The logfile is not cleared at startup as this would mean that if the application crashed or were simply shutdown at the end of the night and restarted the file would be cleared. Therefore, anytime that either a new logfile is desired or the current logfile is to be cleared one must type the name of the logfile to be created or cleared into the Logfile: field and click on the Create/Clear Logfile button.
Any time a comment or command is logged the UT date is written to the logfile.
When the New Object button is used to initialize the GUI at each new position the TCS is queried and the current RA, DEC and AIRMASS are written to the current logfile. Note: This capability may be useful even if you are NOT dithering!
The default location for the logfile is “/data1/nirim” on the computer sand. This may be changed to any location that the program has permission to write files. To change the locations of the file simply type the new path including the name of the file in the Logfile: field. If the file already exists (with proper permissions) then all subsequent logging messages will be written to the new file, otherwise the file will need to be created by clicking on the Create/Clear Logfile button.
The logfile is a simple text file. Each command sent to the TCS is written on a single line. Any custom comment input by the observer using the Write Comment button is written on a single line. If the observer chooses to use the “Target Information” portion of the GUI and the Save to Logfile button included in that portion then the information entered into the “Target Information” fields will all be entered into the logfile with each field being entered on one line.
The comments, which are automatically entered into the logfile, are (at present) the values of several of the variables in the program at the time of the comment (telescope offsets, position number within the grid, etc.), any commands sent to the TCS by the program, and the telescope position any time the New Object button is clicked.
The observer may add custom comments to the logfile at anytime using the Write Comment button. Each time that the Write Comment button is clicked the text in the comment field will be entered into the logfile. At any time, the observer may also click on the Save to Logfile button and the information in the “Target Information” portion of the GUI will be entered into the logfile.