Logging

[Nils-H]

Until now, I've used "echo" and "print_r" to debug/log during development, but that is not code I want to have laying around in the code base when development is done. What I instead want, is something that is configurable, so debugging/logging can be enabled and displayed by switching a config option. Does PrestaShop come with built in support for something like this? Or what is the "idiomatic" way to do this with PHP/PrestaShop?

[PrestaHeroes USA]

ps uses define('_PS_MODE_DEV_', true); in cofig/defines.inc.php

 

you could base your development code on this value if you like

[Nils-H]

Yes, I've seen that variable. However, searching through the code base of PrestaShop, it doesn't seem like this constant is used by very many components, so I was thinking that there might be another way that was preferred.

[NemoPS]

I second El Patron. Yes it's not documented, but that's usually how you debug prestashop, so you can use your code based on that value as well

[Nils-H]

Ok, but then, to where do you suggest I do logging? Switching logging on/off is just one piece of the puzzle. I have a bad feeling about echo'ing and print_r'ing everything directly to the html. That's fine for my own debugging purposes, while developing the modules. But I also want the users/installers of my modules to be able to send me traces of the execution (invoking web services, computation logic steps etc) when the module fails for some reason.

[Enrique Gómez]

Prestashop 1.5 has a built in Logger class (Logger.php) that writes in the PS_LOG table, maybe you can use it.

Logger::addLog(....)

 

It has also a FileLogger class in classes/log but it's not used anywhere.

 

It's not very difficult create your own system of logging into your module.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Enrique Gómez (see edit history)

[Nils-H]

True, I was looking into log4php and other solutions, but wanted to know if there was something that existed in PS already. I'll look into the Logger class you mentioned. Thanks!