# Working with CloudWatch log events in log streams by using the AWS Toolkit for JetBrains
<a name="working-CloudWatch-log-events"></a>

After you've opened the **Log Steams** pane, you can access the log events in each stream. Log events are records of activity recorded by the application or resource being monitored.

**Topics**
+ [Viewing and filtering log events in a stream](#viewing-log-events)
+ [Working with log actions](#working-with-log-actions)
+ [Exporting CloudWatch log events to a file or an editor](#exporting-CW-logs)

## Viewing and filtering log events in a stream
<a name="viewing-log-events"></a>

When you open a log stream, the **Log Events** pane displays that stream's sequence of log events.

1. To find a log stream to view, open the **Log Streams** pane (see [Viewing CloudWatch log groups and log streams](viewing-CloudWatch-logs.md)).
**Note**  
You can use pattern matching to locate a stream in a list. Click the **Log Streams** pane and start entering text. The first log stream name with text that matches yours is highlighted. You can also reorder the list by clicking the top of the **Last Event Time** column.

1. Double-click a log stream to view its sequence of log events.

   The **Log Events** pane displays the log events that make up the log stream. 

1. To filter the log events according to content, enter text in the **Filter logstream** field and press **Return**. 

    The results are log events containing text that's a case-sensitive match with your filter text. The filter searches the complete log stream, including events not displayed on the screen.
**Note**  
You can also use pattern matching to locate a log event in the pane. Click the **Log Events** pane and start entering text. The first log event with text that matches yours is highlighted. Unlike with **Filter logstream** search, only on-screen events are checked.

1. To filter log events according to time, right-click a log event, and then choose **Show Logs Around**.

    You can select **One Minute**, **Five Minutes**, or **Ten Minutes**. For example, if you select **Five Minutes**, the filtered list shows only log events that occurred five minutes before and after the selected entry.  
![\[Viewing and filtering log actions on the Log Events pane.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/toolkit-for-jetbrains/latest/userguide/images/cloudwatch-filter-log-events.png)

On the left of the **Log Events** pane, the [log actions](#working-with-log-actions) offer more ways to interact with log events.

## Working with log actions
<a name="working-with-log-actions"></a>

On the left of the **Log Events** pane, four log actions allow you to refresh, edit, tail, and wrap CloudWatch log events.

![\[Viewing log actions on the Log Events pane.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/toolkit-for-jetbrains/latest/userguide/images/cloudwatch-log-actions.png)


1. To find log events to interact with, [open the **Log Streams**](#viewing-log-events) pane.

1. Choose one of the following log actions:
   + **Refresh** – Updates the list with log events that occurred after the **Log Events** pane was opened.
   + **Open in Editor** – Opens the on-screen log events in the IDE's default editor. 
**Note**  
This action exports only on-screen log events to the IDE editor. To view all the stream's events in the editor, choose the [**Export Log Stream**](#exporting-CW-logs) option. 
   + **Tail logs** – Streams new logs events to the **Log Events** pane. This is a useful feature for continuous updates on longer-running services such as Amazon EC2 instances and AWS CodeBuild builds. 
   + **Wrap logs** – Displays log event text on multiple lines if the size of the pane hides longer entries.

## Exporting CloudWatch log events to a file or an editor
<a name="exporting-CW-logs"></a>

Exporting a CloudWatch log stream enables you to open its log events in the IDE's default editor or download them to a local folder.

1. To find a log stream to access, [open the **Log Streams**](#viewing-log-events) pane.

1. Right-click a log stream, and then choose **Export Log Stream**, **Open in Editor** or **Export Log Stream**, **Save to a File**.
   + **Open in Editor** –Opens the log events that make up the selected stream in the IDE's default editor.
**Note**  
This option exports all events in the log stream to the IDE editor.
   + **Save to a File** – Opens the **Download Log Stream** dialog box. This enables you to select a download folder and rename the file containing the log events.