Hi,

Is it possible to remove the "demo" logbook?

If I rename the section in elogd.cfg , it complains:

Error: logbook "demo" not defined in elog.conf Please use your browser's back button to go back

But there are other logbooks it can show instead. Is the "demo" logbook hardcoded in elogd?

/tony

 I now upgraded to ver. 2.7.8, but I still cannot remove or disable the demo logbook.

The logbook name is in the URL of your browser. In the demo installation, there is a link in the start menu pointing to http://localhost:8080/demo.  If you rename your logbook to something else, you have to change the URL accordingly. The simplest thing is to point it to http://localhost:8080, then you will be presented with a list of available logbooks.

 Thanks Stefan, I managed to get it to work now.

Hi,

is there a way to set default preferences for text in entry text window, as regards : font type, font size, line spacing, paragraph, etc...

Thanks

Sara

Unfortunately not to my knowledge. The underlying editor FCKEdit has however certain styles etc., and one might maybe be able to tweak that, but I never figured out how.  

Elog is excellent!

I apologize for the naive question, but is there a way to insert screenshots directly into elog entries?

Since elog is only the web server providing (comfortable) access to the logbook database, it relies on the web browser (possibly enhanced by script code) for facilities to attach pictures and other files to entries. So unless your browser has such an extension or someone writes some sort of script that can do it, the only way is to use an external capturing program, save the picture and upload it in the usual way. Cf. also entry 66004.

Hi, I've been using the ELOG software for about a year now. I love it! But as my ELOG becomes more valuable, I become more paranoid about potential data loss. (We've had numerous close-calls with disk failures, recently.) Is there a way to download a backup of my ELOG, all at once? Maybe a command that could create a tar.gz of all the entries and attachments? Further, is there also a command to restore from such a backup? Apologies if this question is answered elsewhere. I couldn't readily find it in the documentation. Regards, --Ed

There is a simple way. In your logbook directory you will find files of the format xxyyzza.log where xxyyzz is the year/month/day of the entries being submitted during that day. The attachments have a similar form, they have just the attachment name appended to the date. To back it up, just copy or tar all files of that directory. If you want to back up a certain year, you can select 2009 for example with 09*.*  To restore these files, simply untar them into the directory and restart the elogd daemon. The restart is necessary, since during start the daemon indexes all entries. 

Hi,

I'd like to use ELOG as personal work logbook and database with search facilities

(e.g. record work progress, updates, plots, results, meeting schedule, outcome, TODO, etc...).

I will use it ONLY on my laptop, and I'd need to read the files when I don't have internet connection too.

I have no need to retrive files from elsewhere with a Web Browser, and I'd prefer not to open ports on the laptop.

Would this be feasible?

What's the setting I have to specify in elogd.cfg file?

Is there an example of such a ELOG use you could provide?

Thanks a lot

Sara

If you download the standard package, it installs a demo logbook on your computer which you can use as a personal logbook. It uses port 8080 by default, although this can be changed. Then only thing you need to do is to make sure that port 8080 is blocked on your firewall. Read your OS documentation on how to set-up and use a firewall. Once you block port 8080, the data cannot be accessed from outside your laptop. 

 Thanks Stefan,

I've properly set the firewall, and access is forbidden from outside. But when I don't have internet access, how could I open my database?

Furthermore: how it is possible to change the "demo" title ? and what's the procedure to open other databases?

Thanks again for helping

Sara

You can start the elogd daemon even when you don't have internet access, and access your database locally under http://localhost:8080. For changing the title of a logbook, please read the documentation. 

I write my lab journal with pen and though of getting a linux supported tablet. Has anybody ever used ELOG and did input using a tablet?

I am testing Elog for personal and group use. I am starting with a Windows install on a PC. (I came across Elog when doing a shift on ATLAS at CERN.)

It took me some time to discover how to access a local logbook and create a new one. I suggest adding short sections in a prominent place in the guides:

User guide:

"Accessing a logbook: To access a logbook, point your Web browser at the appropriate URL. The default for a local Elog is http://localhost:8080/logbookname. Logbook files are stored in directory logbookname which is a sub-directory of the logbook root directory, defined by the administrator. See the administrator guide on how to create a new logbook."

