Correct way to store logs for iOS - ios

Question

I have an in-home app that will be supported by IT team.
When they support desktop apps, they may read logs to find any troubles (like server returned 404 on sync request).
I can use NSLog for iOS, but how can user access them with out of Xcode?
I can't ask any user "please give me your phone to investigate what has happened".
Does there is some tool any IT person with out of Xcode and Mac may use to read iOS logs?

Answer 1

Does there is some tool any IT person with out of Xcode and Mac may use to read iOS logs?
Unfortunately not. It used to be that you could run an app on your device that would read the Console log, but Apple took that ability away; I guess they saw it as a security breach.
If your user can get to a Mac running Xcode, they can view the console log directly in Xcode.
Otherwise, as others have suggested, you will have to build into your app the capacity to keep a log in a place you can get to. For example you can write to a file and then offer (within the app) to email that file to yourself. Many apps have an interface to a facility like this in their Settings bundle.

Answer 2

I've been using the combination of CocoaLumberjack, Antenna & DDAntennalogger at work for remote logging. Basically, you have to set up an end-point at your server and Antenna will be used to send the logs remotely.
Here's the reference that when configuring it on my project:
Remote logging using CocoaLumberjack, Antenna & DDAntennaLogger

Answer 3

This is how you can do it:
Step 1: Redirect your NSLog statements to a text file in file system. This you can do on specific user action or always enable it and delete it periodically.
Step 2: Have a web service which will allow you to upload the saved logs in the file system. You could trigger this on user action or may be a timer based job.
Step 3: Delete the logs from file system once upload is successful.
Here is a example of such a custom logger:
#import "MyCustomLogging.h"
#define kMyCustomLoggingFile #"NSLogging.txt"
static NSString *const kMyDeviceLogUploadURL = #"uploadDeviceLogURL";
#interface MyCustomLogging ()
#property (nonatomic, strong) MyRequestHandler *requestHandler;
#property (nonatomic, assign, getter = isNsLogRedirected) BOOL nsLogRedirected;
#property (nonatomic, assign) BOOL shouldStopLogging;
#property (nonatomic, strong) NSString *pathForLogging;
#end
#implementation MyCustomLogging
static int savedStdErr = 0;
static MyCustomLogging *sharedMyCustomLogging = nil;
+ (MyCustomLogging *)sharedMyCustomLogging {
static dispatch_once_t pred = 0;
dispatch_once(&pred, ^{
sharedMyCustomLogging = [[self alloc] init];
});
return sharedMyCustomLogging;
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Start Method
- (void)startLogging {
// Starting the Redirection of the Logs
if (!self.isNsLogRedirected) {
[self nsLogRedirectedToFile];
}
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Stop Method
- (void)stopLogging {
NSLog(#"Stopping the logging");
NSString *aLoggingPath = [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSCachesDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) lastObject];
self.pathForLogging = [aLoggingPath stringByAppendingPathComponent:kMyCustomLoggingFile];
// If file already exists & logging was not redirected then directly upload the logs::A Possible case of app quit/crash without uploading previous logs
if ([self isLogFilePresent] && !self.nsLogRedirected) {
[self uploadLogs];
} else if (self.isNsLogRedirected) { //Check for Successive Stop Notifications
self.shouldStopLogging = YES;
[self restoreNSLog];
} else {
NSDictionary *anUserInfo = #{kMyDeviceLogUplodStatusKey: kMyValueOne};
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:kMyDeviceLogsUploadNotification object:nil userInfo:anUserInfo];
}
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Private Method
- (void)nsLogRedirectedToFile {
if (!self.isNsLogRedirected) {
NSLog(#"Redirecting NSLogs to a file.....");
self.nsLogRedirected = YES;
savedStdErr = dup(STDERR_FILENO);
NSString *aLoggingPath = [NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSCachesDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES) lastObject];
self.pathForLogging = [aLoggingPath stringByAppendingPathComponent:kMyCustomLoggingFile];
NSLog(#"Logging Path: %#", self.pathForLogging);
freopen([self.pathForLogging cStringUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding],"a+",stderr);
NSLog(#"NSLog Redirected to a file Succesfully");
[MySessionObject setLoggingOn:YES];
}
}
- (void)restoreNSLog {
if (self.isNsLogRedirected) {
[MySessionObject setLoggingOn:NO];
NSLog(#"NSLog Will be Restored now....");
self.nsLogRedirected = NO;
fflush(stderr);
dup2(savedStdErr, STDERR_FILENO);
close(savedStdErr);
savedStdErr = 0;
}
[self uploadLogs];
NSLog(#"NSLog Restored Successfully");
}
- (void)uploadLogs {
NSLog(#"Now uploading files");
// Disable logging before files are uploading
MySessionObject.enableLogging = NO;
NSError *anError = nil;
NSData *aLogData = [NSData dataWithContentsOfFile:self.pathForLogging options:NSDataReadingUncached error:&anError];
//Converting to String
NSString *aLogString = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:aLogData encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
NSMutableDictionary *aPostBody = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] initWithCapacity:3];
[aPostBody setValue:aLogString forKey:#"logData"];
[aPostBody setValue:MySessionObject.wifiMACAddress forKey:#"deviceMACAddress"];
[aPostBody setValue:MySessionObject.deviceToken forKey:#"deviceID"];
__weak MyCustomLogging *aBlockSelf = self;
self.requestHandler = [[MyRequestHandler alloc] initWithEndPoint:#"/uploadLogs" body:aPostBody container:nil loadingOverlayTitle:nil successHandler:^(NSDictionary *iResponse) {
if (iResponse) {
//Remove the File From the Path
NSError *aFileError = nil;
BOOL aFileRemoveSuccess = [[NSFileManager defaultManager] removeItemAtPath:self.pathForLogging error:&aFileError];
if (!aFileRemoveSuccess) {
//Tracking the Event
NSString *aDescription = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"Error Code:%ld Error Description:%#", (long)[aFileError code], [aFileError localizedDescription]];
NSLog(#"Error occured while deleting log file:%#", aDescription);
}
// Clearing all
aBlockSelf.pathForLogging = nil;
NSDictionary *anUserInfo = #{kMyDeviceLogUplodStatusKey: kMyValueOne};
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:kMyDeviceLogsUploadNotification object:nil userInfo:anUserInfo];
}
} andErrorHandler:^(NSString *iMessage, NSString *iKey, NSInteger iErrorCode, BOOL iIsNetworkError) {
NSDictionary *anUserInfo = #{kMyDeviceLogUplodStatusKey: kMyValueZero};
[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] postNotificationName:kMyDeviceLogsUploadNotification object:nil userInfo:anUserInfo];
}];
[self.requestHandler executeRequest];
}
- (BOOL)isLogFilePresent {
NSFileManager *aFileManager = [[NSFileManager alloc] init];
BOOL aFilePresent = [aFileManager fileExistsAtPath:self.pathForLogging];
return aFilePresent;
}
#end