Final answer:
The easiest method to access a field extractor in Splunk is the Inline Field Extraction, which allows for quick ad-hoc field extraction using the rex command directly in the search. The Delimiter-based extraction and the Field extractor utility (FX) require more steps, involving navigation through Splunk's settings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Field Extractors in Splunk
Among the three methods to access a field extractor in Splunk, the Inline Field Extraction method often has the easiest and shortest workflow. When utilizing the inline method, one simply writes a search query and includes the rex command to specify a regular expression directly in the search to extract fields. This is a quick method intended for ad-hoc field extraction during search-time, and does not require any additional steps or navigation through the Splunk settings.
The other two methods, Delimiter-based field extraction and the Field extractor utility (FX), involve more steps. The Delimiter-based extraction, albeit simple, requires you to go into the Settings, navigate to Fields, and then Field extractions to define new field extractions based on delimiters. The Field extractor utility is an interactive GUI tool that still requires accessing through Splunk's settings and following a guided process which is longer when compared to inline extractions.