CakePHP - Logging

Logging in CakePHP is a very easy task. You just have to use one function. You can log errors, exceptions, user activities, action taken by users, for any background process pke cronjob. Logging data in CakePHP is easy. The log() function is provided by the LogTrait, which is the common ancestor for almost all CakePHP classes.

Logging Configuration

We can configure the log in file config/app.php. There is a log section in the file, where you can configure logging options as shown in the following screenshot.

By default, you will see two log levels − error and debug already configured for you. Each will handle different level of messages.

CakePHP supports various logging levels as shown below −

Emergency − System is unusable

Alert − Action must be taken immediately

Critical − Critical conditions

Error − Error conditions

Warning − Warning conditions

Notice − Normal but significant condition

Info − Informational messages

Debug − Debug-level messages

Writing to Log file

There are two ways by which, we can write in a Log file.

The first is to use the static write() method. The following is the syntax of the static write() method.

The second is to use the log() shortcut function available on any using the LogTrait Calpng log() will internally call Log::write() −

Example

Make changes in the config/routes.php file as shown in the following program.

config/routes.php

<?php
use CakeHttpMiddlewareCsrfProtectionMiddleware;
use CakeRoutingRouteDashedRoute;
use CakeRoutingRouteBuilder;
$routes->setRouteClass(DashedRoute::class);
$routes->scope( / , function (RouteBuilder $builder) {
   $builder->registerMiddleware( csrf , new CsrfProtectionMiddleware([
       httpOnly  => true,
   ]));
   $builder->applyMiddleware( csrf );
   //$builder->connect( /pages ,
      [ controller => Pages , action => display ,  home ]);
   $builder->connect( logex ,[ controller => Logexs , action => index ]);
   $builder->fallbacks();
});

Create a LogexsController.php file at src/Controller/LogexsController.php. Copy the following code in the controller file.

src/Controller/LogexsController.php

<?php
   namespace AppController;
   use AppControllerAppController;
   use CakeLogLog;
   class LogexsController extends AppController{
      pubpc function index(){
         /*The first way to write to log file.*/
         Log::write( debug ,"Something didn t work.");
         /*The second way to write to log file.*/
         $this->log("Something didn t work.", debug );
      }
   }
?>

Create a directory Logexs at src/Template and under that directory create a View file called index.php. Copy the following code in that file.

src/Template/Logexs/index.php

Something is written in log file. Check log file logsdebug.log

Execute the above example by visiting the following URL.

http://localhost/cakephp4/logex

Output

Upon execution, you will receive the following output.

The logs will be added to log/debug.log file −