NAME

Log::Dispatch::File::Rolling - Object for logging to date/time/pid stamped files

SYNOPSIS

  use Log::Dispatch::File::Rolling;

  my $file = Log::Dispatch::File::Rolling->new(
                             name      => 'file1',
                             min_level => 'info',
                             filename  => 'Somefile%d{yyyyMMdd}.log',
                             mode      => 'append' );

  $file->log( level => 'emerg',
              message => "I've fallen and I can't get up\n" );

ABSTRACT

This module provides an object for logging to files under the Log::Dispatch::* system.

DESCRIPTION

This module subclasses Log::Dispatch::File for logging to date/time stamped files. See Log::Dispatch::File for instructions on usage. This module differs only on the following three points:

fork()-safe

This module will close and re-open the logfile after a fork.

multitasking-safe

This module uses flock() to lock the file while writing to it.

stamped filenames

This module supports a special tag in the filename that will expand to the current date/time/pid.

It is the same tag Log::Log4perl::Layout::PatternLayout uses, see Log::Log4perl::Layout::PatternLayout, chapter "Fine-tune the date". In short: Include a "%d{...}" in the filename where "..." is a format string according to the SimpleDateFormat in the Java World (http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/api/java/text/SimpleDateFormat.html). See also Log::Log4perl::DateFormat for information about further restrictions.

In addition to the format provided by Log::Log4perl::DateFormat this module also supports '$' for inserting the PID. Repeat the character to define how many character wide the field should be. This should not be needed regularly as this module also supports logfile sharing between processes, but if you've got a high load on your logfile or a system that doesn't support flock()...

METHODS

new()

See Log::Dispatch::File and chapter DESCRIPTION above.

log_message()

See Log::Dispatch::File and chapter DESCRIPTION above.

HISTORY

0.99

Original version; created by h2xs 1.22 with options

        -A
        -C
        -X
        -b5.6.1
        -nLog::Dispatch::File::Rolling
        --skip-exporter
        -v0.99

1.00

Initial coding

1.01

Someone once said "Never feed them after midnight!"---Ok, let's append: "Never submit any code after midnight..."

Now it is working, I also included 4 tests.

1.02

No code change, just updated Makefile.PL to include correct author information and prerequisites.

1.03

Changed the syntax of the '$' format character because I noticed some problems while making Log::Dispatch::File::Alerts. You need to change your configuration!

1.04

Got a bug report where the file handle got closed in mid-execution somehow. Added a additional check to re-open it instead of writing to a closed handle.

1.05

Updated packaging for newer standards. No changes to the coding.

1.06

Fixed a subtle bug that prevented us from locking the logfile after a fork if no PID was used in the filename.

Also disabled forced double opening of the logfile at startup. It was in place because I didn't trust Log::Dispatch::File to really open the file at the right moment.

Thanks to Peter Lobsinger for the patch. Please always wrap non-standard Test::* modules in eval and make your testfile clean up after itself... ;)

SEE ALSO

Log::Dispatch::File, Log::Log4perl::Layout::PatternLayout, http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/api/java/text/SimpleDateFormat.html, Log::Log4perl::DateFormat, 'perldoc -f flock', 'perldoc -f fork'.

AUTHOR

M. Jacob, <jacob@j-e-b.net>

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

Copyright (C) 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010 M. Jacob <jacob@j-e-b.net>

Based on:

  Log::Dispatch::File::Stamped by Eric Cholet <cholet@logilune.com>
  Log::Dispatch::FileRotate by Mark Pfeiffer, <markpf@mlp-consulting.com.au>

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.