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Man of the day ! Re: [mv] [tag op=log....
****** message to minivend-users from Birgitt Funk <birgitt@my-books.com> ******
On Sun, 28 May 2000, Bill Randle wrote:
> ****** message to minivend-users from "Bill Randle" <billr@exgate.tek.com> ******
>
> OK, gang, here's an attempt to document and summarize what's going on
> with the [tag log] tag:
>
Yaaaahoooouuu !
Bill, that is the best contribution I have ever seen on this list so far
for making something clear, fixing it and documenting it. Ever !
Man, you are my Memorial Day's man for the next year or so...8-)
And if you think such kind of documentation and explanation is not
suitable for beginners, you make a big mistake. It is ! It is great !
a.) You have an exact line of source code where even a Perl newbie can try
its luck to take first steps into the source.
b.) You have _exact_ explanation how the tag works.
c.) You have written text in English for the documentation of a tag
which is clearly and thoroughly formulated.
I love it.
Sorry folks, but that's what would help me. I don't know about you.
I am all exicted, because though I have still not set up and connected my
Linux box, I am rereading Mike's docs line by line for the first time, I
think, since one and half years and I have all the time to make big
question marks and stop every other paragraphs to make notes about what
I have to learn and read as a non programmer with miniscule system admin
skill (Unix).
You CAN make a connection between Perl source code level, MV tag level
and verbose, narrative style of explanations plus a man-page-style
references.
And it is NOT TRUE that it can't be done. But I need quite a library
for that and so much time no decent and honest person would ever have
these days...8-).
OK, Bill I hope you stay with us. That's wonderful. Thanks.
Birgitt
> 1. MV-3.x, MV-4.00, MV-4.01 and MV-4.02 all behave the same.
> 2. Starting with MV-4.03, there was a change in the API for
> [tag op=log].
> 3. The difference is due not to the way the [tag] tag works,
> but changes in the do_log()/log() subroutine. [Before 4.03
> it was do_log(), in 4.03 and later it's log().]
>
> For those that are still using a pre-4.03 version of minivend,
> here's what works:
> [tag log filename]data to log[/tag] # positional
> [tag op=log arg=filename]data to log[/tag] # named
> [tag arg=filename op=log]data to log[/tag] # named, reverse order
>
> In versions 4.03 and later, this is what will work:
> [tag op=log file=filename]data to log[/tag] # named
> [tag file=filename op=log]data to log[/tag] # named, reverse order
>
> These will *not* work in 4.03 and later:
> [tag op=log arg=filename]data not logged[/tag] # named with <arg>
> [tag arg=filename op=log]data not logged[/tag] # named with <arg>
> [tag log filename]data not logged][/tag] # positional
> [tag log file=filename]data not logged[/tag] # mixed positional/named
>
> One of the new tags in 4.03 is [log], so starting in 4.03 you can also do
> this:
> [log filename]data to log[/log] # positional
> [log file=filename]data to log[/log] # named
> [log arg=filename]data to log[/log] # named, using <arg>
>
> Note: in 4.03 and later, you can use [log arg=file] but you can not use
> [tag op=log arg=file]. This is because the 'arg=' option is automatically
> translated to 'file=' when it used as part of the [log] tag, but not
> when its used as part of the [tag] tag.
>
> For those of you interested in the internal details, here's the magic
> line of code that changed between 4.02 and 4.03:
>
> --- minivend-4.02/lib/Vend/Interpolate.pm Thu Mar 9 08:32:43 2000
> +++ minivend-4.03/lib/Vend/Interpolate.pm Sat Mar 25 02:16:49 2000
> @@ -1722,6 +1730,6 @@
>
> my $status;
>
> - $file = $Vend::Cfg->{LogFile} if ! $file;
> + $file = $opt->{file} || $Vend::Cfg->{LogFile};
> $file = Vend::Util::escape_chars($file);
>
> What's not shown above is that $file is the first argument passed to the
> do_log/log subroutine. From the diff you can see that in 4.02, the file
> used for logging is the first argument to the do_log() subroutine, if
> it's specified, otherwise it uses the LogFile defined in the catalog
> config file (if any).
>
> Starting in 4.03, the filename must be explicity passed as the 'file'
> option, and if that's not defined it uses the catalog config file
> entry (if any). This is why you *must* use 'file=filename' when
> using [tag op=log]. This is also why strictly positional parameters
> [tag log filename] will not work.
>
> The way the [tag] tag works is that it takes its first positional
> argument (or the op= argument) as the command (e.g. log, time, flag).
> The second positional argument (if any), or the arg= argument is
> passed *as the first parameter* to the operational function called
> by the do_tag() subroutine. Any other named parameters are passed
> thru as part of the $opt hash (except interpolate=, which is
> handled earlier in the process).
