[3.3][BETA] Notify admins on new error log entries

[MarkDHamill]

This is a relatively simple extension that notifies administrators if a new entry is made to phpBB’s error log. The admin must have the view logs permission.

phpBB won’t draw attention to new entries in this log, yet the errors in this log are typically important and require prompt analysis and correction. For example, if phpBB can’t send an email, a notification will typically appear in phpBB’s error log. Unless an admin checks this log, however, the error will be ignored. To see the error log: ACP > Maintenance > Forum logs > Error log

A notification is sent to all applicable admins except to the admin triggering the error, who should see it when it occurs. By default, no email notification is sent. However, the extension allows an admin with the privilege to get an email notification too. This setting must be enabled: UCP > Board preferences > Edit notification options > Admin log error notification. See screenshot.

notify-on-error-ucp.png

This extension is in beta status and should not be used on a production board. It can be downloaded from its page or from the GitHub branch. If downloaded from GitHub, place it in an /ext/phpbbservices/notifyonerror folder.

This extension can be hard to test unless you can trigger an actual error. For testing then you might want to change the code temporarily to have it notify you when any entry is added to the admin log. Just make sure to revert these changes after testing.

Change /event/main_listener.php, line 83 from:

Code: Select all

		if ($vars['mode'] === 'critical')	// Change this to 'admin' to test. Submitting any ACP form will then trigger the error.

to:

Code: Select all

		if ($vars['mode'] === 'admin')	// Change this to 'admin' to test. Submitting any ACP form will then trigger the error.

[warmweer]

This is a relatively simple extension that notifies administrators if a new entry is made to phpBB’s error log. The admin must have the view log permission.
...

Nice idea for an extension

[MarkDHamill]

A lot of my extensions amount to little things in the way phpBB works that aren't optimal.

[david63]

Perhaps I am missing something but if you are getting an error that no emails are sent how are you going to send an email to an Admin to advise of the error? Surely the UCP setting must also include the ability to use notifications.

And how will the extension cater for a situation where a Founder Admin does not want other Admins to be notified of some errors - I am thinking here about errors emanating from other extensions.

[MarkDHamill]

Well, this is a first attempt. So you raise good questions.

If an email cannot be sent, at least a notification will appear on the navigation bar.

Not sure what you mean about a UCP setting for using notifications. Someone with the privilege can uncheck both checkboxes to turn it off.

It may be desirable to have an ACP interface which allows founders control over who should see or not see these notifications. But I'm not sure it's a big deal. If an admin has the view logs permission, why not allow them to decide for themselves if they don't want these notifications? Presumably they were granted the permission because they need to monitor these events.

[warmweer]

Surely the UCP setting must also include the ability to use notifications.

Isn't this covered in the red rectangle
or am I missing something?

[MarkDHamill]

I would think so.

To answer one of David's concerns, if emailing in general fails, this will be noted in phpBB's error log because this happens now. My extension uses phpBB's notification system to send emails, and the notification system presumably is fault tolerant enough not to crash if emailing goes awry.

[ac_roma]

important extension

thanks

[Brf]

To answer one of David's concerns, if emailing in general fails, this will be noted in phpBB's error log because this happens now. My extension uses phpBB's notification system to send emails, and the notification system presumably is fault tolerant enough not to crash if emailing goes awry.

But vanilla phpBB does not send a notification for log entries -- thus this extension. What happens if the Email notification for a log entry cannot be sent, and thus causes a log entry to be created, which your extension then tries to create a new notification for. Loopy?

[MarkDHamill]

To answer one of David's concerns, if emailing in general fails, this will be noted in phpBB's error log because this happens now. My extension uses phpBB's notification system to send emails, and the notification system presumably is fault tolerant enough not to crash if emailing goes awry.

But vanilla phpBB does not send a notification for log entries -- thus this extension. What happens if the Email notification for a log entry cannot be sent, and thus causes a log entry to be created, which your extension then tries to create a new notification for. Loopy?

I think I answered this in the fifth post.

[MarkDHamill]

Version 1.0.1 is available. It has a Beta status. There's nothing really new in this release, it's just an evolution as I learn more about the notifications system. Links are in the first post.