File::Log - A simple Object Orientated Logger
use File::Log; # Pretty format, all the parameters my $log = File::Log->new({ debug => 4, # Set the debug level logFileName => 'myLogFile.log', # define the log filename logFileMode => '>', # '>>' Append or '>' overwrite dateTimeStamp => 1, # Timestamp log data entries stderrRedirect => 1, # Redirect STDERR to the log file defaultFile => 1, # Use the log file as the default filehandle logFileDateTime => 1, # Timestamp the log filename appName => 'myApplicationName', # The name of the application PIDstamp => 1, # Stamp the log data with the Process ID storeExpText => 1, # Store internally all exp text msgprepend => '', # Text to prepend to each message say => 1, # msg() and exp() methode act like the perl6 say # command (default off) requested by Aaleem Jiwa # however it might be better to just use the say() # method }); # Minimal instance, logfile name based on application name my $log = File::Log->new(); # Typical usage, set the debug level and log filename (say from a config file) my $log = File::Log->new(debug => $debugLevel, logFileName => $logFileName,); # Print message to the log file if the debug is >= 2 $log->msg(2, "Add this to the log file if debug >= 2\n"); # Print message to the log file if the debug is >= 2 (but in a perl6 way) $log->say(2, "Add this to the log file if debug >= 2"); # Print an exception (error) message to the log file $log->exp("Something went wrong\n"); # Close the log file (optional at exit) $log->close(); # Change the debug level, capturing the old value $oldDebugValue = $log->debugValue($newDebugValue); $currentDebugValue = $log->debugValue(); # Get all the exceptions text (so you can do something with all the errors, eg email them) $allExceptions = $log->getExpText(); $numberErrors = $log->expCnt(); # How many times has $log->exp been called
File::Log is a class providing methods to log data to a file. There are a number of parameters that can be passed to allow configuration of the logger.
Carp (confess is used), FindBin and Symbol;
There are no class methods, the object methods are described below. Private class method start with the underscore character '_' and should be treated as Private.
Called to create a File::Log object. The following optional named parameters can be passed to the constructor via an anonymous hash:
Used to set the debug level. The default level is 9. The debug level is used by other methods to determine if data is logged or ignored. See msg and exp methods.
msg
exp
Defines the path and name of the log file that is written too. If not defined then the value of appName with '.log' appended is used. If appName is not defined in the constructor then BinFind is used to determine the name of the application.
Used to determine if the log file is overwritten or appended too. Default is append. Valid value are '>' for overwrite and '>>' for append.
If true (default is false), then each entry written to the log file using the msg and exp methods has the current date and time prepended to the data.
If true (default is true), then redirect STDERR to the log file.
If true (default is false), then select the log file as the default output file.
If true (default is false), then include the date and time into the name of the log file just before the '.log'. The format of the date and time used is _YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS
If logFileName is not defined then the appName is used as the basis of the log file. If appName is not defined then the FindBin module is use to determine the name of the application and is stored within the appName hash variable.
If true (default is false), then the Process ID is prepended to the data written to the log file by the msg and exp methods. This is handy when there are more than one processes writting to the same log file.
If true (default is false), then any data written with the exp method is also stored internally for later retrival with the getExpText method. The stored data can also be cleared with the clearExpText method. This can be useful if there may be multiple exceptions which you then want to report on (other than in the log file) as one text string.
getExpText
clearExpText
If anything (default is nothing), prepends its value to the end of each message passed to msg()/exp()/say() methods.
If defined, holds the strftime-compatible format for dateTimeStamp.
If true (default false) causes msg() and exp() methods to append a newline character to the end of the passed message. A (possibly) better approach is to just use the say() method rather then msg().
Private method to initialise the object on construction. Called by new(). All Private methods start with _ and should be treated as PRIVATE. No other private methods are documented (since they are private).
new()
The msg method is used to log a message to the log file. The first POSITIONAL argument to msg is the "debug level" at which the message should be added to the log file if the instance "debug value" is greater than or equal to the "debug level".
The second and optional subsiquent arguments are treated as text to print to the log file.
eg. $log->msg(2, "Printed to log file if 'debug' is greater than or equal to 2 \n");
Note that newline characters are not automatically appended by this method.
Same as msg except a newline '\n' is appended to the end of the line
exp is used to report exceptions. There is no "debug level" parameter, just one or more text strings which are printed to the log file. The text printed has "**" prepended to each line (this occurs before prepended timestamp or PID values).
Closes the file handle associated with the log file.
DESTROY is defined and closes the file handle associated with the log file.
DESTROY
The PIDstamp method can be used to set or get the value of the PIDstamp instance variable. If called without parameters, the current value of the PIDstamp instance variable is returned. If called with a parameter, the parameter is used to set the PIDstamp instance variable and the previous value is returned.
PIDstamp
Refer to the new method for further information.
new
The dateTimeStamp method can be used to set or get the value of the dateTimeStamp instance variable. If called without parameters, the current value of the dateTimeStamp instance variable is returned. If called with a parameter, the parameter is used to set the dateTimeStamp instance variable and the previous value is returned.
dateTimeStamp
The debugValue method can be used to set or get the value of the debugValue instance variable. If called without parameters, the current value of the debugValue instance variable is returned. If called with a parameter, the parameter is used to set the debugValue instance variable and the previous value is returned.
debugValue
The expText method can be used to set or get the value of the storeexptext instance variable. If called without parameters, the current value of the storeexptext instance variable is returned. If called with a parameter, the parameter is used to set the storeexptext instance variable and the previous value is returned.
expText
The expText method is used to retreive the stored value of the instance "Exception Text".
The clearExpText method is used to clear the stored value of the instance "Exception Text".
The expCnt method is used to retreive the number of times that the exp method has been called for this object.
expCnt
The getLogFileName method is used to retreive the actual log file name used for this object.
getLogFileName
see the new method.
None, however please contact the author at gng@cpan.org should you find any problems and I will endevour to resolve then as soon as possible.
If you have any enhancement suggestions please send me an email and I will try to accommodate your suggestion.
Setting 'say' to true in the new() method and then using the say() method will give you two newlines.
Thanks to the following for enhancement suggestions or bug reports:
Aaleem Jiwa - say() method Paul K - msgprepend and dateformat
Greg George, IT Technology Solutions P/L, Australia Mobile: +61-404-892-159, Email: gng@cpan.org
Copyright (c) 1999- Greg George. All rights reserved. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
$Id: Log.pm,v 1.5 2008/03/01 02:56:01 Greg Exp $
$Log: Log.pm,v $ Revision 1.5 2008/03/01 02:56:01 Greg - Updated Makefile.PL to include prereq for Encode as I was getting cpan tester errors. NO CODE CHANGES Revision 1.4 2008/02/26 08:54:31 Greg - Updated POD Revision 1.3 2007/07/17 11:23:49 Greg - Added say() method - Added say, msgprepend and dateFormat arguments to new() - Added pre close of STDERR Revision 1.2 2004/10/08 23:10:14 Greg - Changed new() to allow named argument as well as the anonymous hash reference. Revision 1.1.1.1 2004/07/29 11:15:06 Greg - Initial release to CPAN
To install File::Log, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm File::Log
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install File::Log
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.