*************************** * halog HOWTO and FAQ * *************************** maintained by Robert Michaels (rom@jlab.org) with thanks to Jochen Volmer or setting up halog in 1998. latest update: April 2001 Content: 0. WHERE ARE THE OLD HALOG ENTRIES ??!! Since the adaq account on JLAB computers has a finite (though big) quota, I often delete old months from the halog. See the following URL for links to the archives of old halog. Also, I usually manage to put the experiment's halog into MSS, see /mss/halla/e89044/raw/*tar* for example. Here are the link to recent and old halog: http://hallaweb.jlab.org/adaq. 1. WHAT IS HALOG? 1.0 Why use halog? 1.1 Who should use halog? 1.2 What should go into halog? 1.3 Some halog etiquette 1.4 Is the paper logbook now obsolete? 2. HALOG USAGE 2.1 Making Entries 2.1.1 How do I enter text? 2.1.2 Can I use my own preferred editor? 2.1.3 How do I enter existing textfiles? 2.1.4 Can I do followups? 2.1.5 How do I enter graphics? 2.1.6 How do I enter scanned images? 2.1.6.1 Which kinds of documents can I scan? 2.1.7 Can I delete bad entries? 2.2 Viewing the logbook 2.2.1 Where do I find it? 2.2.2 How is the logbook organized? 2.2.3 Can I search for keywords? 2.2.4 Can I view the logbook from off-site? 2.3 Storage of logbook entries 3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 3.1 Systems on-site TJNAF 3.1.1 Where can I use halog? 3.1.2 I have a dumb text terminal. Can I use halog? 3.1.3 Can I use halog from my home, via modem? 4. PLANNED ADDITIONS 5. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. WHAT IS HALOG? halog is an electronic logbook for Hall A. It has been adopted from the electronic logbook MCC has been using successfully since July 1996. http://hallaweb.jlab.org/halog/log/html/logdir.html The goal is that logkeeping in paper logbooks will be replaced by the electronic logbook. 1.0 Why use halog? Ain't it obvious? No more indecipherable scribble, no more standing in line to get a view into the logbook, no more carrying tons of painfully copied logbook pages, no more searching for pens, no more output conversions, no more waiting for the slow printer, no more pages without date/time... Instead, important tools like keyword-searchability and automatic entry of run start/stop information a.o. are adding to its functionality. 1.1 Who should use halog? Anybody who would have to write things into the paper logbook. That includes staff, engineers, shift personnel, target operators, analy- zers - practically everybody connected with Hall A. 1.2 What should go into halog? Everything relevant to the experiment !! 1.3 Some halog etiquette Basically the same as in every logbook: - Put your own NAME into the appropriate spot. - Put a short, but exact description of the entry into the KEYWORD line. 1.4 Is the paper logbook now obsolete? Regarding halog versus paper logbooks: the goal is to move as much as possible to electronics logbooks, but most experiments have found that paper logbooks still play a useful role. 2. HALOG USAGE 2.1 Making entries There are several possibilities to submit entries. Some will be auto- mated, where the user doesn't even need to know he is making entries (beam availability summaries, CODA run info). 2.1.1 How do I enter text? Given you are logged in to a system capable of running the various halog editors (see: 3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS) you have different choices - halogentry: usable in X windows. As adaq, simply type 'halog'. It can be found in jlabs1:/u/home/adaq/halog/src. At this moment, it works on HP's, Suns, and Linux It pops up a window in which time and date are recognized automatically, as well as the user name. Please check the user name and edit it if necessary, since nobody will know who to ask about this entry if all they see is 'adaq'. Entering text is easy and straightforward. Entering graphics is not much more complicated (see 2.1.5 How do I enter graphics?). After submitting the entry, the white text on blue background in the lower right corner of the window should read 'Entry complete', otherwise something is wrong. 