[Xitami] W3C Log file format and custom formats

[B. Solomon]

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Normally, when I answer my own question, I have a bad habit of not sharing 
with the list.  Lately, however, it appears that the regular repliers, 
aren't either.

After playing with several products this is what I have learned:

- 2.4d9 does not support custom log formats.  It's broke.
- 2.5b5 does.
- W3C format is IIS's default log format.  There aren't many web server's 
to-date that can write in W3C format (including Apache) and here's why: The 
format consists of several lines of comments at the head of each rotated 
log file, similar to this:

======================
#Version: 1.0
#Date: 12-Jan-1996 00:00:00
#Fields: time cs-method cs-uri
00:34:23 GET /foo/bar.html
12:21:16 GET /foo/bar.html
12:45:52 GET /foo/bar.html
12:57:34 GET /foo/bar.html
======================

W3C is IMHO a pretty robust format, but impossible to duplicate.  These 
comments are critical to understanding the W3C log format; especially 
#Fields.  The format allows any field, in any order, as long as it's 
declared at the beginnin of the log file.

2nd reason is, Xitami (and I think Apache, too) don't separate the "method" 
from the "uri", where "method" is the "GET" or "POST" part of the request, 
and the "uri" is the "/foo/bar.html".  In Xitami it's just $(request) for 
both concatenated.

More specifically, with W3C you could do:
=========================
#Fields: time cs-uri
00:34:23 /foo/bar.html
12:21:16 /foo/bar.html
12:45:52 /foo/bar.html
=========================

With Xitami you can't:
$(time) $(request)
=========================
00:34:23 GET /foo/bar.html
12:21:16 GET /foo/bar.html
12:45:52 GET /foo/bar.html
=========================

So unless a custom format allows you to place comments at the top, and 
allow you to separate the "method" from the "uri", Xitami can't do it.  But 
don't feel too bad, Apache can't either.


Hope this helps anyone else out.

Benjamin Solomon
wire@austin.rr.com



At 03:38 PM 12/12/2002, you wrote:
>Is there a way to have Xitami create logs in the W3C log file format?
>
>Or more specifically, I want to separate the cs-method from the URI-stem 
>and everytime logs are rotated, put about 4 lines of comments in the top 
>of of the log file.
>
>Any way to do this or any plans for Xitami to do this?
>
>Benjamin Solomon
>wire@austin.rr.com
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