Help with Log to file logic

[vortexed]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to accomplish logging to a file accross the network only if my ping replies would match be less than 200 MS. With that said I tried creating something that I wanted to share with the community before I use it to make sure that it's correct. This is for testing purposes so I know I need to correct the paths if I want to log to a network share etc...

If you notice, inside my While 1 ... Wend I am invoking _LogTofile() 3 times. What I want to accomplish is to only perform _FileWrite() once but capture every message. Is my code doing this - It tests fine to me just that I am having second doubts.

#include <Date.au3>
Global $FlushLogs
While 1
Sleep(5000)   
   
If _OnDBU() Then ConsoleWrite("ON DIALUP " & @CRLF)
If Not _OnDBU() Then ConsoleWrite("NOT ON DIALUP " & @CRLF)

_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", _Now() & " Test1")
Sleep(2000)
_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", _Now() & " Test2")
Sleep(2000)
_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test2.log", _Now() & " Test3")

$FlushLogs = True
WEnd

Func _LogToFile($LogFile, $message)
$message = $message & @CRLF
If Not _OnDBU() And $FlushLogs Then FileWrite($LogFile, @ComputerName & " " & @IPAddress1 & " " & FileGetVersion(@ScriptFullPath) & " " & $message)
EndFunc

Func _OnDBU()
Local $Bool
Local $PingServer = Ping("10.10.10.1",250)
If $PingServer > 200 Then; also possible:  If @error = 0 Then ...
   Return $Bool = False
    ConsoleWrite("Online, roundtrip was:" & $PingServer & " ERROR " & @error & @CRLF)
 Else
    Return $Bool = True
EndIf
EndFunc

This is part of my output...

 

S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:56:45 PM Test1
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:56:47 PM Test2
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:56:54 PM Test1
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:56:56 PM Test2
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:57:03 PM Test1
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:57:05 PM Test2
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:57:12 PM Test1
S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0 6/14/2013 10:57:14 PM Test2

[water]

A few enhancements (maked with <==)

#include <Date.au3>
Global $FlushLogs = False  ; <== Set an initial value
While 1
    Sleep(5000)
    If _OnDBU() Then ; <== Only eone function call needed
        ConsoleWrite("ON DIALUP " & @CRLF)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("NOT ON DIALUP " & @CRLF)
    EndIf
    _LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", _Now() & " Test1")
    Sleep(2000)
    _LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", _Now() & " Test2")
    Sleep(2000)
    _LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test2.log", _Now() & " Test3")
    $FlushLogs = True
WEnd

Func _LogToFile($LogFile, $message)
    $message = $message & @CRLF
    If Not _OnDBU() And $FlushLogs Then FileWrite($LogFile, @ComputerName & " " & @IPAddress1 & " " & FileGetVersion(@ScriptFullPath) & " " & $message)
EndFunc

Func _OnDBU()
    Local $Bool
    Local $PingServer = Ping("10.10.10.1",250)
    If $PingServer > 200 Then; also possible:  If @error = 0 Then ...
       ConsoleWrite("Online, roundtrip was:" & $PingServer & " ERROR " & @error & @CRLF) ; <== Write to Console before Return
       Return $Bool = False
     Else
        Return $Bool = True
    EndIf
EndFunc

Why do you write to 3 log files and wait 2 seconds before writing to the next log file?

[vortexed]

Water - just for testing

I am going to be implementing this in my main program and I intend it to have many _LogToFile() calls all at different times. I just wanted to make sure that there was a clear gap of time between the two calls to _LogToFile() so that I could see them in the log file.

Thanks for the recommendation! This will work!

[water]

I see.

In addition: You could use function _FileWriteLog to write the log entries. The function adds the date at the beginning of each line so you do not have to code it yourself.

[vortexed]

Water - thanks for the recommendation I will use that going forward.

Additionally I noticed something that I wasn't noticing late last night.

I did additional tests to make sure that it was working as I intended it and it is NOT.

I simplified it more and added your suggestions...see code below

What it's not doing is my first call to _LogToFile() is writing to my filesystem when it shouldn't be. I do not want it to write to my file system every time I invoke to _LogToFile(). Instead I want it to write to my log file at the end of my While loop.

Thanks for taking the time and reading this I appreciate it.

