Document Number: WSSUP1000
Product: Winsock Companion (any version)
Date: 12-1-97
Title: Recording a NITerm Emulation log file

Recording a NITerm Emulation log file
Logging an NITerm session is like making a movie of your terminal session. You can record just the text being passed between your PC and the Unix computer, or you can record everything being passed, including colors and graphics characters. NITerm calls this type of recording a "Log". A Log can be used to record part of a session and play it back for a coworker, or it can be a useful troubleshooting tool for determining if there is a problem with NITerm settings or Unix settings.  A recorded Log file can be played back at any time or the log file might be transported to another PC running NITerm, or it can be transferred to the Unix computer to be run on its console (if it is an “ansi” log).

An especially useful feature of Session Logging is the ability to play back your recorded session at the speed you choose. This  means that if something is happening on your terminal screen faster than you can distinguish it, you can simply duplicate the offending part of your session while Logging, and play back that piece as slowly as necessary.

How to use Logging

Follow these steps to begin recording your session:
    1. Get to the point in your session just before you want to start recording.
    2. Use your mouse to click "Tools" on the menu bar, then pick one of the two choices:
        "Log All", or "Log Text Only". Once you have made the choice, Logging will
        automatically start. Go ahead and use your session as you normally would. For
        emulation issues, always choose “Log All”.  This will bring up the "Save Log As"
        dialog asking for a path and filename for saving this log. Fill in the file name. NITerm will
        automatically add a .log extension to the filename.
    3. When you have reached the point at which you want to stop the recording, once
        again choose "Tools" on the menu bar then choose click "Stop Logging". The log file
        will be written and closed.

Note: Using Logging can create files which are quite large. After Logging is started, it is important to stop as soon as the part of the session you wish to record is finished so that the file you create is as small as possible.

Playing a NITerm Log File
Once created, an NITerm log file can be played back in a number of ways. You may transfer the file to your Unix system to play the log file on the system's console (if you are using “ansi”), you may choose to replay the log through NITerm's "Options / Replay Log" menu choice, or you may want to play the log an actual terminal to see how this data would look.

The first step in replaying a log file is to choose the file to be replayed. Select "Tools / Replay Log / Start..." from NITerm's menu. This will bring up the "Choose Log File" dialog box.  Use the dialog box to find and select your file, then click the "OK" button. You will be returned to the main NITerm screen, however you will notice an additional tool bar. This is the "Replay Log Toolbar".

The "Replay Log Toolbar" appears just below the standard button bar. Use the tools on this toolbar to play back your log file. You may pause the log during playback as well as adjust the speed of the playback. The controls on this toolbar should be familiar to anyone who has used a cassette player or VCR.

To replay the log on the console or a terminal, copy the log file to the host (use a binary copy!), and cat the log file FROM the terminal or host’s console that you want to see the data played back on.

Elements of the Replay Log Toolbar include:
• Open "Choose Log File" Dialog - Pressing this button displays a dialog box allowing
   you to select the file you wish to replay.
• File Name Window - This window displays the name of the file currently available for
   replay.
• Play Button - Press this tool icon to begin the replay.
• Stop Button - Stops the playback.
• Pause - Pressing this tool icon once pauses the current playback, pressing a second
   time restores the playback.
• Playback Speed Adjustments - Moving the center "slider", either by dragging it with
   the mouse or clicking on the arrow icons adjusts the speed of the script playback.
   Slower is to the left, faster to the right.
• Quit - Pressing this icon quits the Replay Log session and returns you to the main NITerm
   screen.

Note: The default playback speed can also be adjusted through the
"Set Log Replay Speed Dialog". To  display this dialog, select "Tools / Replay Log / Tune..." from the NITerm menu.

Logging as a Troubleshooting Tool
If you feel that NITerm's emulation is "not quite right", session logging can be a useful means to determine where the problem lies.

For example, if you think that a certain character on your screen should be bolded but is not, it may be difficult to tell whether it is NITerm or the Unix computer that is at fault.

NITerm's Logging feature can be used to collect all the data coming from the Unix computer into a file and played back either into NITerm using different settings (E.g. terminal types), transferred to the Unix computer and played back at the console (if you are using “ansi”), or played back on an actual terminal. This can be an excellent way to determine which computer is at fault.

Note: When transferring log files to your Unix system, make sure to transfer the file in "Binary" (not ASCII) mode.  A file transferred in ASCII mode will not play correctly on the console.