# Gatling Expression Language doesn't work in functions
**URL:** https://community.gatling.io/t/gatling-expression-language-doesnt-work-in-functions/7231
**Category:** Gatling (Open-Source)
**Created:** [October 19, 2022, 9:03am UTC](https://community.gatling.io/t/gatling-expression-language-doesnt-work-in-functions/7231 "2022-10-19T09:03:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ArosanAn](https://community.gatling.io/u/ArosanAn)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2022, 9:03am UTC](https://community.gatling.io/t/gatling-expression-language-doesnt-work-in-functions/7231/1 "2022-10-19T09:03:16Z")
Hi, I have a feeder counter like: val counterFeeder: Iterator[Map[String, Int]] = Iterator.continually(Map(“counter” → count.getAndIncrement())).
I have the following scenarioBuilder
```auto
val scenarioBuilder: ScenarioBuilder = scenario("Kafkaimport")
.feed(counterFeeder)
.exec(
kafka("import_#{counter}")
.send(session => {
val c: String = "import_#{counter}"
println(c)
"6:" + String.format("%06d", #{counter})
}, sessionA => {
val data: Record = data.template
data.setCounter(String.format("%06d", "#{counter}"))
data
})
).exitHereIfFailed
```
In the section kafka(“import\_#{counter}”) I get the value of my feeder counter correctly. But in the session Block e.g. here val c: String = “import\_#{counter}” or String.format(“%06d”, #{counter} there is not the feeder value. If I print it out e.g. herer println(c) ==\> console outpur: “mport\_#{counter}. I have also tried with s”${counter}" but it does not help. Does anyone has an idea, why it does not work and how i get the value from the feeder in mein session block ?
---
### Author:  [@slandelle](https://community.gatling.io/u/slandelle)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2022, 11:20am UTC](https://community.gatling.io/t/gatling-expression-language-doesnt-work-in-functions/7231/2 "2022-10-19T11:20:03Z")
> data.setCounter(String.format(“%06d”, “#{counter}”))
The [Gatling Expression Language documentation](https://gatling.io/docs/gatling/reference/current/core/session/el/) explicitly states that it doesn’t work in functions in a big yellow warning box.
---
### Author:  [@ArosanAn](https://community.gatling.io/u/ArosanAn)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2022, 11:30am UTC](https://community.gatling.io/t/gatling-expression-language-doesnt-work-in-functions/7231/3 "2022-10-19T11:30:49Z")
```auto
val c: String = "import_#{counter}"
println(c)
```
that also does not work
---
### Author:  [@slandelle](https://community.gatling.io/u/slandelle)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://community.gatling.io/t/gatling-expression-language-doesnt-work-in-functions/7231/4 "2022-10-19T11:59:41Z")
Indeed, as expected. You have to use the [Session API.](https://gatling.io/docs/gatling/reference/current/core/session/session_api/)