# Net::Daemon::Log - Utility functions for logging

- NAME
- SYNOPSIS
- WARNING
- DESCRIPTION

- Generic Logging
- Utility methods
- Chossing a logging target

- MULTITHREADING
- AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT
- SEE ALSO

# NAME

Net::Daemon::Log - Utility functions for logging

# SYNOPSIS

      # Choose logging method: syslog or Win32::EventLog
      $self->{'facility'} = 'mail'; # Default: Daemon
      $self->{'logfile'} = undef;   # Default

      # Choose logging method: stderr
      $self->{'logfile'} = 1;

      # Choose logging method: IO handle
      my $file = IO::File->new("my.log", "a");
      $self->{'logfile'} = $file;

      # Debugging messages (equivalent):
      $self->Log('debug', "This is a debugging message");
      $self->Debug("This is a debugging message");

      # Error messages (equivalent):
      $self->Log('err', "This is an error message");
      $self->Error("This is an error message");

      # Fatal error messages (implies 'die')
      $self->Fatal("This is a fatal error message");

# WARNING

THIS IS ALPHA SOFTWARE. It is *only* 'Alpha' because the interface (API) is not finalised. The Alpha status does not reflect code quality or stability.

# DESCRIPTION

Net::Daemon::Log is a utility class for portable logging messages. By default it uses syslog (Unix) or Win32::EventLog (Windows), but logging messages can also be redirected to stderr or a log file.

## Generic Logging

        $self->Log($level, $msg, @args);

This is the generic interface. The logging level is in syslog style, thus one of the words 'debug', 'info', 'notice', 'err' or 'crit'. You'll rarely need info and notice and I can hardly imagine a reason for crit (critical). In 95% of all cases debug and err will be sufficient.

The logging string $msg is a format string similar to printf.

## Utility methods

        $self->Debug($msg, @args);
        $self->Error($msg, @args);
        $self->Fatal($msg, @args);

These are replacements for logging with levels debug and err. The difference between the latter two is that Fatal includes throwing a Perl exception.

## Chossing a logging target

By default logging will happen to syslog (Unix) or EventLog (Windows). However you may choose logging to stderr by setting

        $self->{'logfile'} = 1;

This is required if neither of syslog and EventLog is available. An alternative option is setting

        $self->{'logfile'} = $handle;

where $handle is any object supporting a print method, for example an IO::Handle object. Usually the logging target is choosen as soon as you call $self->`Log()` the first time. However, you may force choosing the target by doing a

        $self->OpenLog();

before calling Log the first time.

# MULTITHREADING

The Multithreading capabitities of this class are depending heavily on the underlying classes Sys::Syslog, Win32::EventLog or IO::Handle. If they are thread safe, you can well assume that this package is too. (The exception being that you should better call $self->`OpenLog()` before threading.)

# AUTHOR AND COPYRIGHT

      Net::Daemon is Copyright (C) 1998, Jochen Wiedmann
                                         Am Eisteich 9
                                         72555 Metzingen
                                         Germany

                                         Phone: +49 7123 14887
                                         Email: joe@ispsoft.de

      All rights reserved.

      You may distribute this package under the terms of either the GNU
      General Public License or the Artistic License, as specified in the
      Perl README file.

# SEE ALSO

the Net::Daemon(3) manpage, the Sys::Syslog(3) manpage, the Win32::EventLog(3) manpage, the IO::Handle(3) manpage