>
> With that said, I have a suggested patch for 4.05 to help the transition:
>
> --- minivend-4.04/lib/Vend/Interpolate.pm.orig Sat Apr 15 20:18:43 2000
> +++ minivend-4.04/lib/Vend/Interpolate.pm Sun May 28 09:13:45 2000
> @@ -1746,6 +1746,7 @@
>
> my $status;
>
> - $file = $opt->{file} || $Vend::Cfg->{LogFile};
> + $file = $opt->{file} || $Vend::Cfg->{LogFile}
> + unless defined $file;
> $file = Vend::Util::escape_chars($file);
>
> This will allow the pre-4.03 syntax - both named and positional - to
> work, as well as the new syntax. It also would make the behavior
> match the documentation, which says [tag log filename] should work.
>
> New shops built with 4.03 and later should probably start using the
> [log] tag to avoid confusion altogether.
>
> Now, for those of you that have read this far, here's a bonus for you.
> Did you know that [tag op=log] or [log] also can take serveral other
> named parameters? I didn't, until I started looking into this. So, as
> another contribution to the never ending documentation project:
>
> The log tag accepts several optional arguments to specify
> how the data to be logged should be processed prior to
> writing it to the log file. These options are:
>
> process=nostrip Normally, the data string is processed
> to change CR LF to LF, remove leading
> and trailing spaces and make sure it
> ends with a newline. By specifying this
> option, the data is logged as written.
>
> type=text|quote|error Using the type option specifies possible
> additional processing to be done on the
> data string and where the data should be
> logged. The default operation when no
> type= option is specified is to split
> the data string into records and fields
> and pass to the logDebug() utility function.
> The default record delimiter is '\n'; the
> default field delimiter is '\t'. The
> delimiters can be changed with the
> delimiter= and record_delim= options.
>
> The type= option can take on the following
> values:
> text : the data string is directly
> written to the specified file.
>
> error : if a filename is specified with
> the file= option, the data string is
> formated as a standard error message and
> written to that file. If a filename is
> not specified, the standard logError()
> fucntion is called with the data string
> as its argument.
>
> quot[e] : the data string is split into
> records and fields and written to the
> specified filename using the standard
> logData utility function. The record
> delimter defaults to '\n' but can be
> changed with the record_delim= option.
>
> delimiter=string sets the delimiter used to split records
> into fields. Default is "\t" (a TAB).
>
> record_delim=string sets the record delimiter used to split
> the data string into one or more records
> before splitting into fields. Default is
> "\n" (a newline).
>
> This tag also accepts the hide= and interpolate= options. Normally,
> the status returned from the function that actually writes the
> data to the logfile is returned, unless hide=1 is specified.
>
>
> -Bill Randle
> billr@exgate.tek.com
>
> On May 28, 9:40am, cfm@maine.com wrote:
> } Subject: Re: [mv] [tag op=log....
> }
> } [ text/plain
> } Encoded with "quoted-printable" ] :
> ****** message to minivend-users from cfm@maine.com ******
> }
> } On Sat, May 27, 2000 at 10:26:58PM -0700, Barry Treahy wrote:
> } > ****** message to minivend-users from Barry Treahy <Barry@BSTent.com>
> ******
> } > I can understand parameters being position if they are not named, but named
> } > parameters should work regardless of the order and there seems to be
> specific
> } > problems with the tag log in both 3.14-5 and 4.04. I was pulling my hair
> out
> } > attempting to do page and activity logging and ultimately went to a
> usertag. To
> } > >
> } > > after changing from MV3 to MV4
> } > > [tag file="<filename>" op=log interpolate=1]
> } > > doesn´ work. After answer from Mike to use
> } > > [tag arg="<filename>" op=log interpolate=1]
> } > > instead, it works. After updating from MV4.03 to MV4.04,
> } > > [tag arg="<filename>" op=log interpolate=1]
> } > > doesn´ work. After rewriting the codes to
> } > > [tag file="<filename>" op=log interpolate=1]
> } > > it works. I´ve read the WHATSNEWS! But couldn´t see any hints about
> } > > this. Any comment?
> }
> } One would expect that named parameters would not be
> } positionally dependant; it's my guess that something else
> } is the culprit. You'd probably not find that in the README
> } because it's not intentional or known.
> }
> } We, OTOH, use many minivend calls directly. The parameters
> } to db_array functions changed from mv3 to 4. I'd not
> } expect changes to that internal API to be documented either;
> } it's **internal**.
> }
> } Minivend has a long evolutionary history. Code that evolves
> } does tend to spaghetti. Maybe a week or two ago there was
> } a discussion on /. about it. My guess is that 4 cleaned up a lot
> } of that but it is a never ending battle. One needs a whole
> } test harness to check that. We on this list are that test
> } harness. ;^)
> }
> } cfm
> } --
> }
> } Christopher F. Miller, Publisher cfm@maine.com
> } MaineStreet Communications, Inc 208 Portland Road, Gray, ME 04039
> } 1.207.657.5078 http://www.maine.com/
> } Database publishing, e-commerce, office/internet integration, Debian linux.
>
>
>
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