Robo-FTP User's Guide > Script Programming > Script Commands > All Script Commands > LOG

Syntax:	LOG	[ file name ] \| [ /options ]
Arguments:	[ file name ]	Optional variable or string defining a file or path name; if no path is defined the alternate default path is used.
Options:	/all	Write all logging messages, overrides the “@” and “!” logging suppression prefixes.
	/append	Specify that log data is to be appended to preexisting [ file name ] (if any); if the file does not exist, it will be created. This option does not work with the /new option.
	/backups=x	This option is used together with the /maxsize option to specify the number of backup files to cycle through. If /maxsize is used without this option only one backup is used.
	/maxsize=xx	Specify the maximum size of the log file (in Kilobytes).
	/new	Specify that a new log file name is to be created (based on the current date and time) when this command is executed and whenever an existing log file reaches the maximum size (if a size has been specified).
	/off	Turn script file logging off.
	/on	Turn script file logging on (assuming that [ file name ] has been previously defined on an earlier call to LOG or a log file has been previously defined under the Logging menu of the Robo-FTP Configurator).

If the [ file name ] argument is present, this script command creates a new script log file by this name. It is also implied that script logging is to be turned on. The script log file records all commands and status messages that occur during a file transfer session. This file is useful when troubleshooting unexpected script behavior.

The /new option instructs Robo-FTP to create a new log file name using the current date and time. Such a file will be created when the command is executed and, if the /maxsize option is also specified, whenever the log file exceeds this maximum size. The [ file name ] argument must be present, but it can be an empty string. Robo-FTP takes the base file name first (i.e., the part of the file name before any extension) then appends the current date and time and then adds the extension at the end. If no extension is originally specified, Robo-FTP appends .log to the final file name.

LOG "mylog.txt" /new

;; creates log file = mylog Sat Oct 30 15.38.43 2010.txt

LOG "mylog" /new

;; creates log file = mylog Sat Oct 30 15.38.43 2010.log

LOG "mylog.xx.log" /new

;; creates log file = mylog Sat Oct 30 15.38.43 2010.xx.log

LOG "" /new

;; creates log file = Sat Oct 30 15.38.43 2010.log

When the /new option is used the name of any newly created log file is available in the %currentlogfile script variable.

The /maxsize option limits the maximum size that a log file can grow to. The size is specified in kilobytes. When the maximum size is reached, Robo-FTP handles this condition in one of two ways. If /new is also specified, the current log file is simply closed and a new file is created using the convention described above. If /new is not present, Robo-FTP renames the current log file to <filename>.1 so it can be saved as a backup and then creates a new log file using the original file name. Every subsequent time that the log file is filled to /maxsize kilobytes it is renamed <filename>.<number> with the number portion of the log file's name incrementing sequentially until it reaches the value specified in the /backups option at which point it cycles back to 1. If the /backups option is omitted only one backup file will be created. This behavior is explained in the comments of the following examples:

LOG "mylog.txt" /maxsize=100

;; when the log file mylog.txt reaches 100 KB:

;; rename it mylog.txt.1 and then create a new mylog.txt file

;; when the second mylog.txt file reaches 100 KB,

;; rename mylog.txt to mylog.txt.1 (overwriting the existing mylog.txt.1 file)

;; then create a new mylog.txt file

LOG "mylog.txt" /maxsize=100 /backups=3

;; when the log file mylog.txt reaches 100 KB:

;; rename it mylog.txt.1 and then create a new mylog.txt file

;; when the second mylog.txt file reaches 100 KB,

;; rename it mylog.txt.2 and then create a new mylog.txt file

;; when the third mylog.txt file reaches 100 KB,

;; rename it mylog.txt.3 and then create a new mylog.txt file

;; when the fourth mylog.txt file reaches 100 KB,

;; rename mylog.txt to mylog.txt.1 (overwriting the existing mylog.txt.1 file)

;; then create a new mylog.txt file

The /append option instructs Robo-FTP to append new log data to a previously existing file specified by [ file name ]. If [ file name ] does not exist, it will be created. The /append option may not be combined with /new option.

In the following example the %date internal variable is used together with the /append option in a manner than ensures all activity for each day is recorded in a single log file.

SET LogName = %date + ".log"

LOG LogName /append

;; creates one log per day named MM-DD-YY.log

If [ file name ] is omitted, the /on and /off options control logging to a previously defined log file. When logging is turned on, new log messages are appended to the existing log file. For example:

LOG /off

Related command(s): LOGMSG, TRACELOG