Logging

Meetup2xibo logs its activity to a log file and optionally to the console (stderr). Command line flags control which log messages should be directed to which destinations. Supporting program summarize-m2x-logs summarizes log files, reporting on meetup2xibo runs and event changes.

Log Destinations

By default, meetup2xibo writes log messages to file meetup2xibo.log in the current directory. The -t option can specify an alternate path to the log file. The -v option adds console output. The -w option adds console output and limits the console log level to warnings and errors.

Log Levels

By default, meetup2xibo logs only info, warning, and error messages. The -d option adds debug level messages, which help software developers. As described above, the -w option adds console output and limits the console log level to warnings and errors. Table 5 summarizes the log levels and the impact of the -d and -w flags.

Table 5. Meetup2xibo Log Levels
Log Level Reports Default -d Flag -w Flag (console)
Error Failures ✔ ✔ ✔
Warning Abnormal conditions ✔ ✔ ✔
Info Routine operations ✔ ✔  
Debug Developer details   ✔  

Log Summaries

Summarize-m2x-logs summarizes one or more meetup2xibo log files. The summary includes:

  • Counts of meetup2xibo runs, by version
  • Lists of schedule conflicts
  • Lists of events inserted, updated, deleted, and retired
  • Field-by-field details of updated events
  • Warnings (in red)
    • About today’s schedule conflicts
    • About unknown event locations
    • About special event locations no longer needed
    • About suppressed Meetup.com event IDs no longer needed
  • A spreadsheet showing conversions from Meetup.com locations to Xibo locations

Summarize-m2x-logs Cron Job describes how to run summarize-m2x-logs daily and send the HTML-formatted results via email. Figure 33 shows an example of the daily email message.

Screenshot showing part of a daily email summary of meetup2xibo logs

Figure 33. The daily summary email message counts meetup2xibo runs, lists schedule conflicts, and lists Xibo event changes.

An email message attachment contains a CSV formatted file listing the conversions from Meetup.com venue name and how-to-find-us fields to Xibo locations. An administrator can review the CSV file in Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program. The administrator can resolve location conversion anomalies by editing the Meetup.com event or by adding a new location phrase or special location to the meetup2xibo configuration. Figure 34 shows an example of the location conversion spreadsheet.

Screenshot of location conversions in spreadsheet format with columns for location, venue, find us, example meetup, and example URL

Figure 34. The first several lines of location conversions list in CSV format and viewed as a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.