[Wonder-disc] ERXLogger

[Jerry W. W. <jer...@gm...>]

I have a few questions about ERXLogger:

1. When I start my application up, the Log4J Configuration page  
(displayed with the directAction, ERXDirectAction/log4j?pw=<the  
password>) initially shows a set of "Explicit Levels" of logger  
levels. I searched through Properties files in the frameworks, my  
app, my home directory (for ~/WebObjects.Properties) and through my  
runtime arguments. From that effort, I was able to remove all but  
three of these:

   * NSLog
   * er.extensions.ERXModelGroup
   * root

Then I realized that I was setting root in my own Properties, which  
leaves the other two. I've found no references to these other two  
Loggers in any of the above. I looked through the code of the  
frameworks and was not able to find where these were set explicitely  
in the code either. Does anyone know where the NSLog and  
ERXModelGroup Logger levels are explicitely set? (I know, if I'd just  
fire up Eclipse on the project, it would probably tell me  
immediately, but that's saved for this weekend.)

2. Has anyone (besides Kieren) documented this component or seen  
documentation for it (besides the sparse couple of JavaDoc comments  
in the class)?

3. Would anyone mind if I filled out the JavaDoc comments in the class?

4. Has anyone else considered my suggestion below? I think logging is  
an enticing feature of Project Wonder, but as Mike pointed out, it  
has caused problems in the past with new people reacting negatively  
to the stack trace. Given that some WO heavies with their own custom  
logging will be coming over to Project Wonder, I think that  
commenting out the stack trace is a disservice to them in particular,  
and to anyone using PW for the first time in general.

Mike seemed to be open to implementing the suggestion, but I was  
hoping for more input. If we hear none, I will ask Mike to implement  
it as suggested. So as Mike has said in the past:

Start the or-forever-hold-your-peace countdown .... now.

Regards,
Jerry


On Feb 27, 2007, at 10:20 AM, Mike Schrag wrote:

> I can get on-board with that ... Although we've gotten complaints
> about that exception even AFTER the message changed saying it's not
> even a real error.  But maybe the more verbose error message will  
> help.
>
> On Feb 27, 2007, at 8:59 AM, Jerry W. Walker wrote:
>
>> Hi, Mike, et al,
>>
>> On Feb 27, 2007, at 7:28 AM, Mike Schrag wrote:
>>> Update of /cvsroot/wonder/Wonder/Common/Frameworks/ERExtensions/
>>> Sources/er/extensions
>>> In directory sc8-pr-cvs9.sourceforge.net:/tmp/cvs-serv7568/Sources/
>>> er/extensions
>>>
>>> Modified Files:
>>> 	ERXLogger.java ERXApplication.java
>>> Log Message:
>>> comment out the logging initialization exception and add a warning
>>> at startup when you run in development mode without
>>> WOAutoOpenBrowser = true
>>>
>>> Index: ERXLogger.java
>>> ...
>>> !             // MS: This just trips everyone up, and it really
>>> seems to only be used by
>>> !             // PW developers, so I say we just turn it on when we
>>> need it.
>>
>> Actually, although the logging initialization confused me at first,
>> it helped me figure out quickly where my log4j logging was being
>> preempted when I first converted a project to Project Wonder, and I
>> can't yet claim to be a Project Wonder developer. This happened
>> before the "This is not a real exception..." part of the message was
>> included.
>>
>> Instead of commenting it out, I would suggest putting it under a Java
>> Property to turn it off, turning it on by default so any PW newbies
>> would have the same advantage I had, and referencing the Java
>> Property in the message as a means of turning it off, something like:
>>
>>    "This is not a real exception. It is just to show you where
>> logging was initialized. It can be turned off by setting the Java
>> Property er.extensions.ERXLoggerTrace = false; First, however, we
>> suggest trying the PW logging configuration page by appending '//wa/
>> ERXDirectAction/log4j?pw=pw' to your application's initial URL. See
>> ERXDirectAction.log4jAction() in Project Wonder's JavaDoc for more
>> information."
>>
>> ...or something to that effect.
>>
>> My point is that when first coming to Project Wonder, my highest
>> priority was to get things working as they did before. When PW
>> overrode my log4j logging properties, I just wished that it hadn't
>> messed with them, so when I saw the message, I knew immediately what
>> I had to do to get to my desired state (a good thing). It wasn't
>> until later when I read Kieren Kelleher's blog and realized how much
>> more Project Wonder was offering in logging capabilities, that I
>> revisited the issue and removed my logging properties in favor of
>> Project Wonder's approach.
>>
>> I think this experience is common to the majority of Project Wonder
>> newbies.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Jerry


--
__ Jerry W. Walker,
    WebObjects Developer/Instructor for High Performance Industrial  
Strength Internet Enabled Systems

     jer...@ge...
     203 278-4085        office