Admin guide:

"Creating a logbook: A logbook is created in three steps: 1) The logbook root directory is defined as an option of the elogd start command; 2) A sub-directory, of the logbook root directory, named logbookname is created; and 3) The elogd.cfg file is edited to define the logbook's attributes and options. No files are created in the sub-directory; that is done when entries are made."

Regards,

Ken McF

Dear Ken,

first of all thanks for trying to improve the documentation. For me as the developer it's always hard to imagine what people need to know, since I know already all about elog. Therefore I ask usually other people to write the documentation. The one for elog was written by Fred Pacquier.

When going through your comments, I realize that you had some problems on your first steps. But you say you have a Windows installation. If you use the normal installer, you get some entries in your "Start" menu under Windows, with which you can directly access your "demo" logbook which comes with the installation: Start -> All Programs -> ELOG -> Demo Logbook (requires running server). To create a logbook, just access your demo logbook, then clock on "Config", then you see a button "Create new logbook". Your point 1) mentioned above is actually not necessary if you use the default root directory. It might confuse people more than it helps. Point 2) is true, but only some internal database behavior, which might not be interesting to most users.

Hello,
   I feel that the filter result could be confusing and unexpected when "COLLAPSE TO LAST" is enabled: you 
filter the first entry but you show the last one. What is filtered doesn't correspond with what is shown (look 
the attached example). 

I suggest to implement an option to let the user decide which entry (first or last) should be retrieved for 
filtering (a tentative patch is attached).

Thank you 

    Gabriele

P.S. A similar behaviour occurs when you sort the logbook: it could appear as not sorted because you sort the 
first entry but the last one is shown.

> Hello,
>    I feel that the filter result could be confusing and unexpected when "COLLAPSE TO LAST" is enabled: you 
> filter the first entry but you show the last one. What is filtered doesn't correspond with what is shown (look 
> the attached example). 
> 
> I suggest to implement an option to let the user decide which entry (first or last) should be retrieved for 
> filtering (a tentative patch is attached).
> 
> Thank you 
> 
>     Gabriele
> 
> P.S. A similar behaviour occurs when you sort the logbook: it could appear as not sorted because you sort the 
> first entry but the last one is shown.

You are absolutely right. When doing filtering, entries shown or not shown have not much to do with the filter. 
Rather than messing around with first and last entries, I decided to break apart threads completely when doing 
filtering, so the entries are treated as individual entries, just like what you do when filtering in summary mode. 
This gives then consistent filtering results. The modification is done in revision 2282.

Hello,
   I gave it a try using the svn version n. 2283 (12 Jan 2010).  The threaded display can be collapsed only if you don't 
apply any sorting. In the latter case, if you sort in some way ( with "Sort Attributes =" or "sort=" in the url), the 
thread cannot be collapsed anymore.

Also if I apply any filter from the quick filter bar, I cannot collapse the thread anymore (also without sorting). 

As example, these are the numbers of entries I obtain with my logbook :

  http://localhost:8080/mylogbook/?mode=threaded&expand=0     => 75 entries (OK)
  http://localhost:8080/mylogbook/?mode=threaded&expand=0&sort=EventID  =>  445 entries  (WRONG it should collapsed)
  http://localhost:8080/mylogbook/?mode=threaded&expand=0&Interaction=nuCC   => 335 entries 

However (considering the bug fixed for the collapsed thread display), breaking the thread is not a confortable solution. 
I choose to show the logbook in the threaded mode, because I'm interested in grouping the entries in threads. 
In my opinion, this feature is good (and it is my favourite) and should be preserved despite any sorting or filtering. 
This is why I suggest to ask to the user which entries (first or last) better applies for sorting and filtering. 

Ciao

   Gabriele


> You are absolutely right. When doing filtering, entries shown or not shown have not much to do with the filter. 
> Rather than messing around with first and last entries, I decided to break apart threads completely when doing 
> filtering, so the entries are treated as individual entries, just like what you do when filtering in summary mode. 
> This gives then consistent filtering results. The modification is done in revision 2282.

> However (considering the bug fixed for the collapsed thread display), breaking the thread is not a confortable solution. 

Well, but it's the only way which gives you a 1:1 correlation between what you filter and what you see below. If you want to 
see the full thread for an entry which gets shown after you apply a filter, just click on that entry, and you will be taken to 
the single entry display which shows the full thread on top of it. This is the only way I can keep search results consistent, 
so I would rather like to keep it like this.