asifabashar · 2025-10-14T05:33:21Z

@penghuo Thanks for your comments and review. I have made the changes, please check.

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

… default duration is in seconds which will be used for duration format , added cast call for tostring with 1 argument Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

asifabashar · 2025-10-20T19:43:58Z

@penghuo please review

docs/user/ppl/functions/conversion.rst

ppl/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/ppl/parser/AstExpressionBuilder.java

ppl/src/main/antlr/OpenSearchPPLParser.g4

ppl/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/ppl/parser/AstExpressionBuilder.java

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

asifabashar · 2025-10-21T04:44:43Z

please review @penghuo

asifabashar · 2025-10-22T16:46:21Z

@penghuo please review

docs/user/ppl/functions/conversion.rst

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/CalciteRexNodeVisitor.java

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/utils/PPLOperandTypes.java

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/expression/function/udf/ToStringFunction.java

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

asifabashar

Please review @penghuo

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

penghuo · 2025-10-27T16:38:37Z

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/expression/function/udf/ToStringFunction.java

+  @Strict
+  public static String toString(String str, String format) {
+    BigDecimal bd = new BigDecimal(str);
+    return toString(bd, format);
+  }


With string->numberic auto-conversion feature, this function may not required. e.g. tostring("42", "hex"), at query analysis stage, this query will be rewrite as tostring(SAFE_CAST("42" as double), "hex")
Please double confrim.

If this function still required, add try-catch to return null value is string. can not converted to number.

penghuo · 2025-10-27T16:39:42Z

core/src/main/java/org/opensearch/sql/calcite/utils/PPLOperandTypes.java

+  public static final UDFOperandMetadata NUMERIC_STRING_OR_STRING_STRING =
+      UDFOperandMetadata.wrap(
+          (CompositeOperandTypeChecker)
+              (OperandTypes.family(SqlTypeFamily.NUMERIC, SqlTypeFamily.STRING))
+                  .or(OperandTypes.family(SqlTypeFamily.STRING, SqlTypeFamily.STRING)));


if leverage string->number auto-conversion, let's remove <STRING, STRING> signature.
https://github.com/opensearch-project/sql/pull/4497/files#r2466347484

penghuo · 2025-10-27T16:40:14Z

@asifabashar Please resolve conflicts.

asifabashar marked this pull request as ready for review October 10, 2025 05:55

penghuo added PPL Piped processing language enhancement New feature or request labels Oct 10, 2025

penghuo requested changes Oct 10, 2025

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asifabashar added 10 commits October 19, 2025 06:14

docs changes

be2c2e2

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

reverted string doc changes

fc763a4

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removed extra word

a04eb14

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added any type

590a8e6

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doc formatting fixes

6938e2c

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

description for boolean example

314fccd

Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

added format_time call from calcite , added duration_millis as splunk…

0ee17b9

… default duration is in seconds which will be used for duration format , added cast call for tostring with 1 argument Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

added doc update to specifically set 2nd argument as optional

6e24aa3

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mentioned as value instead of number specifically

454cfc8

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fixed wrong bullet point

b221e8c

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asifabashar force-pushed the main branch from 1f2f12b to b221e8c Compare October 19, 2025 13:14

removed extra quote

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asifabashar force-pushed the main branch from b31b465 to 3584d68 Compare October 21, 2025 04:30

asifabashar added 2 commits October 20, 2025 21:33

we have duplicated example

5cbedcc

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applied recommended changes

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asifabashar force-pushed the main branch from 3584d68 to 682eb9d Compare October 21, 2025 04:34

asifabashar requested a review from penghuo October 21, 2025 04:44

penghuo requested changes Oct 22, 2025

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recommended changes

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asifabashar force-pushed the main branch from 548daf8 to d0b809a Compare October 26, 2025 03:17

asifabashar commented Oct 26, 2025

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asifabashar requested a review from penghuo October 26, 2025 03:33

asifabashar added 2 commits October 25, 2025 20:39

requested changes

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Signed-off-by: Asif Bashar <[email protected]>

requested changes

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penghuo reviewed Oct 27, 2025

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PPL tostring() implementation issue #4492 #4497

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