2.1.2 (obsolete section) 2.1.3 Can I do followups? Of course! In the halogentry window, enter the entrynumber of the entry that you want to follow up to. In the html page, you will soon see it appear behind the original entry. If it is the one directly be- fore it, it does not show in this way, but the body will still contain a link to the entry it followed up to. 2.1.4 How do I enter existing text files? The easiest way is to use halogentry.file in /u//home/adaq/halog /src. Its syntax is 'halogentry.file filename "keyword"', and it comes in different flavors: halogentry.html filename [key phrase] Pass file unmodified to elog. For use where file contains www ready html code. halogentry.text filename [key phrase] Replace blank lines with line breaks halogentry.pre filename [key phrase] Filename is preformatted. Wrap it with
Good for use with program output or listings halogentry.file filename [key phrase] 2.1.5 How do I enter graphics? This is essentially a follow-up to 2.1.1. In the halogentry editor (aliased as halog) two screengrabs can be incorporated into an entry. The screengrab-button in the bottom button row of the halog window activates a screengrab utility. The halog window will disappear, and the window the cursor is in will become the active window, its outline flashing. By moving the cursor you can select any window to be selec- ted, by clicking on the left mouse button. You also can select an arbitrary part of the screen by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the cursor along. All the time a rectangle will flash that indicates the selected area. Releasing the mouse button will then cause this screen area to be included into the entry. It will show up as a thumbnail picture in the halog window, where you can discard it or accept it, or go for a second screen grab. The images are in GIF format. 2.1.6 How do I enter scanned images? There is a scanner in the Hall A counting house at this time, but sometimes it is not working... you may try: The method to scan documents is the following: * place your document in the scanner (face down, aligned to the top right corner) * log into cdaqh1, run '~cdaq/hclog/src/scandir/ScanIt' * select your choice of format and brightness * click on the button "ScanIt" * the scanned image will appear in the XV main window * save the image to your home directory, log out and go back * in the Hall A counting house: invoke an xv window with your saved image * enter 'halog' * from the halogentry window, enter your message and screengrab the XV window (preferrably without the border) 2.1.6.1 Which kinds of documents can I scan? (this section a bit old) In principle, everything on paper up to letter size. Start by aligning your document to the top right corner of the scanning area. document type scan-type size contrs bright resoltn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- handwritten (text only) 8 bit g/s letter +40 0 120 dpi PAW output (monochrome) 8 bit g/s letter +60 0 144 dpi PS text output (monochrome) 8 bit g/s letter +60 0 144 dpi 3.5"x5" photos 24 bit clr 4x5 +30 +30 240 dpi If experience shows that completely different types of documents will be scanned in and entered into halog as well, I will add them to this listing. 2.1.7 Can I delete bad entries? NO !! But you can make a follow-up entry to explain the mistake. (see section 2.1.3) 2.2 Viewing the logbook 2.2.1 Where do I find it? The location of halog is the following URL on the WWW: http://hallaweb.jlab.org/halog/log/html/logdir.html 2.2.2 How is the logbook organized? It is fairly simple. The newest entries are temporarily stored in a tmp directory. Every other minute a script is executed that grabs new entries, moves them into the monthly archive, and creates a new file logdir.html, the index html file. 2.2.3 Can I search for keywords? That depends on two things: Your WWW-browser and the ability of halog users to come up with clear and meaningful descriptions, or 'keywords'. 2.2.4 Can I view the logbook from off-site? Yes, but it is password protected. Ask the Run Coordinator for the password. (It is not the usual adaq password, typically.) 2.3 Storage of logbook entries Is this kind of logbook safe agains power outages, hurricanes, etc.? Pretty much. It is frequently automatically backed up to other disks and to tape. Some copies are also put into MSS per experiment as tar files. 3. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS You have to be on a machine that is hooked up to the central file server of TJNAF (/net/fs1). Unfortunately, halog does not yet run everywhere. Here's where and where not: 3.1 Systems on-site TJNAF 3.1.1 Where can I use halog? Unix or Linux X windows: On Xterminals: All of the UNIX machines hooked up to central fileserver. In order to run the graphics-capable halogentry (aliased halog) you have to sit at least in front of an Xterminal and run your sessions either on the jlab CUE. 3.1.2 I have a dumb text terminal. Can I use halog? -- obsolete section -- 3.1.3 Can I use halog from my home, via modem? If you have a good internet access and web brouser, then yes. 4. PLANNED ADDITIONS Automated Stuff: There are any number of things one could think of to automate. If you have ideas (or scripts) please contact Robert Michaels 5. ANY FURTHER QUENSTIONS, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS? If you have further questions (to be entered here or not), or sug- gestions, both on how to operate the halog and what to add to it, please contact either Robert Michaels, rom@jlab.org