Server logging in Python

This chapter instructs you on how to use the tango logging API (log4tango) to create tango log messages on your device server.

The logging system explained here is the Tango Logging Service (TLS). For detailed information on how this logging system works please check:

Usage

Property reference

The easiest way to start seeing log messages on your device server console is by starting it with the verbose option. Example:

python PyDsExp.py PyDs1 -v4

This activates the console tango logging target and filters messages with importance level DEBUG or more. The links above provided detailed information on how to configure log levels and log targets. In this document we will focus on how to write log messages on your device server.

Basic logging

The most basic way to write a log message on your device is to use the Device logging related methods:

debug_stream()

info_stream()

warn_stream()

error_stream()

fatal_stream()

Example:

def read_voltage(self):
    self.info_stream("read voltage attribute")
    # ...
    return voltage_value

This will print a message like:

1282206864 [-1215867200] INFO test/power_supply/1 read voltage attribute

every time a client asks to read the voltage attribute value.

The logging methods support argument list feature (since PyTango 8.1). Example:

def read_voltage(self):
    self.info_stream("read_voltage(%s, %d)", self.host, self.port)
    # ...
    return voltage_value

Logging with print statement

This feature is only possible since PyTango 7.1.3

It is possible to use the print statement to log messages into the tango logging system. This is achieved by using the python’s print extend form sometimes refered to as print chevron.

Same example as above, but now using print chevron:

def read_voltage(self, the_att):
    print >>self.log_info, "read voltage attribute"
    # ...
    return voltage_value

Or using the python 3k print function:

def read_Long_attr(self, the_att):
    print("read voltage attribute", file=self.log_info)
    # ...
    return voltage_value

Logging with decorators

This feature is only possible since PyTango 7.1.3

PyTango provides a set of decorators that place automatic log messages when you enter and when you leave a python method. For example:

@tango.DebugIt()
def read_Long_attr(self, the_att):
    the_att.set_value(self.attr_long)

will generate a pair of log messages each time a client asks for the ‘Long_attr’ value. Your output would look something like:

1282208997 [-1215965504] DEBUG test/pydsexp/1 -> read_Long_attr()
1282208997 [-1215965504] DEBUG test/pydsexp/1 <- read_Long_attr()

Decorators exist for all tango log levels:

The decorators receive three optional arguments:

show_args - shows method arguments in log message (defaults to False)
show_kwargs shows keyword method arguments in log message (defaults to False)
show_ret - shows return value in log message (defaults to False)

Example:

@tango.DebugIt(show_args=True, show_ret=True)
def IOLong(self, in_data):
    return in_data * 2

will output something like:

1282221947 [-1261438096] DEBUG test/pydsexp/1 -> IOLong(23)
1282221947 [-1261438096] DEBUG test/pydsexp/1 46 <- IOLong()