80.2 Error Log
80.2.1 Overview ¶
Besides the processing log (invoice results, see chapter 80.1), the program keeps internal error logs of technical errors - separately per program component (main window, monitoring, processing). They serve support troubleshooting and are stored in the application data.
80.2.2 Creating an error report ¶
Main menu → More → Create error report compiles the error logs of all components together with the program version into a report file on the desktop (see chapter 2.2.1). Include this file with support requests - together with a description of what you observed.
The report contains:
- a configuration overview: installation and data folder (with a notice if the latter is on a network share), Windows service with startup type, account and state, processing locks and signs of life, the network drive mapping, the most important processing and notification options, and the active profiles with their monitored folders,
- the error logs - errors of the same kind are combined into one entry with count and time span,
- an excerpt of the last 48 hours from the diagnostics log
ServiceDiagnostics.log (start and stop decisions, service events, crash traces).
The report contains no passwords. The configuration overview names the Windows user, the service account and folder paths, but no email addresses - for recipients, only their number is listed. The error logs and the diagnostic excerpt, on the other hand, can contain file paths and - for example in replies from the mail server - also email addresses.
The program can also send the report regularly by email by itself (see chapter 80.2.3) or create it via the command line (see chapter 80.2.4).
80.2.3 Sending the error report regularly by email ¶
For installations you look after remotely, the program can send the error report itself - e.g. every Monday morning to the person in charge. To set it up: Options → Error report.
Program options, Error report page
| Option |
Meaning |
| Send error report by e-mail regularly |
Switches sending on |
| Recipient |
One or more addresses, separated by commas or semicolons; the ▼ button offers recently used recipients. Without a recipient, a notice appears and nothing is sent |
| Only send if new error log entries have been added since the last send |
Default: on. If there is nothing new at the scheduled time, sending is skipped until the next scheduled time. A known error that occurred again also counts as new |
| Trigger time |
Interval Daily, Weekly or Monthly with a time; for Weekly additionally the weekday, for Monthly the day of month - as for the Excel report (see chapter 40.9.3). Default: weekly, Monday 08:00 |
The report is the same as with the menu item (see chapter 80.2.2). It is attached to the email as the file "Automatic X-Invoice Processor version bug report computer name.txt"; the subject states the version and the computer name. It is sent via the account under E-mail sending (see chapter 40.8), including the send pause set there.
Processing does the sending - also as a Windows service, without the program window open. If no processing is running at the scheduled time, the report is sent once at the next start. If sending fails (e.g. mail server not reachable), the program tries again after about 15 minutes; the error is recorded in the error log.
80.2.4 Error report via the command line ¶
For scripts and the Windows Task Scheduler - for example, to collect the reports of many installations in a central folder - AXPProcessor.exe in the installation folder also creates the report without a program window:
| Call |
Effect |
AXPProcessor.exe --errorreport |
Writes the report to the desktop (short form -e) |
AXPProcessor.exe --errorreport "D:\Reports" |
Writes to this folder (created if necessary). The file name contains the computer name so that the reports of several computers do not overwrite each other. A target without a file extension counts as a folder |
AXPProcessor.exe --errorreport "D:\Reports\Report.txt" |
Writes exactly this file (an existing one is replaced) |
... --send |
Additionally sends the report by email to the recipients from Options → Error report, via the account under E-mail sending. Without a target, the report is only created for the attachment, not on the desktop |
... --send "it@company.com;support@company.com" |
Sends to these recipients instead of those from the options |
... --send --onlynew |
Only sends if new entries have been added since the last send via the command line. The command line keeps its own state for this: a scheduled send does not count, and vice versa. A specified target is written anyway |
Example for the Task Scheduler: AXPProcessor.exe --errorreport "\\server\support\error-reports" --send --onlynew
Return value (exit code): 0 = success (also if nothing was sent for lack of new entries), 6 = the report could not be created, 7 = report created, but sending failed. The messages appear in the calling console and in ServiceDiagnostics.log.
The call does not process any invoices and may run at any time, also alongside the program window or the Windows service. It reads the error logs of the calling Windows user - for a service under its own account, set up the scheduled task under that account.
80.2.5 Clearing the error logs ¶
Main menu → More → Clear error logs resets the logs after a confirmation (see chapter 2.2.2) - useful to start from a clean state before reproducing a problem.
80.2.6 Distinction ¶
| Log |
Content |
Visible |
| Processing log |
Result per invoice and task |
Log list in the main window |
| Error logs |
Technical errors of the program |
Only via the error report |
Processing errors of individual invoices (e.g. "printer not ready") appear in the processing log; the error logs add the technical details behind them.