content/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/database-interpret-results.md

---
title: database interpret-results
versions: # DO NOT MANUALLY EDIT. CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN BY A 🤖
  fpt: '*'
  ghec: '*'
  ghes: '*'
topics:
  - Code Security
  - Code scanning
  - CodeQL
type: reference
product: '{% data reusables.gated-features.codeql %}'
autogenerated: codeql-cli
intro: |-
  [Plumbing] Interpret computed query results into meaningful formats
  such as SARIF or CSV.
redirect_from:
  - /code-security/codeql-cli/manual/database-interpret-results
---

<!-- markdownlint-disable GHD053 -->

<!-- markdownlint-disable GHD030 -->

<!-- Content after this section is automatically generated -->

{% data reusables.codeql-cli.man-pages-version-note %}

## Synopsis

```shell copy
codeql database interpret-results --format=<format> --output=<output> [--threads=<num>] <options>... -- <database> <file|dir|suite>...
```

## Description

\[Plumbing] Interpret computed query results into meaningful formats
such as SARIF or CSV.

The results should have been computed and stored in a CodeQL database
directory using [codeql database run-queries](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/database-run-queries). (Usually you'd want to do these steps together, by using [codeql database analyze](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/database-analyze)).

## Options

### Primary Options

#### `<database>`

\[Mandatory] Path to the CodeQL database that has been queried.

#### `<file|dir|suite>...`

Repeat the specification of which queries were executed here.

If omitted, the CLI will determine a suitable set of queries using the
same logic as [codeql database run-queries](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/database-run-queries).

(In a future version it ought to be possible to omit this and instead
interpret all results that are found in the database. That glorious
future is not yet. Sorry.)

#### `--format=<format>`

\[Mandatory] The format in which to write the results. One of:

`csv`: Formatted comma-separated values, including columns with both
rule and alert metadata.

`sarif-latest`: Static Analysis Results Interchange Format (SARIF), a
JSON-based format for describing static analysis results. This format
option uses the most recent supported version (v2.1.0). This option is
not suitable for use in automation as it will produce different versions
of SARIF between different CodeQL versions.

`sarifv2.1.0`: SARIF v2.1.0.

`graphtext`: A textual format representing a graph. Only compatible with
queries with @kind graph.

`dgml`: Directed Graph Markup Language, an XML-based format for
describing graphs. Only compatible with queries with @kind graph.

`dot`: Graphviz DOT language, a text-based format for describing graphs.
Only compatible with queries with @kind graph.

#### `-o, --output=<output>`

\[Mandatory] The output path to write results to. For graph formats
this should be a directory, and the result (or results if this command
supports interpreting more than one query) will be written within that
directory.

#### `--max-paths=<maxPaths>`

The maximum number of paths to produce for each alert with paths.
(Default: 4)

#### `--[no-]sarif-add-file-contents`

\[SARIF formats only] Include the full file contents for all files
referenced in at least one result.

#### `--[no-]sarif-add-snippets`

\[SARIF formats only] Include code snippets for each location mentioned
in the results, with two lines of context before and after the reported
location.

#### `--[no-]sarif-add-query-help`

\[SARIF formats only] \[Deprecated] Include Markdown query help for
all queries. It loads query help for /path/to/query.ql from the
/path/to/query.md file. If this flag is not supplied the default
behavior is to include help only for custom queries i.e. those in query
packs which are not of the form \`codeql/\<lang\&rt;-queries\`. This
option has no effect when passed to [codeql bqrs interpret](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/bqrs-interpret).

#### `--sarif-include-query-help=<mode>`

\[SARIF formats only] Specify whether to include query help in the
SARIF output. One of:

`always`: Include query help for all queries.

`custom_queries_only` _(default)_: Include query help only for custom
queries i.e. those in query packs which are not of the form
\`codeql/\<lang\&rt;-queries\`.

`never`: Do not include query help for any queries.

This option has no effect when passed to [codeql bqrs interpret](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/bqrs-interpret).

Available since `v2.15.2`.

#### `--no-sarif-include-alert-provenance`

\[Advanced] \[SARIF formats only] Do not include alert provenance
information in the SARIF output.

Available since `v2.18.1`.

#### `--[no-]sarif-group-rules-by-pack`

\[SARIF formats only] Place the rule object for each query under its
corresponding QL pack in the `<run>.tool.extensions` property. This
option has no effect when passed to [codeql bqrs interpret](/code-security/codeql-cli/codeql-cli-manual/bqrs-interpret).

#### `--[no-]sarif-multicause-markdown`

\[SARIF formats only] For alerts that have multiple causes, include
them as a Markdown-formatted itemized list in the output in addition to
as a plain string.

#### `--no-sarif-minify`

\[SARIF formats only] Produce pretty-printed SARIF output. By default,
SARIF output is minified to reduce the size of the output file.

#### `--sarif-run-property=<String=String>`

\[SARIF formats only] A key value pair to add to the generated SARIF
'run' property bag. Can be repeated.

#### `--no-group-results`

\[SARIF formats only] Produce one result per message, rather than one
result per unique location.

#### `--csv-location-format=<csvLocationFormat>`

The format in which to produce locations in CSV output. One of: uri,
line-column, offset-length. (Default: line-column)

#### `--dot-location-url-format=<dotLocationUrlFormat>`

A format string defining the format in which to produce file location
URLs in DOT output. The following place holders can be used {path}
{start:line} {start:column} {end:line} {end:column}, {offset}, {length}

#### `--[no-]sublanguage-file-coverage`

\[GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise Server v3.12.0+ only] Use
sub-language file coverage information. This calculates, displays, and
exports separate file coverage information for languages which share a
CodeQL extractor like C and C++, Java and Kotlin, and JavaScript and
TypeScript.

