Here are some pointers on how to configure your log files to help maximize their value. This quickly gives us a working test project with a nice UI. composer create-project symfony/framework-standard-edition my '2.6.*' Our PHP Log File Example ProjectĪs an example project for discussion purposes in this article, we will take Symfony Standard as a working project and we’ll set it up on Debian 7 Wheezy with rsyslogd, nginx, and PHP-FPM.

For those lacking this knowledge, an Appendix is provided that introduces some of the commands needed for accessing and reading log files on a Unix system. Note: This article presumes basic familiarity with the Unix shell. This article provides a number of tips on how to configure your log files, as well as how to process the information that they contain, in order to maximize the benefit that they provide.Īlthough this article focuses technically on logging for PHP developers, much of the information presented herein is fairly technology agnostic and is relevant to other languages and technology stacks as well. Creative use of log files can help answer questions such as: What browsers are most commonly being used to visit my site? What’s the average response time from my server? What was the percentage of requests to the site root? How has usage changed since we deployed the latest updates? And much, much more. Often, the information they contain could significantly reduce the amount of time spent pulling out your hair trying to track down a gnarly bug.īut perhaps even more importantly, with a bit of creativity and forethought, your logs files can be leveraged to serve as a valuable source of usage information and analytics.

In truth, PHP log files should in many cases be the first place to look for clues when problems occur. Despite the wealth of information they can offer, it is not uncommon for logs to be the last place a developer looks when trying to resolve a problem. It could rightfully be said that logs are one of the most underestimated and underutilized tools at a freelance php developer’s disposal.

Mac log files