[APP]Log This - End-User Friendly Debug Logs!

Mgamerz · Aug 15, 2011

Log This
by Mgamerz Productions
<50 downloads, 1 ratings (5 avg)
Free

Download Log This from Android Market
^^^This info does not update on it's own^^^
I have created a very simple but useful application called Log This. In short, it lets end-users get logcat logs (perhaps the app didn't crash - but it isn't working right.) without all the ADB fuss that surrounds logcat. It is meant to be simple for end users and powerful for developers.
It includes pastebin support that makes it easy to paste to your favorite android development forum, not mentioning any names that start with X.

Android Market Description said:
Log This is an application that can read logs given a provided tag and log level - and send them to developers. This saves them the hassle of having to use logcat on their computer with ADB.

As a developer, requesting the READ_LOGS permission is risky - it scares away a lot of users. Log This uses this permission, but is meant to be used by developers to request their end users to send in debug logs - one app to log em' all.

As an end user, you can install the app and help out your developers when they need debugging on specific phone models - provided they have logging enabled (perhaps via a logging mode).

It also can fetch kernel (panic) logs, as long as you supply the location of the log (a kernel developer can tell you if it does or not - not all kernels do)

This application is NOT optimized for tablets, but it should work on them. I don't have one to test with.

Permissions Explained:
READ_LOGS: Application has to be able to read the logs - the only data read is displayed in the email

INTERNET/CHECK_NETWORK_STATE: Advertising

WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: Used for building the log file. I leave the latest log as log.txt on the root of your media area (internal SD) so that you can always check it yourself.

I know there is an app called Log Collector already but I want to create some additional features.

Some new features that will be coming soon:
Three Click Logs - click on a file, accept the preview, click send. (file association)

I hope someday this app will be really useful.
Thoughts?

trex3300 · Aug 23, 2011

More otpions is always good. Thanks.

Mgamerz · Aug 23, 2011

Balancing school, work, research (GibberTalk) and this app will be one great task

FBis251 · Aug 23, 2011

My friend and I were just discussing making an app like this. You beat us to the punch and you did a great job at doing that. Will it be okay to include your app in custom ROMs?

Mgamerz · Aug 23, 2011

Of course! Just make sure it is linked to android market (so it will update itself). And as long as the rom isn't sold for money (I hear some roms are?). Happy cooking!

FBis251 · Aug 23, 2011

Awesome thanks a bunch!

imakul8 · Aug 23, 2011

Thanks! This should help a novice like myself.

as6 · Aug 23, 2011

just

want to say thanks

imakul8 · Aug 23, 2011

as6 said:
want to say thanks

Yes, but did you hit the "THANKS" button?

ltcaugust13 · Aug 23, 2011

Hi,

I'm quite new to Android.
It definitely will be helpful to me when I want to help a developer.

I have a question.
Does this app run itself in the background or do I have to enable it?

Mgamerz · Aug 23, 2011

You must run this app yourself. A logging service would seem kind of creepy

Logcat is ~10000 long (thats as far as my eclipse one goes anyway) so you should have a good 10 minutes, unless your device just booted, then DLNA parser (at least on my atrix, perhaps its just the media scanner) will flood your logcat for like 10 minutes.
The way this app is intended to work (end users wise, not as devs)

Devs either have logging/debug mode or have logging on by default
end-user experiences odd behavior/crash (crashes on 2.2 can be sent through 'reporting' to the market)
End user asks dev why this doesn't work
Dev either A) gives user file that auto collects needed info (they just have to send), and they open it after they start the app/it doesn't work properly or B) dev gives them the needed info (not much) to fill out the forms and send it in.
PROFIT!

as6 · Aug 24, 2011

ja

MobileWon said:
Yes, but did you hit the "THANKS" button?

yes i did already hit the button

reinbeau · Aug 24, 2011

Forgive me for not fully understanding the logging process. I'm on Serendipity VII. Will your program 'turn on' logging, or is there something I still have to do to enable it?

