RE: !Postprocess and e-mailed summary report

John Peacock <mailto:[email protected]> wrote on 10 October 2003 14:16:
> Robin Bowes wrote:
>> However, I'd like to use messagewallstats from a shell like this:
>>
>> # cat /var/log/mwall/\@* | messagewallstats
>>
>> John's patch won't allow this,
>
> You're right, but it is also not that important to do this often,
> since the summaries are already being mailed to you.  If you really
> need to do it manually, too, the inconvenience of a slightly longer
> commandline is not that significant.
>
>> unless you use something like:
>>
>> # cat /var/log/mwall/\@* | messagewallstats /dev/stdin
>>
>> ...which is something I want to avoid as it seems a little inelegant.
>
> There is a fine line between elegant programming and ignoring a
> perfectly good solution because you are overthinking the problem.  I
> just checked and the second form you noted works just fine and is
> somewhat shorter than what I have been doing:
>
> 	cat \@* | messagewallstats - 2>/dev/null
>
> but either way, it works fine.

There are two issues here:

1. The way messagewallstats reads its input (stdin vs. file specified on the command line)
2. How to mail a summary report while maintaining the full log files and their rotation.

1. is a matter of preference. I prefer to be able to just pipe input into a command rather than having to specify a file name on the
command-line. Most of the other tools I use work like this, and it grates a little that messagewallstats is different.

2. is about compatibility. My[1] script will work with the unpatched version of messagewallstats by using /dev/stdin as the
filename.

[1]I use the term "my" to distinguish from "your" script. Both were effectively written by Paul Jarc!

As you rightly say, both will work fine and if I were in a commercial environment I would have simply cut and paste your solution
and moved onto the next problem. As it is, I run my own personal server at home (behind a broadband cable connection) and have the
luxury of "overthinking" the problem.

All in all, a useful exchange of information with a successful outcome, don't you think?

Cheers,

R.