How to use the event log

Event log is a central repository for systems information, warning, and errors. Since it is used by most standard applications, I would also recomend it. In this tip/trick, I demonstrate how to configure your app to send messages to it. Read the comments to identify your options.

Add the following on your web.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
      <system.diagnostics>
    <trace autoflush="true">
      <listeners>
        <remove name="Default" />
        <clear />
        <add name="EventLogListener" type="System.Diagnostics.EventLogTraceListener"
                            initializeData="TITLE Displayed on source of event log" />
      </listeners>
    </trace>
    <switches>
      <add name="General" value="2" />
      <!--  Off Error Warning Info Verbose. Should be set to Error for production!!
      0 (off), 1 (error), 2 (warning), 3 (info), OR 4 (verbose)
      -->
    </switches>
  </system.diagnostics>
</configuration>

Example of usages:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Configuration;
using Emailing;

namespace ConsoleVarious
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //Define this in the web config
            TraceSwitch generalSwitch = new TraceSwitch("General", 
                                            "Entire Application");
            string odrReportID = "RC";
            string odrReportStatusID = "LC";
            string msgText = "AMC";
            // Write INFO type message, if switch is set to Verbose, type 4
            Trace.WriteIf(generalSwitch.TraceVerbose,
                        string.Format("UpdateODRContactReport method called with {0} {1} {2}.",
                        odrReportID, odrReportStatusID, msgText));
            // Write INFO type message, if switch is set to Verbose or Warning 4 0r 2
            Trace.WriteIf(generalSwitch.TraceWarning,
                        string.Format("Update method called {0}.",
                        "UpdateItNowMothed"));
            try
            {
                int b = 5;
                int c = 0;
                b = b / c;
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                // Write ERROR type message, if switch is set to Verbose, Warning, info or Error
                // 0 (off), 1 (error), 2 (warning), 3 (info), OR 4 (verbose)
                //If General switch in WEB CONFIG = 0 then it will not get into the if below
                if (generalSwitch.TraceError)
                {
                    //Trace type, inthis case error will define how it will appear in the event log
                    Trace.TraceError("Error Details: {0} Stack: {1}", 
                                     ex.Message, ex.StackTrace);
                    //Use your imagination to switch it on and off properly.
                    //You can really imagine and apply.
                }
            }
        }
    }
}