Summary

An Adobe ExtendScript compatible log file constructor with some built in convenience functions in a UMD wrapper for cross-compatability with AMD and node.js require.

Tries to be flexible but automate most things.

Features

• Works with node.js require, AMD(probably), and vanilla ExtendScript.
• Tries to make a log file in ./logs with fallback to ~/Desktop/ExtendScript_Log_UnsavedScripts/
• Tries to clean up old files automatically (or keep them foreverrr)
• Plays nice with ExtendScript_Log

Import

NPM

If running Node NPM, you can npm install ExtendScript_Log to add to your node_modules folder

github

Clone or download the repo and copy the extendscript_logfile.jsxinc to your project

Include

NPM

var LogFile = require("ExtendScript_LogFile");

AMD

I don't know but it's probably not difficult? Firmly in the untested-but-should-work category

ExtendScript

Eval into environment

$.evalFile("<path>/extendscript_logfile.jsxinc")

Include in scripts

//@include "<path>/extendscript_logfile.jsxinc"

concatinate or copy-paste directly

Add to a build script or, I dunno, just copy-pasta it in there?

Use:

Make new LogFile object

make a new log file and you get a separate instance

var myLogFile = new ExtendScript_LogFile();
myLogFile.log('Hey there.');

Constructor options

"new" constructor takes 4 optional arguments.

new ExtendScript_LogFile (root, logType, logDir, useDate)

Argument 1 : root

is an alternate root object to tack on a 'logFile' alias By passing $.global as first arg, we get global log and console objects!

root = $.global;// root to add convenience aliases to

var myExplicitLogFileVariable = new ExtendScript_LogFile(root);
myExplicitLogFileVariable.log('So explicit!');// call from a var
logFile.log('Like magic.');// uses the $.global.logFile we made

Argument 2 : logType

specifies a non-"default" type and makes a file name

var myLogFile = new ExtendScript_LogFile();
myLogFile.log('Hey there.');

var specialLogFile = new ExtendScript_LogFile(null,"special");
specialLogFile.log('Salutations.');

// prints to:
// ./logs/default_2021-05-28T16-15-37.611.log >>[2021-05-28T16:15:37.612] default : Hey there.
// ./logs/special_2021-05-28T16-15-37.656.log >>[2021-05-28T16:15:37.657] special : Salutations.

Argument 3 : logDir (default: './logs/')

a non-"default" directory path to save the log to

root = $.global;// root to add convenience aliases to
logType = "special";// name other than "default"
logDir = '~/Desktop/mylogcabin/';// custom log directory

var myLogFile = new ExtendScript_LogFile(root, logType, logDir);
myLogFile.log('Salutations.');

// prints to:
// ~/Desktop/mylogcabin/special_2021-05-28T16-15-37.656.log >>[2021-05-28T16:15:37.657] special : Salutations.

Argument 3 : useDate (default: true)

specifies if the date should be prepended to the log entries can be changed with .useDate(false)

root = $.global;// root to add convenience aliases to
logType = "special";// name other than "default"
logDir = '~/Desktop/mylogcabin/';// custom log directory
useDate = false;

var myLogFile = new ExtendScript_LogFile(root, logType, logDir, useDate);

myLogFile.log('Salutations.');

// prints to:
// ~/Desktop/mylogcabin/special_2021-05-28T16-15-37.656.log >> special : Salutations.

Use the log file

.log() and .writeln() do the same thing...

.useDate(false) will disable the date printing in each entry

Attatch to namespace or other log object

myLogFile = new ExtendScript_Log($.global);
logFile.log('Messages are good.');

var namespace = {};// maybe some other log system?

myLogSafeFile = new ExtendScript_Log(namespace);
namespace.logFile.log('This is way safer.');

Cleanup

You can .clear() the contents or .remove() the file from disk.

You can also clear out of the same type with .removeOld() for non-current or .removeAll() for all.

myLogFile = new ExtendScript_Log();
logfile.log('Messages are good.');

myLogSafeFile = new ExtendScript_Log(namespace,'special');
namespace.logFile.log('This is way safer.');

myLogSafeFile.remove();

// make a bunch of "default" logs...
myLogFile = new ExtendScript_Log();
myLogFile = new ExtendScript_Log();
myLogFile = new ExtendScript_Log();
myLogFile = new ExtendScript_Log();

// purge all but latest "default" log.
myLogFile.removeOld();

// now only the current "default" file is left
myLogFile.removeAll();

myLogSafeFile = new ExtendScript_Log(namespace);

Bonus Features

Logs for unsaved scripts:

Tries to make a log file in ./logs in the location of the currently running script, but will fall back to ~/Desktop/ExtendScript_Log_UnsavedScripts/

Compatible with ExtendScript_Log:

This is used as a optional extra in ExtendScript_Log

Like peanutbutter and chocolate...