Log: write to file

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hi,

I basically want to:

create mylog.log
log something to mylog.log

any way to get log to write to a file?

#2

Hi,

try this


property logName : "my.log"
property logFolder : ""

set logFolder to ((path to library folder from user domain as text) & "Logs:")
write_log from "test"

on write_log from theMessage
	tell (current date) to set timestamp to short date string & space & time string & ": "
	set logFile to logFolder & logName
	try
		set the logStream to open for access file logFile with write permission
		set logFileEof to get eof of the logStream
		write timestamp & theMessage & return to logStream starting at eof as «class utf8»
		close access logStream
		return true
	on error
		try
			close access file logFile
		end try
		return false
	end try
end write_log
#3

Thanks. Works perfectly. I’m slightly surprised it’s not simpler - AS/S would sometimes need to write error logs, e.g. if the application has little GUI or may not be visible at all.

By the way, what exactly is eof?

#4

[E]nd [O]f [F]ile, a pointer to the last character (+1) of the file.
If EOF is set to 0, the contents of the file will be overwritten at the next write access

#5

My fancier version, based on StefanK’s, which allows some indenting for more human readability in complex logs or troubleshooting:

property g_debug : true
property g_log_file_name : "LOG--Overnight Automation.txt"

--Log Entry Generation
--
-- with help from StephanK of MacScripter
-- http://bbs.applescript.net/viewtopic.php?pid=76607#p76607
--
on logMe(log_string, indent_level)
	if g_debug is true then --allows turning the debugger on and off so my logMe's can be left in final version
		set log_target to ("Data: Automation:Logs:" & g_log_file_name) as text
		try
			set log_file_ref to open for access file log_target with write permission
			repeat indent_level times
				write tab to log_file_ref starting at eof
			end repeat
			write ((log_string as text) & return) to log_file_ref starting at eof
			close access log_file_ref
			return true
		on error
			try
				close access file log_target
			end try
			return false
		end try
	end if
end logMe

Example uses:

my logMe("Transfer Folder Cleaner and Logger End--" & (current date), 1)
my logMe("Items over " & g_mark_days & " days: " & (number of items in files_to_mark), 2)