Synopsis:

match(regexp) | match(regexp value("MACRO")) | match(regexp template("MACROS"))

Description: Match a regular expression to the headers and the message itself (that is, the values returned by the MSGHDR and MSG macros). Note that in syslog-ng version 2.1 and earlier, the match() filter was applied only to the text of the message, excluding the headers. This functionality has been moved to the message() filter.

To limit the scope of the match to a specific part of the message (identified with a macro), use the match(regexp value("MACRO")) syntax. Do not include the $ sign in the parameter of the value() option.

The value() parameter accepts both built-in macros and user-defined ones created with a parser or using a pattern database. For details on macros and parsers, see Templates and macros, Parsing messages with comma-separated and similar values, and Using parser results in filters and templates.

Starting with version 3.22, the match() filter can work on templates as well. This means that you can a match against an expression combined of macros, instead of a single macro. Note that when using a template, you must reference macros with the $ sign (unlike when using the value() parameter). For example:

match("^my-regular-expression" template("${HOST}|${PROGRAM}${PID}|${MESSAGE}"));

Using a template with a single macro is equivalent with using the value() parameter. For example, the following two lines are equivalent:

match("^my-regular-expression" value("MESSAGE"));
match("^my-regular-expression" template("${MESSAGE}"));