Generate Application Log

Application log is used to generate a log which can be accessed later by the users. Sometimes there would be a situation where we need to generate the log, especially for the Errorenous situation.

Application Log is the rich type log. It contains the information like User, Time, Expiry date of the log. It has also traffic icons for the messages based on the message type.

Log is also getting generated when we run the report in the Background. This is called as the Job Log. But it doesn't have the same formatting as the Application Log. It will also not get generated when you run the report online. So, if we have to generate the Log in the both scenario than we have to use the Application Log.

Important Tcodes:
SLG0 - Create a new Log Object and subobject
SLG1 - Display Application Log
SLG2 - Delete the Application Log

To start generating the custom Application Log than we need to create a new Log object and Subobject. Use the Tcode SLG0 and create a new custom Application Log object.

So, let's see the code snippet to generate the Application Log.

Code Snippet

*&---------------------------------------------------------------------* *& This code snippet will show how to generate the Application log *& by using some function modules *& *&---------------------------------------------------------------------* * DATA: lf_obj TYPE balobj_d, lf_subobj TYPE balsubobj, ls_header TYPE balhdri, lf_log_handle TYPE balloghndl, lf_log_number TYPE balognr, lt_msg TYPE balmi_tab, ls_msg TYPE balmi, lt_lognum TYPE TABLE OF balnri, ls_lognum TYPE balnri. * * Application Log object & Subobject lf_obj = 'ZTEST_NP'. lf_subobj = 'ZTEST_1'. * * Header information for the log ls_header-object = lf_obj. ls_header-subobject = lf_subobj. ls_header-aldate = sy-datum. ls_header-altime = sy-uzeit. ls_header-aluser = sy-uname. ls_header-aldate_del = sy-datum + 1. * * Get the Log handle using the header CALL FUNCTION 'APPL_LOG_WRITE_HEADER' EXPORTING header = ls_header IMPORTING e_log_handle = lf_log_handle EXCEPTIONS object_not_found = 1 subobject_not_found = 2 error = 3 OTHERS = 4. IF sy-subrc <> 0. MESSAGE ID sy-msgid TYPE sy-msgty NUMBER sy-msgno WITH sy-msgv1 sy-msgv2 sy-msgv3 sy-msgv4. ENDIF. * * Get the next avaliable Log number CALL FUNCTION 'BAL_DB_LOGNUMBER_GET' EXPORTING i_client = sy-mandt i_log_handle = lf_log_handle IMPORTING e_lognumber = lf_log_number EXCEPTIONS log_not_found = 1 lognumber_already_exists = 2 numbering_error = 3 OTHERS = 4. * * Fill the Application Log messages. * Here we can append our own messages as per our application * behaviour * * Information message will generate the Green Light ls_msg-msgty = 'I'. ls_msg-msgid = '00'. ls_msg-msgno = '398'. ls_msg-msgv1 = 'Testing 1234'. APPEND ls_msg TO lt_msg. * * Warning message will generate the Yellow light ls_msg-msgty = 'W'. ls_msg-msgid = '00'. ls_msg-msgno = '398'. ls_msg-msgv1 = 'Warning Testing 1234'. APPEND ls_msg TO lt_msg. * * Error message will generate the Red Light ls_msg-msgty = 'E'. ls_msg-msgid = '00'. ls_msg-msgno = '398'. ls_msg-msgv1 = 'Error Testing 1234'. APPEND ls_msg TO lt_msg. * * Write the Log mesages to the memory CALL FUNCTION 'APPL_LOG_WRITE_MESSAGES' EXPORTING object = lf_obj subobject = lf_subobj log_handle = lf_log_handle TABLES messages = lt_msg EXCEPTIONS object_not_found = 1 subobject_not_found = 2 OTHERS = 3. IF sy-subrc <> 0. MESSAGE ID sy-msgid TYPE sy-msgty NUMBER sy-msgno WITH sy-msgv1 sy-msgv2 sy-msgv3 sy-msgv4. ENDIF. * * write the log message to Database which can be later analyzed * from transaction SLG1 MOVE-CORRESPONDING ls_header TO ls_lognum. ls_lognum-lognumber = lf_log_number. APPEND ls_lognum TO lt_lognum. * CALL FUNCTION 'APPL_LOG_WRITE_DB' EXPORTING object = lf_obj subobject = lf_subobj log_handle = lf_log_handle TABLES object_with_lognumber = lt_lognum EXCEPTIONS object_not_found = 1 subobject_not_found = 2 internal_error = 3 OTHERS = 4. IF sy-subrc <> 0. MESSAGE ID sy-msgid TYPE sy-msgty NUMBER sy-msgno WITH sy-msgv1 sy-msgv2 sy-msgv3 sy-msgv4. ENDIF. * * display the generate log from the memory. CALL FUNCTION 'BAL_DSP_LOG_DISPLAY'.

The generated application Log will look like this:


TIP

When we generate the some type of application log in the background job, we would like to set the appropriate job status based on the messages in the log table. For example, if the Application log has any error we want to set the status of the job as the "Cancelled". To achieve this, we have to add this type of code after we append our log to database using the FM APPL_LOG_WRITE_DB:

Code Snippet

*&---------------------------------------------------------------------* *& This code snippet will show how to set the status of the background *& job if the application log has been generated in the background. *&---------------------------------------------------------------------* read table lt_msg into la_msg with key msgty = 'E'. if sy-subrc = 0. message e398(00) with 'Some error occured. Application Log' 'has generated. Check in tcode SLG1'. endif.

You can find more about the Application Log in SAP Library at: Application Log

One of the reader has asked this question: When to use Application Log?
1. When we want to save the List/Log for the long time: Generally, we have the spool retention preiod of 8 days. So, the list or log will be deleted automatically.
2. When we want more information compared to Log generated with WRITE: Application Log has more information like User, date of creation, Severarity of the message.
3. In ALE / EDI Processing: When we do the cross client processing (IDoc Processing), we can generate the Application log to keep track of the generated errors or the messages.