How to log info from an onSaveEntry event?

Question

Having problems logging to the console using log from within an onSaveEntry or onSaveUser event. Just a simple test below, but will be critical for error logs.

public function init()
{
    parent::init();

    BusinessLogicPlugin::log('init');

    craft()->on('entries.saveEntry', function(Event $event) 
    {
        Craft::log('onSaveEntry');
        BusinessLogicPlugin::log('onSaveEntry');
    });

}

'init' gets logged fine, but not 'onSaveEntry'. I seem to be able to log other events fine, like plugins.loadPlugins. I have also confirmed that the event is firing via other tests. Is the log function not available when the onSaveEntry event fires? Scope issue? bug? Or am I missing something else? Thanks.

Answer 1

After wasting all of Brad's time (sorry brad!) by sending him an incomplete plugin file with a missing line, I have discovered why I wasn't seeing logs in the console as expected.

Craft::log('...') or MyPlugin::log('...') function calls within onSaveEntry or onSaveUser events are in fact properly saved to the log files (craft/app/storage/runtime/logs/). They are just not available in the browser's console, because the event is taking place on the server, while the page is in the process of being redirected when the event fires.

Lesson learned: don't rely on the console for debugging!

The log files can be watched from the command line using tail -F /full/path/to/log/file rather than having to constantly reload the log in a text editor. Although apparently some text editors also support live updates as well.

Feel free to delete this question or leave it here in case others run into the same problem.

Answer 2

The plugin's full init() code was:

public function init()
{
    parent::init();

    BusinessLogicPlugin::log('init');

    craft()->on('users.saveUser', function(Event $event) {
        Craft::log('onSaveUSer');
        BusinessLogicPlugin::log('onSaveUSer');
    });

    craft()->on('entries.saveEntry', function(Event $event) {

        Craft::log('onSaveEntry');
        BusinessLogicPlugin::log('onSaveEntry');

        if ($entry->section == 'Accounts')
        {   
            if ($event->params['isNewEntry'])
            {
                ... 
            }
            else
            {   
                ...
            }
        }
    });
}

Where the saveEntry callback was referencing:

if ($entry->section == 'Accounts')

Where $entry hadn't been defined, yet, causing a fatal PHP error not letting Yii/Craft to flush out the log files, which happens in the onEndRequest event.

The entry is defined in the event params, though, so changing it to this is the fix:

craft()->on('entries.saveEntry', function(Event $event) {

    Craft::log('onSaveEntry');
    BusinessLogicPlugin::log('onSaveEntry');

    $entry = $event->params['entry'];

    if ($entry->section == 'Accounts')
    {   
        if ($event->params['isNewEntry'])
        {
            ... 
        }
        else
        {   
            ...
        }
    }
});