Lire::DlfConverter - Base interface of all DLF converters.

  use base qw/ Lire::DlfConverter /;

This package defines the interface that must be implemented by all DLF Converters. All the methods defined in this package will throw a 'method not implemented' exception if they are called.

These methods provides information to the Lire framework about the DLF converter.

Returns the name of the DLF converter, i.e. the service's (aka log format) name.

E.g. CWcombined

Returns a more human friendly name for the DLF Converter.

E.g. CWCombined Log Format DLF Converter

Returns a DocBook XML based documentation of the DLF Converter.

E.g. <para>This DLF converter can be used to process log file in the Combined Log Format to the www DLF schema.</para>

Returns a list of DLF schemas for which DLF records can be written from the data contained in the log file.

E.g. For the combined DLF converters, that would be 'www'.

For the 'nms' converter that could be CWqw/daemon email/ which means that the DLF converter writes DLF records in the hypothetical CWdaemon schema (server start, stops, restarts, etc.) and the email schema.

This should only contains 'base' (aka superservice) schemas. No extended or derived schema's name should appear in that list. (Those are reserved for the analyzers).

This method should returns true if the DlfConverter processes line-oriented log file. This is the default. If this method returns false, only the process_log_file() method will be called, otherwise the process_log_line() method is used for every input lines.

These are the methods where the DLF converter work is done. The init_dlf_converter() method will be called once before any processing occurs. Afterwards, process_log_line() will be called once for every line that was marked for log continuation and for every line contained in the log file. The finish_conversion() method will be called once all lines are processed. Any exceptions (uncaught die) that occur during any of the methods will abort the conversion process. This method will be called by the framework before processing the log file. This method should be used by the converter to initialize its state.

The CW$process parameter contains the Lire::DlfConverterProcess object which is controlling the conversion process.

The CW$config parameter contains configuration data that was specified in the ImportJob for that converter. To register configuration specification for you DlfConverter, you just need to define a configuraiton specification under the name converter_name_properties. This should be either a RecordSpec or ObjectSpec. This method is called so that the converter can convert the data contained in the CW$fd file handle to DLF. This method is only used when the handle_log_lines() method returned false.

$process contains a reference to the Lire::DlfConverterProcess object which controls the conversion process and defines the API to write DLF and report errors. This method is called by the framework once for each log line present in the log file. This method is only called if the handles_log_lines() method returnes true.

$process is a reference to the Lire::DlfConverterProcess object. This object defines a method to report errors, save lines for continuation purposes and writes DLF records.

$line contains the log line which should be processed with the end of line removed. This method is called once by the framework once all log lines were processed. It can be use by the converter to write any DLF records that could be remaining because of a stateful analysis.

Lire::DlfConverterProcess(3pm), Lire::DlfStore(3pm), Lire::ImportJob(3pm), Lire::PluginManager(3pm)

  Francis J. Lacoste <flacoste@logreport.org>

$Id: DlfConverter.pm,v 1.11 2004/05/17 17:05:19 wsourdeau Exp $

Copyright (C) 2002, 2003, 2004 Stichting LogReport Foundation LogReport@LogReport.org

This file is part of Lire.

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