Debug Log

Designer > Global Resources > Debug Log

About the Debug Log

Custom java code executing in a Data Policy or a JSP Page can use the Logger functions to add entries to the Debug Log. Messages can specify severity level, and can designate a message "type", or category.

In Developer Configuration, you control which severity levels are stored. In the Debug Log, you can search, filter, and inspect log records, as in any other View.

Working with the Debug Log

To work with the debug log, you need either of these permissions:

• Manage Debug Log permission
• Use Development Features permission

Adding entries to the Debug Log

To add statements to the log, use the Logger utility class.

By default, messages at the INFO severity level are logged, so general practice is to code your debug statements like this:

Logger.info("{ClassName} NN. Your message.", "category");

Tip: To make it easier to match log messages to your code, add an identifying number. (If you're debugging multiple classes, it can help to add the Class name, as well.) Then you'll be able to go to the right part of the source code straight away.

Considerations

• The category value can be used to filter records in the Debug Log. So make it something that will help to filter things, later. (The category is not shown in the default Debug Log view, but you can Edit the View to make it visible, and use it for filtering.)
• The APIs take Java objects (not platform Objects), as well as Strings. If you use a Java object, make sure the toString() method returns a useful value. (That's what will appear in the log.)
• Because the APIs take objects, you could pass this (the current object instance) as the "category". Then each message designates the class that was executing at the time. (But in that case, the category may not be as useful for filtering.)
• For large applications, it may be desirable for administrators to have a standard set of messages that are always going into the log. In that case:
  • Use Logger.info(msg, category) for those messages.
  • Use Logger.debug(msg, category) for application debugging.
  • Then, since the severity levels running from lowest to highest, are: Trace, Debug, Info, Warn, Error, Fatal, normal operations will only see the Info messages.
  • To store debugging messages, set the recording level to Debug in the Developer Configuration.

Learn more:

• Change the recording level for messages in Developer Configuration
• debug statement

Note: The deprecated Functions.debug method can still be used to add entries to the Debug Log, for a time. That function adds statements at the INFO severity level.

Sample Code

This example logs a message after calling updateRecord to log the result code. The code also logs a message if the result code is less than zero (0). The category is "Account Update", so that these messages can be distinguished from other messages in the debug log.

Parameters params = Functions.getParametersInstance();
String accountID = "";
String debug_category = "Account Update";

// Some logic to populate accountID variable.

params.add("name", "Acme Solutions");
params.add("number", "GRG2323339");

Result result = Functions.updateRecord("ACCOUNT", accountID, params);

int resultCode = result.getCode();
Logger.info("Result code is " + resultCode, debug_category);

if(resultCode < 0)
{
    // Some error happened.
    String msg = "Account could not be updated";
    Logger.info(msg + ":\n" + result.getMessage(), debug_category); // Log it
    Functions.throwError(msg + "."); // Error dialog for user
}
else 
{
    // Take other actions on successful addition of the account.
}

Viewing the Debug Log

1. Visit Designer > Global Resources > Debug Log

   Debug Log entries are displayed in a View.

2. Use standard Searching and Filtering operations to determine which records are displayed.

Controlling Severity-Level Visibility

Debug messages have different severity levels. The default level is "Info".

In the Developer Configuration settings, you can specify which severity levels are recorded in the log. Those settings, from highest to lowest, are:

• Fatal
• Error
• Warn
• Info
• Debug
• Trace

Clearing the Debug Log

1. Visit Designer > Global Resources > Debug Log
2. Click [Clear Debug Log]