Questions:
Q1: Is there a way to use LogSaw in a restricted environment without installing Java 6?
Q2: Can LogSaw be installed as Eclipse Plugin?
Q3: How do I import a log file?
Q4: Add Log Resource – How to find a matching dialect?
Q5: Add Log Resource – I have added a log resource, but it says no log entries were added
Q6: Add Log Resource – I got an error message during import
Q7: Add Log Resource – What is File encoding?
Q8: Add Log Resource – What is Locale?
Q9: Add Log Resource – What is Timezone?
Answers:
Q1: Yes, that is possible. You need to install the JRE on another computer that is running the same operating system. Then, all you need to do is copy the whole JRE folder (i.e. C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6) from that system into the LogSaw program folder on the target system. The folder must be renamed to jre in order for it to work (see screenshot).
Q2: Short answer: No. Long answer: It’s designed as a stand-alone application for now, simply because that is much easier to support. Once the application has matured, it might make sense to make it installable as Eclipse plug-in though.
Q3: Launch LogSaw. Go to File menu and choose Add Log Resource. In the wizard, browse to the log file you wish to import and hit next. Unless you know what you are doing, leave the other settings on that page untouched and proceed. Now select the dialect that matches your log file. Configure the dialect on the following page if applicable, then hit finish.
Q4: If your log file originates from an application server, choose the dialect for that application server. If it is an application log file of some sort, you will need to know how it was created (i.e. the pattern). There is no try-and-error here. If you don’t know how it was created, or if there is no matching dialect, you are out of luck.
Q5: You have most likely chosen the wrong dialect and/or misconfigured it (i.e. the layout pattern is wrong). Or your file is simply not supported. If you have the feeling that it should work and suspect it to be a bug, please file a bug report. Make sure to attach a snippet of your log file.
Q6: If the error message says something along the lines of Failed to parse timestamp, you should recreate the log resource and pay attention to Locale on the first page. If it is some other error and you suspect it to be a bug, please file a bug report. Make sure to attach a snippet of your log file.
Q7: Choose the file encoding that was used to create the log file. Usually this is the platform default of the server where the log originates from. The default value is the platform default of your machine.
Q8: Choose the locale that was used to create the log file. This value is needed under certain circumstances; for example when the timestamp contains localized date format symbols like:
09 Mrz 2010 17:42:31,836 DEBUG [org.jboss.logging.Log4jService] Installed System.out adapter
This line could only be parsed using a german locale. The default value is the locale of your machine.
Q9: Choose the timezone in which the log file was created. Necessary if the timezone cannot be determined from the log messages. Usually this will be the timezone of the server where the log originates from. The default value is the timezone of your machine.