WS-Blog

Today I have updated the ThunderBolt AS 3 package for logging Flex 2 applications with Firebug using the Flex 2 Logging Framework. For this reason I have added a common way for using log levels as well – you’ll get more information about it on my next blog entry next week .

However, ThunderBolt includes now a custom target class called ThunderBoltTarget extending the Flex 2 AbstractTarget class for using default behaviors and properties of the Flex 2 Logging Framework such as filters or common log levels. For more information about custom targets check out the Flex 2 LiveDocs: “Using the Logging API“

Example

Using ThunderBoltTarget

1. Create an instance of ThunderBoltTarget

   1.  
   2. _target = new ThunderBoltTarget();
   3.  

2. Optionally you can hide the output of time, log levels and category…

   1. _target.includeTime = false;
   2. _target.includeLevel = false;
   3. _target.includeCategory = false;

3. …or filter the message using wildcards, e.g. only messages for the classes in the de.websector.* package.

   1.  
   2. _target.filters = ["de.websector.*"];
   3.  

4. Add the ThunderBoltTarget as a custom target for the Flex Log instance

   1.  
   2. Log.addTarget(_target);
   3.  

5. Call the Flex Log instance to send an info message to ThunderBolt. The getLogger() method defines a specified category, which describes an ID for mapping log messages as described above via _target.filters

   1.  
   2. Log.getLogger("de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample").info("Just an info message.");
   3.  

6. Flex Logging Framework supports logging of multiple objects using flags such as {0}, {1}, etc. Note: The outputs of these objects are only Strings, not a complex hierarchy of all properties and methods.

   1.  
   2. Log.getLogger("de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample").error("Calling two objects, a number named myNumber and a array called myArray: {0}, {1}", myNumber, myArray);
   3.  

7. All code of the example above.

   ThunderBoltTargetExample.mxml ( Download code )

   1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   2. <mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
   3.     initialize="initializeHandler( )">
   4.  
   5.     <mx:Script>
   6.         <![CDATA[
   7.             import org.osflash.thunderbolt.Logger;
   8.             import flash.events.Event;
   9.            
   10.             private function traceToFirebug(event:Event):void 
   11.             {
   12.                 var myNumber: int = 5;
   13.                 var myString: String = "Lorem ipsum";
   14.                 var myArray: Array = ["firstValue",{x: 100, y: 200}, "secondValue"];
   15.                
   16.                 var label: String = event.target.label;
   17.            
   18.                 switch (label)
   19.                 {
   20.                     case "info":
   21.                         Log.getLogger("de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample").info("Just an info message.");
   22.                     break;
   23.                     case "warn":
   24.                         Log.getLogger("de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample").warn("Here is the value of the String named myString: {0}", myString);
   25.                     break;
   26.                     case "error":
   27.                         Log.getLogger("de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample").error("Calling two objects, a number myNumber and a nested array called myArray: {0}, {1}", myNumber, myArray);
   28.                     break;
   29.                     case "debug":
   30.                         Log.getLogger("de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample").debug("Just a info message.");
   31.                     break;
   32.                     default:
   33.  
   34.                 }
   35.             }
   36.  
   37.             import mx.logging.Log;
   38.             import org.osflash.thunderbolt.ThunderBoltTarget;
   39.            
   40.             private var _target: ThunderBoltTarget;
   41.            
   42.             private function initializeHandler( ):void
   43.             {
   44.                 _target = new ThunderBoltTarget();
   45.                 /*
   46.                 You can disable the time, level or category as follow            
   47.                 _target.includeTime = false;
   48.                 _target.includeLevel = false;
   49.                 _target.includeCategory = false;                
   50.                 */              
   51.                 _target.filters = ["de.websector.playground.ThunderBoltTargetExample"];
   52.                 Log.addTarget(_target);
   53.             }
   54.            
   55.            
   56.             private function getFireBug( ):void
   57.             {
   58.                 var url:URLRequest = new URLRequest( "http://www.getfirebug.com/" );
   59.                 navigateToURL( url );
   60.             }
   61.        
   62.       ]]>
   63.     </mx:Script>
   64.     <mx:Style source="css/logger.css"/>
   65.     <mx:Text htmlText="Using ThunderBoltTarget based on the Flex 2.0 Logging Framework"  paddingBottom="15" />
   66.     <mx:HBox horizontalGap="10">
   67.          <mx:Button label="info"
   68.                     click="traceToFirebug(event);" id="infoButton" width="100" height="50"/>
   69.          <mx:Button label="warn"
   70.                     click="traceToFirebug(event);" id="warnButton" width="100" height="50"/>
   71.          <mx:Button label="error"
   72.                     click="traceToFirebug(event);" id="errorButton" width="100" height="50"/>      
   73.          <mx:Button label="debug"
   74.                     click="traceToFirebug(event);" id="logButton" width="100" height="50"/>
   75.     </mx:HBox>    
   76.     <mx:Text htmlText="Press F12 to open Firebug"
   77.             paddingTop="15" paddingBottom="5"/>
   78.     <mx:LinkButton label="(Who the fuck is Firebug?)" id="getFirebug" click="getFireBug();" />
   79. </mx:Application>

Source

You’ll find the latest source of ThunderBolt, its custom target called ThunderBoldTarget.as and all examples on Google Code or check it out via SVN.

Related Articles

• ThunderBolt AS3 1.0 released - A lightweight logging tool for Flex 2 and Flash CS3 applications
• [Update - Part 2] Logging Flex 2 and AS3 applications with Firebug and ThunderBolt
• Logging Flex 2 and AS 3 apps with Firebug and ThunderBolt