; Script Start - Add your code below here
#include <Date.au3>
Global $FlushLogs = False
While 1
ConsoleWrite("STARTING..." & @CRLF)
_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", " Test1")
Sleep(1000*60*1)
_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", " Test2")
Sleep(1000*60*2)
WEnd

Func _LogToFile($LogFile, $message)
$message = $message & @CRLF
If Not _OnDBU() Then FileWrite($LogFile, _Now() & " " & @ComputerName & " " & @IPAddress1 & " " & FileGetVersion(@ScriptFullPath) & " " & $message)
EndFunc

Func _OnDBU()
Local $Bool
Local $PingServer = Ping("10.10.10.1",250)
If $PingServer > 200 Then; also possible:  If @error = 0 Then ...
   ConsoleWrite("Online, roundtrip was:" & $PingServer & " ERROR " & @error & @CRLF)
   Return $Bool = False
     Else
    Return $Bool = True
EndIf
EndFunc

[water]

In the first version of the script you were setting $FlushLogs, now I can only see the line where the variable is defined.

Edited June 15, 2013 by water

[water]

BTW: I would modify function _OnDBU:

Func _OnDBU()
    Local $PingServer = Ping("10.10.10.1", 250)
    If $PingServer > 200 Then; also possible:  If @error = 0 Then ...
       ConsoleWrite("Online, roundtrip was:" & $PingServer & " ERROR " & @error & @CRLF)
       Return False
    EndIf
    Return True
EndFunc

[vortexed]

Brain fart on my part - I have changed and re-tested and it still behaves the same way.

#include <Date.au3>
Global $FlushLogs = False
While 1
ConsoleWrite(_Now() & "STARTING..." & @CRLF)
_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", " Test1")
Sleep(1000*60*1)
_LogToFile(@ScriptDir & "\test.log", " Test2")
Sleep(1000*60*2)
$FlushLogs = True
WEnd

Func _LogToFile($LogFile, $message)
   $message = $message & @CRLF  
   If Not _OnDBU() And $FlushLogs Then FileWrite($LogFile, _Now() & " " & @ComputerName & " " & @IPAddress1 & " " & FileGetVersion(@ScriptFullPath) & " " & $message)
EndFunc

Func _OnDBU()     
   Local $PingServer = Ping("10.10.10.1", 250)     
   If $PingServer > 200 Then        
      ConsoleWrite("Online, roundtrip was:" & $PingServer & " ERROR " & @error & @CRLF)        
      Return False     
   EndIf     
   Return True 
EndFunc

[water]

See no reason why the first log entry is being written.

[vortexed]

[vortexed]

It should only be writing to my file system every 3 minutes. Instead it's writing to it every time the _LogToFile() function is called. Last time it wrote was at 11:39 next time it should write is at 11:42. Instead it wrote again at 11:40

[vortexed]

Sorry for multiple posts - I will keep it to lesser posts. Just posting the information as I find it. I'll try and calm myself.

Notice the gap between Test1 and Test2 - it's 1 minute apart which accurately reflects the time-stamp but the problem is that  it's writing to the test.log every minute after Test1. I don't want it to do that. I want it to only write all the messages at once while capturing the exact time the messages occurred at. Hopefully I am explaining this correctly.

6/15/2013 11:33:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test1
6/15/2013 11:34:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test2
6/15/2013 11:36:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test1
6/15/2013 11:37:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test2
6/15/2013 11:39:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test1
6/15/2013 11:40:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test2
6/15/2013 11:42:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test1
6/15/2013 11:43:19 AM S00503R001 10.10.10.12 0.0.0.0  Test2

[water]

But do you think it is sensible not to write log records as soon as something is to be logged? If the script crashes you loose all log records not committed to the log file.

[vortexed]

Regarding it being sensible to write log records as soon as something needs to be logged. No - I want to do this more effectively - instead of invoking FileWrite multiple times I only want to FileWrite() once. Because FileWrite() opens the file system and locks the file I want to do this one time only with all the data that I want to capture in it. Hopefully this makes sense.

Thanks once again for taking the time to respond - I really appreciate your time.

--Also regarding app crashing - I do not count on my script crashing if it does I have checks in place to know about it. I am more concerned about FileWrite() being done once than with the data I am writing. The data I am collecting is informational only to help identify certain things - it's not a necessity, however I do want it to be accurate.

Edited June 15, 2013 by vortexed

[water]

To write to a file more efficiently use FileOpen to open the file and then pass the file handle to FileWrite. To close the file use FileClose.

[vortexed]

What is the difference between FileOpen and FileWrite? And how is it more efficient?

[guinness]

Help file pretty much explains the difference.

[water]

FileWrite without a handle opens and closes the file after each write. FileWrite with a handle (returned by FileOpen) keeps the file open until it is closed with FileClose.

[guinness]

You guys know that _FileWriteLog can have a handle passed from FileOpen instead of the file path?

[water]

Yes, we do. At the moment the question is the difference between FileWrite with a path and a handle.