There are also a number of reasons not to work with advanced XML:
- Steep learning curve: Depending on what technologies you are comfortable working with, and possibly on how well the rest of this chapter is written, the learning curve for advanced XML can be steep.
- No direct control over HTML: If there is a particular HTML that you want to produce from search results, this may not be as simple as you had hoped. Short of writing your own module, you must work within the bounds of the options provided to the existing modules, modify the CSS with the application, or modify the HTML code using JavaScript.
- No direct control over logic: If you need specific things to happen when you click on specific table cells, particularly based on other values in the same row, this can only be accomplished by modifying the document using JavaScript. This is possible, but it is not well documented. Examples can be found at https://splunkbase.splunk.com, both in answer posts and in sample applications. Check out customBehaviors in the third-party app called Sideview Utils (LGPL) for an alternative.
If you have specific layout or logic requirements, you may be better served by using one of the Splunk APIs available at https://dev.splunk.com and writing applications in your favorite language.