From: ara.t.howard@...
Date: 2007-04-15T01:17:38+09:00
Subject: Re: RCR debug

On Sat, 14 Apr 2007, Tim Pease wrote:

> On 4/13/07, Robert Dober <robert.dober@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Tim the $DEBUG mechanism is quite primitive and other things are
>> needed for large scale development, no doubt.
>> My idea of the CR is orbiting around $DEBUG which is widely used  in
>> quick hacks or small to medium scale development, but...
>
> A simple debug method seems like a great idea. But what happens when
> it ends up in Kernel and everyone starts using it?  Now you'll get all
> the debug messages from your code and all the library code that you
> include.  That's why I don't like the $DEBUG option.
>
> I know you want to put it into Kernel so everyone can use. But that's
> the whole problem -- everyone will start using it!  And then it
> becomes not so useful.
>
> This is similar to making sure that your code runs -w clean (i.e.
> won't throw out warnings). The rails core is very bad about this --
> lot's of warnings.  Now you cannot find the warnings in your own code
> because all the rails warnings are cluttering things up.
>
> Same problem with a global $DEBUG flag.
>
> Just my $0.02 on the matter.
>
> Blessings,
> TwP
>
> PS  Why not include this in the facets library? I think this would be
> a much more suitable place for such a creature.
>
> <http://facets.rubyforge.org/>

alternatively

   logger = Logger.new STDERR
   logger.level = ENV['DEBUG_ENV_FOR_MY_CODE'] ? Logger::DEBUG : LOGGER::INFO

   logger.debug{ 'now you have a debug method that can be turned on/off from the environment' }

it's prety kiss...

-a
-- 
be kind whenever possible... it is always possible.
- the dalai lama