diff --git a/include/caliper/reader/QueryProcessor.h b/include/caliper/reader/QueryProcessor.h
index 2f6b46e5..4a088ca2 100644
--- a/include/caliper/reader/QueryProcessor.h
+++ b/include/caliper/reader/QueryProcessor.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class QueryProcessor
 
 public:
 
-    QueryProcessor(const QuerySpec&, OutputStream& stream);
+    QueryProcessor(const QuerySpec&, OutputStream&);
 
     void process_record(CaliperMetadataAccessInterface&, const EntryList&);
     void flush(CaliperMetadataAccessInterface&);
diff --git a/include/caliper/reader/RecordSelector.h b/include/caliper/reader/RecordSelector.h
index 86ea5fd5..1c0e0316 100644
--- a/include/caliper/reader/RecordSelector.h
+++ b/include/caliper/reader/RecordSelector.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ class RecordSelector
 
 public:
 
-    RecordSelector(const std::string& filter_string);
     RecordSelector(const QuerySpec& spec);
     RecordSelector(const QuerySpec::Condition& cond);
 
diff --git a/src/reader/Aggregator.cpp b/src/reader/Aggregator.cpp
index c6b75998..6b0ae8ab 100644
--- a/src/reader/Aggregator.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/Aggregator.cpp
@@ -1045,7 +1045,7 @@ struct Aggregator::AggregatorImpl {
             kernels.emplace_back(k_cfg->make_kernel());
 
         size_t idx = m_entries.size();
-        m_entries.emplace_back(new AggregateEntry { std::move(key), std::move(kernels), m_hashmap[hash] });
+        m_entries.emplace_back(new AggregateEntry { key, std::move(kernels), m_hashmap[hash] });
         m_hashmap[hash] = idx;
 
         return m_entries[idx].get();
diff --git a/src/reader/Expand.cpp b/src/reader/Expand.cpp
index 67918bbb..885898e5 100644
--- a/src/reader/Expand.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/Expand.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ using namespace cali;
 
 struct Expand::ExpandImpl {
     std::set<std::string> m_selected;
-    std::set<std::string> m_deselected;
 
     std::map<std::string, std::string> m_aliases;
 
@@ -35,23 +34,6 @@ struct Expand::ExpandImpl {
 
     ExpandImpl(OutputStream& os) : m_os(os) {}
 
-    void parse(const std::string& field_string)
-    {
-        std::vector<std::string> fields;
-
-        util::split(field_string, ':', std::back_inserter(fields));
-
-        for (const std::string& s : fields) {
-            if (s.size() == 0)
-                continue;
-
-            if (s[0] == '-')
-                m_deselected.insert(s.substr(1, std::string::npos));
-            else
-                m_selected.insert(s);
-        }
-    }
-
     void configure(const QuerySpec& spec)
     {
         switch (spec.select.selection) {
@@ -83,7 +65,7 @@ struct Expand::ExpandImpl {
                 for (const Node* node = e.node(); node && node->attribute() != CALI_INV_ID; node = node->parent()) {
                     std::string name = db.get_attribute(node->attribute()).name();
 
-                    if ((!m_selected.empty() && m_selected.count(name) == 0) || m_deselected.count(name))
+                    if ((!m_selected.empty() && m_selected.count(name) == 0))
                         continue;
 
                     nodes.push_back(node);
@@ -118,7 +100,7 @@ struct Expand::ExpandImpl {
             } else if (e.is_immediate()) {
                 std::string name = db.get_attribute(e.attribute()).name();
 
-                if ((!m_selected.empty() && m_selected.count(name) == 0) || m_deselected.count(name))
+                if ((!m_selected.empty() && m_selected.count(name) == 0))
                     continue;
 
                 {
@@ -139,21 +121,11 @@ struct Expand::ExpandImpl {
     }
 };
 
-Expand::Expand(OutputStream& os, const std::string& field_string) : mP { new ExpandImpl(os) }
-{
-    mP->parse(field_string);
-}
-
 Expand::Expand(OutputStream& os, const QuerySpec& spec) : mP { new ExpandImpl(os) }
 {
     mP->configure(spec);
 }
 
-void Expand::operator() (CaliperMetadataAccessInterface& db, const EntryList& list) const
-{
-    mP->print(db, list);
-}
-
 void Expand::process_record(CaliperMetadataAccessInterface& db, const EntryList& list)
 {
     mP->print(db, list);
diff --git a/src/reader/Expand.h b/src/reader/Expand.h
index 63f5a55a..3fd2b6bc 100644
--- a/src/reader/Expand.h
+++ b/src/reader/Expand.h
@@ -28,11 +28,8 @@ class Expand : public Formatter
 
 public:
 
-    Expand(OutputStream& os, const std::string& filter_string);
     Expand(OutputStream& os, const QuerySpec& spec);
 
-    void operator() (CaliperMetadataAccessInterface&, const EntryList&) const;
-
     void process_record(CaliperMetadataAccessInterface&, const EntryList&);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/reader/JsonFormatter.cpp b/src/reader/JsonFormatter.cpp
index 4f7e655e..23207285 100644
--- a/src/reader/JsonFormatter.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/JsonFormatter.cpp
@@ -27,10 +27,8 @@ using namespace cali;
 
 struct JsonFormatter::JsonFormatterImpl {
     std::set<std::string> m_selected;
-    std::set<std::string> m_deselected;
 
