[staf-users] How can I write to a named logfile using STAX?

[Joseph J V. <Joe...@us...>]

I am using STAX to drive my testing, and I have the requirement to write 
log data during my test run, and to save the log files in a persistent 
manner to document my testing results.

I have been using the STAX <log> and <message> elements to log information 
to the user job log, but then I read the fine print and realized the 
following:

Observation #1: You don't get an opportunity to specify the name of the 
STAX job logs (either the job log or the job user log) -- they're named 
STAX_Job_nn.log and STAX_Job_nn_User.log, respectively, and they're placed 
in the default directory for STAF logs.

Observation #2: The default-named logs are not persistent, because the job 
ID number resets upon each restart of the STAX service. You can specify 
that if a job with the same number as a previous job runs, that it will 
either clear the previous logs (for that job number) or append to them, 
but for my purposes neither of those options is particularly useful.

Observation #3: The STAF 'LOG' service has a "LOGNAME" operand which can 
be used to specify a different log file name. However, the STAX <log> and 
<message> elements don't appear to have any way to specify that name.

Am I correct in my discoveries?

If so, then taken as a whole this means I cannot code my STAX job to write 
to a log file that will automatically persist inviolate until I clear it.

I can think of several options:

1. Write a wrapper around STAX, to invoke it via the command-line and then 
use file-copy utilities or the STAF LOG service to retrieve the log data 
and copy it to a persistent location.

2. Don't use the STAX <log> and <message> elements; instead, use a 
<stafcmd> element or use a <call> element to call the "STAF" utility 
function... either way, cal the STAF LOG service specifying the LOGNAME 
operand so that I can give my logfile the name I want it to have. 
(presumably I would derive a unique job-name for each testjob run, maybe 
including the date and time so that subsequent runs of the same job would 
not overwrite the previous log).

3. Include code at the very end of my STAX job to copy the log files for 
this run from the default STAF data directory into my persistent 
directory.

Option #1 would work fine except that it means I can't drive my testing 
from the STAX Monitor.

Option #2 would probably work but it's going to make my code much bulkier 
and therefore harder to read and maintain.

Option #3 would probably work but I'm wondering if I'll mess things up by 
copying the log for a job that's still running before it's actually 
terminated. At a minimum I'd probably be missing some concluding data from 
the job log, wouldn't I?

Does anyone have advice as to which of these options would be best, or do 
you know of other options?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Veilleux
IBM/Rational CTG Quality Engineering
20 Maguire Road
Lexington MA 02421
Tel:   (781) 676-2491
Fax:   (781) 676-2600
Email: Joe...@us...