How to use Log Viewer Lite for Jira

Overview

The Log Viewer Lite plugin is a tool designed to help developers view log files directly from the web interface. It allows you to define how many lines of a log file are displayed, with a default setting of 500 lines. The plugin also includes an auto-refresh feature, which automatically updates the view with the most recent log lines.

Key Features:

View Log Files: Select a log file to view the contents directly in the browser.
Define Number of Lines: Customize the number of log lines to display, with a default value of 500.
Auto-Refresh: Enable automatic refreshing to keep the log view updated with the latest log lines.
Reverse Log Order: Option to display the latest log entries at the top of the screen, allowing you to view new logs without having to scroll to the bottom.
Error Highlighting: Log lines that contain "ERROR" are automatically highlighted for easier identification.

Note:

Auto-refresh functionality operates on a 15-second interval, ensuring your log view is consistently updated.
Number of lines will update after 3 seconds of inactivity on the screen, providing a smooth user experience without constant refreshing.

Functionalities in brief

File Selection:

The dropdown menu shows available log files in the system.
Default log file: atlassian-jira.log, or the first file in the list if no default is found.

Line Display:

Default number of lines displayed: 500.
Minimum number of lines: 1.
Maximum number of lines: 20,000.

Auto-Refresh:

Automatically refreshes the displayed log lines every 5 seconds if enabled.

Reverse Log Order:

When enabled, the most recent log lines will appear at the top of the log display.
This eliminates the need to scroll down to view the latest log entries.

Error Highlighting:

Lines containing the word "ERROR" are highlighted in the UI for easier identification of problematic log entries.

How to Use

1. Viewing Log Files

Upon accessing the Log Viewer Lite plugin, you'll see a file selector dropdown.
Select a log file from the dropdown menu. The content of the selected file will be displayed below the selector.
By default, the plugin loads the last 500 lines of the log file.

2. Customizing Number of Lines

You can change the number of lines displayed in the log view by adjusting the number in the input field labeled "Number of lines."
Enter a value between 1 and 20,000. If the number is too large, it will be capped at 20,000 for performance reasons.
The plugin will automatically refresh the view based on your specified line count.

3. Auto-Refresh

There is an auto-refresh checkbox that, when enabled, will automatically reload the log file every 5 seconds.
This allows you to monitor log changes in real-time without manually refreshing the page.
You can enable or disable this feature as needed.

4. Reverse Log Order

To make it easier to view new log entries, you can enable the Reverse Log Order option. When selected, the latest log lines will appear at the top of the log view, meaning you no longer have to scroll to the bottom of the page to see recent updates.
This feature works in conjunction with auto-refresh, ensuring the most recent changes are always visible at the top of the screen.

Troubleshooting

Log Files Not Loading: Ensure the plugin is correctly configured to access the log directory.
Auto-Refresh Not Working: Check your browser settings or the plugin's configuration for auto-refresh functionality.