     OutputStream m_os;
-
     std::mutex m_os_lock;
 
     unsigned m_num_recs = 0;
@@ -48,23 +46,6 @@ struct JsonFormatter::JsonFormatterImpl {
 
     JsonFormatterImpl(OutputStream& os) : m_os(os) {}
 
-    void parse(const std::string& field_string)
-    {
-        std::vector<std::string> fields;
-
-        util::split(field_string, ':', std::back_inserter(fields));
-
-        for (const std::string& s : fields) {
-            if (s.size() == 0)
-                continue;
-
-            if (s[0] == '-')
-                m_deselected.insert(s.substr(1, std::string::npos));
-            else
-                m_selected.insert(s);
-        }
-    }
-
     void configure(const QuerySpec& spec)
     {
         for (auto p : spec.format.kwargs) {
@@ -102,7 +83,7 @@ struct JsonFormatter::JsonFormatterImpl {
     {
         std::string name = attr.name();
 
-        bool selected = m_selected.count(name) > 0 && !(m_deselected.count(name) > 0);
+        bool selected = m_selected.count(name) > 0;
 
         if (!selected && (!m_selected.empty() || attr.is_hidden() || attr.is_global()))
             return "";
diff --git a/src/reader/RecordSelector.cpp b/src/reader/RecordSelector.cpp
index 14161e33..7fd9c9a1 100644
--- a/src/reader/RecordSelector.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/RecordSelector.cpp
@@ -247,11 +247,6 @@ struct RecordSelector::RecordSelectorImpl {
     }
 }; // RecordSelectorImpl
 
-RecordSelector::RecordSelector(const std::string& filter_string) : mP { new RecordSelectorImpl }
-{
-    mP->m_filters = parse(filter_string);
-}
-
 RecordSelector::RecordSelector(const QuerySpec& spec) : mP { new RecordSelectorImpl }
 {
     mP->configure(spec);
diff --git a/src/reader/TableFormatter.cpp b/src/reader/TableFormatter.cpp
index 2726707c..9fb7beef 100644
--- a/src/reader/TableFormatter.cpp
+++ b/src/reader/TableFormatter.cpp
@@ -67,35 +67,6 @@ struct TableFormatter::TableImpl {
         return std::max(m_max_column_width > 0 ? std::min(base, m_max_column_width) : base, 4);
     }
 
-    void parse(const std::string& field_string, const std::string& sort_string)
-    {
-        std::vector<std::string> fields;
-
-        // fill sort columns
-
-        util::split(sort_string, ':', std::back_inserter(fields));
-
-        for (const std::string& s : fields)
-            if (s.size() > 0)
-                m_cols.emplace_back(s, s, s.size(), Attribute(), false);
-
-        fields.clear();
-
-        // fill print columns
-
-        if (field_string.empty()) {
-            m_auto_column = true;
-            return;
-        } else
-            m_auto_column = false;
-
-        util::split(field_string, ':', std::back_inserter(fields));
-
-        for (const std::string& s : fields)
-            if (s.size() > 0)
-                m_cols.emplace_back(s, s, s.size(), Attribute(), true);
-    }
-
     void configure(const QuerySpec& spec)
     {
         m_cols.clear();
@@ -345,11 +316,6 @@ struct TableFormatter::TableImpl {
     TableImpl() : m_max_column_width(60), m_print_globals(false) {}
 };
 
-TableFormatter::TableFormatter(const std::string& fields, const std::string& sort_fields) : mP { new TableImpl }
-{
-    mP->parse(fields, sort_fields);
-}
-
 TableFormatter::TableFormatter(const QuerySpec& spec) : mP { new TableImpl }
 {
     mP->configure(spec);
diff --git a/src/reader/TableFormatter.h b/src/reader/TableFormatter.h
index 18884c1f..3acfd806 100644
--- a/src/reader/TableFormatter.h
+++ b/src/reader/TableFormatter.h
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ class TableFormatter : public Formatter
 
 public:
 
-    TableFormatter(const std::string& fields, const std::string& sort_fields);
     TableFormatter(const QuerySpec& spec);
 
     void process_record(CaliperMetadataAccessInterface&, const EntryList&);
diff --git a/src/services/validator/validator.cpp b/src/services/validator/validator.cpp
index 025a45c6..9d86b017 100644
--- a/src/services/validator/validator.cpp
+++ b/src/services/validator/validator.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include "caliper/common/Node.h"
 #include "caliper/common/OutputStream.h"
 
+#include "caliper/reader/QuerySpec.h"
+
 #include "../../reader/Expand.h"
 
 #include <atomic>
@@ -39,8 +41,10 @@ std::ostream& print_snapshot(Caliper* c, std::ostream& os)
 
     OutputStream stream;
     stream.set_stream(&os);
+    QuerySpec spec;
+    spec.select.selection = QuerySpec::AttributeSelection::Default;
 
-    cali::Expand exp(stream, "");
+    cali::Expand exp(stream, spec);
     exp.process_record(*c, std::vector<Entry>(snapshot.view().begin(), snapshot.view().end()));
 
     return os << " }";