Use the activity log to troubleshoot a project screen

Use the activity log, which can be viewed in the browser console, to troubleshoot a project screen in the Mobile Access web interface.

This log is similar to but separate from the project runtime log that is displayed in the Output window; it comprises only messages that describe the behavior of project screens in the web interface.

Please keep in mind that the console only displays the log for the project screen that you are currently viewing. It does not display the logs for any other client sessions, neither on other computers nor in another client application (e.g., Secure Viewer) on the same computer. It also does not display any information about the project runtime server.

Figure 1. An example of the activity log in the Internet Explorer 11 console
Web Studio Help illus mobileaccess logging example Use the activity log

There are several different types of messages that you can see in the activity log:
Error
These are messages about serious errors encountered during run time, like unsupported features used in a screen and run-time errors in the Mobile Access engine. Mobile Access errors are marked by the yellow “Warning” icon in most browser consoles.
Warning
These are warnings about things in your project screen that can affect run-time performance, such as excessive tag synchronization and function calls that must be executed on the server. Mobile Access warnings are marked by the blue “Message” or “Info” icon in most browser consoles.
Info
These are informational messages that report individual function calls, tag value changes, screen openings and closings, and so on, as well as any trace messages that you choose to include in your project. Mobile Access info messages are not marked by icons.
Note: It is not a mistake that we use the “Warning” icon to mark Mobile Access errors and the “Message” icon to mark Mobile Access warnings. The console’s red “Error” icon is reserved for critical errors in the browser itself.

Use the activity log to troubleshoot an issue

Here is an example of how to use the activity log to troubleshoot an issue in one of your project screens.

The screen MyScreen contains a Text Box object that has been configured with the tag MyInput:
Web Studio Help illus mobileaccess troubleshooting 1 Use the activity log

When you normally view the screen in the Mobile Access web interface, the text box shows a value of 0 as it waits for user input:
Web Studio Help illus mobileaccess troubleshooting 2 Use the activity log

If the tag does not exist, however — for example, if you accidentally deleted it from the tags database — then the text box shows its mask instead and rejects all input:
Web Studio Help illus mobileaccess troubleshooting 3 Use the activity log

Verifying the project will catch things like missing tags, but in order to verify the project, you must be able to use the InduSoft Web Studio development environment to open and edit the project. The user typically will not be able to do that during run time.

This is where you can use the activity log to troubleshoot the issue. Open the browser console, and then look for a message like this in the activity log:
Web Studio Help illus mobileaccess troubleshooting 4 Use the activity log

  Invalid Date Invalid Date, L1, Error, [04BF97E0] myscreen, myscreen (Screen Script) - Expression(1000000): MyInput, Line 1 => Error: Could not read objects database. Object MyInput not found [Error Code: 0x80070057]  
Tip: The browser console cannot receive log messages unless it is open, so if the console is closed when you first notice an issue, open it and then access the screen again.

The message provides the name of the screen, the name of the affected object or tag, and the exact nature of the error. With this information, you should get some idea of how to resolve the issue in your project. This is a very simple example, of course, and an issue like this typically will be included in a Level 1 log; more complex issues might require increasing the log level and searching through more messages. But this essentially is the procedure for using the activity log to troubleshoot a project screen in Mobile Access.

Increase the log level to get more information

By default, the activity log is set to level 1, which provides the least amount of information. If you have issues while using the Mobile Access web interface — especially while trying to view selected project screens — and the log does not help, you can increase the log level to get more information.

Be careful not to set the log level too high, however, because the higher it is, the more detailed and verbose the log will be, which might make it hard for you to find the information that will actually help you to resolve your issues. Try increasing the log level in steps, first from level 1 to level 2, then from level 2 to level 3, and so on until you get the information you need.

Here is a basic guide to which levels you should try:
  • If objects, animations, or scripts are not working at all, try level 1. This level should be enough to identify missing tags, unsupported features, and other such things. For more information, see List of features supported in project screens in Mobile Access.
  • If a project screen is unusually slow to open or update, try level 3 (which includes levels 1–2). This level should help you to diagnose issues that affect run-time performance. For more information, see Tips for Mobile Access development and run time.
  • If you simply do not see the behavior that you expect during run time, try level 5 (which includes levels 1–4). This level reports every tag update and function call.

Please note that these are only general suggestions; you will probably need to change the log level more than once to get the right amount of detail on your specific issues. For more information about changing the log level, see Configure the Mobile Access global settings.

Filter the activity log in the browser console

You can filter the activity log in the browser console in order to reduce the number of log messages that you must look through to find the information that you need. The tools for filtering the log vary by browser, so please consult the documentation for the browser that you are using.

For example, to filter by message type in Internet Explorer, right-click in the browser console and then select or clear the types on the shortcut menu:
Figure 2. Filtering by message type in Internet Explorer
Web Studio Help browser console internetexplorer shortcut Use the activity log

In Google Chrome, click the Filter tool on the console tool bar to reveal additional tools:
Figure 3. Additional filter tools in Google Chrome
Web Studio Help browser console chrome filtertools Use the activity log

If you filter by message type, remember that Mobile Access errors are displayed as Warnings, Mobile Access warnings are displayed as Messages (in Internet Explorer) or Info (in Google Chrome), and Mobile Access info messages are displayed as Logs. Otherwise, you can try to filter by specific text.

Use the activity log