Available since `v2.15.2`.

#### `--sarif-category=<category>`

\[SARIF formats only] \[Recommended] Specify a category for this
analysis to include in the SARIF output. A category can be used to
distinguish multiple analyses performed on the same commit and
repository, but on different languages or different parts of the code.

If you analyze the same version of a code base in several different ways
(e.g., for different languages) and upload the results to GitHub for
presentation in Code Scanning, this value should differ between each of
the analyses, which tells Code Scanning that the analyses _supplement_
rather than _supersede_ each other. (The values should be consistent
between runs of the same analysis for _different_ versions of the code
base.)

This value will appear (with a trailing slash appended if not already
present) as the `<run>.automationDetails.id` property.

#### `-j, --threads=<num>`

The number of threads used for computing paths.

Defaults to 1. You can pass 0 to use one thread per core on the machine,
or -_N_ to leave _N_ cores unused (except still use at least one
thread).

#### `--no-database-extension-packs`

\[Advanced] Omit extension packs stored in the database during database
creation, either from a Code Scanning configuration file or from
extension files stored in the 'extensions' directory of the analyzed
codebase.

#### `--[no-]print-diagnostics-summary`

Print a summary of the analyzed diagnostics to standard output.

#### `--[no-]print-metrics-summary`

Print a summary of the analyzed metrics to standard output.

#### `--[no-]print-baseline-loc`

Print the baseline lines of code counted to standard output.

### Options for configuring the CodeQL package manager

#### `--registries-auth-stdin`

Authenticate to GitHub Enterprise Server Container registries by passing
a comma-separated list of \<registry\_url>=\<token> pairs.

For example, you can pass
`https://containers.GHEHOSTNAME1/v2/=TOKEN1,https://containers.GHEHOSTNAME2/v2/=TOKEN2`
to authenticate to two GitHub Enterprise Server instances.

This overrides the CODEQL\_REGISTRIES\_AUTH and GITHUB\_TOKEN environment
variables. If you only need to authenticate to the github.com Container
registry, you can instead authenticate using the simpler
`--github-auth-stdin` option.

#### `--github-auth-stdin`

Authenticate to the github.com Container registry by passing a
github.com GitHub Apps token or personal access token via standard
input.

To authenticate to GitHub Enterprise Server Container registries, pass
`--registries-auth-stdin` or use the CODEQL\_REGISTRIES\_AUTH environment
variable.

This overrides the GITHUB\_TOKEN environment variable.

### Options to specify which extensions to use when interpreting the results

#### `--model-packs=<`<name@range>>...

A list of CodeQL pack names, each with an optional version range, to be
used as model packs to customize the queries that are about to be
evaluated.

### Options for finding QL packs (which may be necessary to interpret query suites)

#### `--search-path=<dir>[:<dir>...]`

A list of directories under which QL packs may be found. Each directory
can either be a QL pack (or bundle of packs containing a
`.codeqlmanifest.json` file at the root) or the immediate parent of one
or more such directories.

If the path contains more than one directory, their order defines
precedence between them: when a pack name that must be resolved is
matched in more than one of the directory trees, the one given first
wins.

Pointing this at a checkout of the open-source CodeQL repository ought
to work when querying one of the languages that live there.

If you have checked out the CodeQL repository as a sibling of the
unpacked CodeQL toolchain, you don't need to give this option; such
sibling directories will always be searched for QL packs that cannot be
found otherwise. (If this default does not work, it is strongly
recommended to set up `--search-path` once and for all in a per-user
configuration file).

(Note: On Windows the path separator is `;`).

#### `--additional-packs=<dir>[:<dir>...]`

If this list of directories is given, they will be searched for packs
before the ones in `--search-path`. The order between these doesn't
matter; it is an error if a pack name is found in two different places
through this list.

This is useful if you're temporarily developing a new version of a pack
that also appears in the default path. On the other hand, it is _not
recommended_ to override this option in a config file; some internal
actions will add this option on the fly, overriding any configured
value.

(Note: On Windows the path separator is `;`).

### Common options

#### `-h, --help`

Show this help text.

#### `-J=<opt>`

\[Advanced] Give option to the JVM running the command.

(Beware that options containing spaces will not be handled correctly.)

#### `-v, --verbose`

Incrementally increase the number of progress messages printed.

#### `-q, --quiet`

Incrementally decrease the number of progress messages printed.

#### `--verbosity=<level>`

\[Advanced] Explicitly set the verbosity level to one of errors,
warnings, progress, progress+, progress++, progress+++. Overrides `-v`
and `-q`.

#### `--logdir=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Write detailed logs to one or more files in the given
directory, with generated names that include timestamps and the name of
the running subcommand.

(To write a log file with a name you have full control over, instead
give `--log-to-stderr` and redirect stderr as desired.)

#### `--common-caches=<dir>`

\[Advanced] Controls the location of cached data on disk that will
persist between several runs of the CLI, such as downloaded QL packs and
compiled query plans. If not set explicitly, this defaults to a
directory named `.codeql` in the user's home directory; it will be
created if it doesn't already exist.

Available since `v2.15.2`.