A simple logging method

[Dave]

Here's a simple way to create a new log file in tomcat/logs and write error or information statements to it as your process executes:

So, two functions: one to create a new log, the other to write statements to it:

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// create a new log file in logs directory with time stamp in its name
function newLog() {
   var logName = '../logs/my_process_'+DateServices.formatDate(system.getVariables().$SYSTEM_DATETIME.value, "dd-MM-yyyy-HH-mm")+'.txt';
   FileServices.createNewFile(logName);
   return logName;
}

// write to log file
function writeLog(logName, message, messageType) {
   var m = FileServices.readFile(logName);
   m = m + DateServices.formatDate(system.getVariables().$SYSTEM_DATETIME.value, "ddMMyyyy:HHmm")+" "+messageType+" "+ message + '\n';
   FileServices.writeFile(logName, m);
}

and then use it like this:

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var logName = newLog();
writeLog(logName,'Starting my process...','INFO');
writeLog(logName,'Ending my process...','INFO');

You'll then have a log file called my_process_21-05-2014-10-40.txt in tomcat/logs, with content like:

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21052014:1040 INFO Starting my process...
21052014:1040 INFO Ending my process...

[dvanhussel]

We use some similar functions. With a JavaScript const in a global script we set the loglevel we want for a server. (ERROR, INFO, DEBUG).
This way it's not a problem if some debug logging statements are not removed when moving from staging to production.

This makes debugging (when developing a form) also much more convenient then using the 'Execution log' in the designer.

In a console (we use Linux) this is run:

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tail -f {logfile_name}

This way realtime logging is available when executing a form, even when it's not started from the designer.

[Jon]

See also this post which describes how to use logging with log4j http://forum.ebasetech.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=633. This is a much safer approach i.e. no possibility of multi-user locking problems, and will also perform better.