code: def get_pings_properties(pings, paths, only_median=False, with_processes=False,
                           histograms_url=None, additional_histograms=None):
      
      if isinstance(pings.first(), binary_type):
          pings = pings.map(lambda p: json.loads(p.decode('utf-8')))
  
      if isinstance(paths, str):
          paths = [paths]
  
      # Use '/' as dots can appear in keyed histograms
      if isinstance(paths, dict):
          paths = [(prop_name, path.split("/")) for prop_name, path in iteritems(paths)]
      else:
          paths = [(path, path.split("/")) for path in paths]
  
      return pings.map(lambda p: _get_ping_properties(p, paths, only_median,
                                                      with_processes,
                                                      histograms_url,
                                                      additional_histograms)) \
          .filter(lambda p: p)
docs: Returns a RDD of a subset of properties of pings. Child histograms are
      automatically merged with the parent histogram.
  
      If one of the paths points to a keyedHistogram name without supplying the
      actual key, returns a dict of all available subhistograms for that property.
  
      :param with_processes: should separate parent and child histograms be
                             included as well?
      :param paths: paths to properties in the payload, with levels separated by "/".
                    These can be supplied either as a list, eg.
                    ["application/channel", "payload/info/subsessionStartDate"],
                    or as the values of a dict keyed by custom identifiers, eg.
                    {"channel": "application/channel", "ssd": "payload/info/subsessionStartDate"}.
      :param histograms_url: see histogram.Histogram constructor
      :param additional_histograms: see histogram.Histogram constructor
  
      The returned RDD contains a dict for each ping with the required properties as values,
      keyed by the original paths (if 'paths' is a list) or the custom identifier keys
      (if 'paths' is a dict).