Mgamerz · Aug 24, 2011

Android has a user-hidden system called LogCat that is always running. You can oly see it with the logcat command built into the system (also accessible through ADB, its very VERY useful for developers for debugging/seeing what is going on). This just runs the 'logcat command' (prints out text) and filters it out. This app just captures that log command (with the filters)

reinbeau · Aug 24, 2011

Mgamerz said:
Android has a user-hidden system called LogCat that is always running. You can oly see it with the logcat command built into the system (also accessible through ADB, its very VERY useful for developers for debugging/seeing what is going on). This just runs the 'logcat command' (prints out text) and filters it out. This app just captures that log command (with the filters)

I see. I thought I'd read that you had to enable it in recovery or something - thank you for the education!

nicobo · Aug 30, 2011

Hello,

I'm planning to communicate a procedure to use this app to the users of my own app who encounter problems.

There are however some questions / remarks I already have :

"Log an application tag" field : is this the TAG constant we pass to the android.util.Log.* calls ? In this case, I personally use several different tags in the same app so this would not be enough for all cases.
internationalization : the app is in english only, is it possible to help translating ? I can do it for french...
in the screenshots at the market, there is a screen that I don't have on my device : ss-480-1-1 (the one with the nice looking arrows "keep it private" / "make it public"), is it an old screen ?

From my first tests, it looks like there is not a lot of logs extracted, but I didn't tested it extensively. I'll will test it more and give you more feedback, thanks for this possibly great alternative to Log Collector !

Mgamerz · Aug 30, 2011

I am soon going to add multiple tags, but they will all have to use the same level. I've been incredibly busy with my schoolwork that just started (and it sucks too!)

The app right now is english only. I can work on making it more translatable, but I throw a mix of R.string.xx with string literals.
The 'keep it private' screen isn't there cause it was a GIMPED photo. To promote your app you should add text. That would never fit on a small screen. Still trying to make screen scaling better than just scroll panes. It'll get there though.

How long before your app is released?

Edit: Or how long would you need? I have some ideas that could be wrapped around this:
Should all the tags be inline?
Should they be spread across .txt files? (Although that would be a bit more difficult as iirc the gmail app only supports up to 5)
I'd list more but my class is about to start

nicobo · Aug 31, 2011

Mgamerz said:
I am soon going to add multiple tags, but they will all have to use the same level. I've been incredibly busy with my schoolwork that just started (and it sucks too!)

Don't worry, just do your schoolwork, I am not in need, just thinking about the next features I could implement in my app(s)

The app right now is english only. I can work on making it more translatable, but I throw a mix of R.string.xx with string literals.

Ok, no pb. If you need a translator in the future you know where to find me

The 'keep it private' screen isn't there cause it was a GIMPED photo. To promote your app you should add text. That would never fit on a small screen. Still trying to make screen scaling better than just scroll panes. It'll get there though.

Anyway, I was just curious. Using images to give important indications to user is probably not a very accessible thing...

How long before your app is released?

I've just released one already, soon in the app forum of xda, if I manage to get some time to do it right...

As I said, I'm not in need of any blocking feature... I think using "Log this" doesn't need to be programmatically integrated in the application, and that's a good point for me. We just need to tell users to install it and what parameters to use, on a per case basis.

Edit: Or how long would you need? I have some ideas that could be wrapped around this:
Should all the tags be inline?
Should they be spread across .txt files? (Although that would be a bit more difficult as iirc the gmail app only supports up to 5)
I'd list more but my class is about to start

I haven't thought about it yet, but a txt file looks too much complicated for users... Maybe it's best to uncheck the corresponding checkbox if there are multiple tags, or to use some generic patterns like "my.package.*"...

Also I was wondering if a simple URI like logthis://tag=TAG1&tag=TAG2&level=debug&... could be easily parsed as an Intent by some BroadcastReceiver...? This would help the developer give the user the right parameters via e-mail or other...

Again, this would require more thinking before considering those as good ideas and implement them... Maybe this will give you a starting point...

Krain · Sep 4, 2011

Nice tool, thanks a lot

nicobo · Oct 3, 2011

@Mgamerz : Here is my app "SwitchDataSwitch" at xda : http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1287025

I will soon include a chapter on how to use Log This in case of problem on the website : http://bitbucket.org/nicobo/switchdataswitch

Fyi, the next version might include a direct link to use Log This.

---------- Post added at 12:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------

By the way, this is a first test, I think I will generalize the use of both Log This and Log Collector in my future apps, thanks.

[APP]Log This - End-User Friendly Debug Logs!

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