TailMe Help

TailMe is an utility providing functions similar to the UNIX/Linux command "tail": it lists the last changed lines/characters in a text file on the fly. It is usefull for monitoring log files of applications - e.g. Apache's error.log and access.log or Kerios filter.log.

General

Use INI file as command line parameter (path + name) to load configuration:

Without parameter a ini file in the directory of the program is used (and created, if necessary). It's name is equal to the program file name, except the extension.
Some parameters are configurable only via ini file: all FTP options, TailSize, (and the list of recent files).

TailMe works in two Modes: Multiple and Single Area mode.

TailMe can indicate special log entries with different colors.

TailMe supports the monitoring of files via ftp:

Your ftp server has to allow the FTP REST command (resume mode).
Probably the ftp server disconnects you after a while. The background image shows the connection state. Deactivate and reactivate the Active property to connect again or use the Auto Connect function.
Leave the FTP host blank, to switch off all FTP functionallity. Leave the FTP proxy host blank to deactivate the proxy access.

Drag&Drop of files from the file explorer is supported.

Replace an existing monitor job by dropping a file into the corresponding monitor area (works only with one file).
Drop file(s) to the title bar or to empty window areas to add monitor job(s).

Searching of text in the monitor areas is supported.

Move the mouse cursor in a monitor area and press F3 or CTRL+F to start the search.
Selected text of the corresponding monitor area is used as search text.

Filenames with date based wildcards are supported.

example: /logs/access.log.[yyyy].[ww].[D]
wildcard types

d	day of month without leading zero
dd	day of month with leading zero
w	week of year without leading zero
ww	week of year with leading zero
m	month of year without leading zero
mm	month of year with leading zero
yy	year as two-digit number
yyyy	year as four-digit number
D	day of week without leading zero
t	day of year without leading zeros
ttt	day of year with leading zero(s)

Bookmarks

You can define up to 10 bookmarks. Bookmarks are displayed as a green horizontal line with the corresponding number (0 - 9).
Press CTRL + SHIFT + [0 - 9] to add a bookmark to the end.
If you have selected text, the new bookmark is attached to the text.
Press CTRL + [0 - 9] to jump to the corresponding bookmark.
If a bookmark with the corresponding number already exists, the old book mark is removed.
If you are in multiple area mode, place the mouse cursor over the area you want to use for bookmarks.

Mouse Functions

Single click ...

... on a monitor area shows the name of the file in the title bar (single area mode).
... on the tray icon shows/hides the application

Double click ...

... on a monitor area stops the monitoring for the file. New lines are ignored. The next double click continues the monitoring.
... on a monitor area + ALT key switches between single and multiple area mode.
... on a monitor area + SHIFT key executes Adjust Size Equally.
... on a monitor area + CTRL key executes Maximize.

Move the mouse to the most right 30 pixel of a monitor area. The cursor is changed and you can drag the size of the area up and down.

Short Cuts

M - Minimize program window
O - change Always On Top
CTRL + Reset File - reset all files
CTRL + Remove File - remove all files
CTRF + F or F3 - search Text
F1 - opens this document (if in the same directory)
CTRL + T - execute a single check for appended Data (sometimes usefull with large Intervals)

Performance

TailMe is not dedicated to monitor massive growing files.
With the option TailSize you can monitor such files, but some parts of the added data possibly are simply ignored. So you can not trust the Special Words functionallity in such cases and generally you should use the TailSize option carefully.

Options and Menu Commands

Option/Command	INI File	Description
Monitor Files	[MonitorFiles] File0=c:\... File1=...	local files to load at start
*Recent Files*	[RecentFiles] File0=... File1=...	List of recently used files (no ftp files)
*Add File ...*	-	open one or more files (no ftp files)
	-
Remove File '....'	-	remove the selected file
*Reset File '...'*	-	clear the monitor area and ignore all meanwhile appended data for the selected file
Save / Copy Text	-	simple copy functions
*Maximize*	-	minimizes all monitor areas to a predefined height (18 pix) and maximizes the selected area to the available space
Monitor Options
*Active*	[Options] Active = 0/1	(de)activate the monitoring for all files; ftp connection is closed too; resets all files
*Purge at Line xy ...*	[Options] PurgeAtLine=xy	defines the size of the tail (in lines) for the file which is monitored
*Monitor Interval = xy ms ...*	[Options] MonitorInterval=xy	TailMe checks the file for appended data periodically every xy milliseconds
*Show only 'Special Word' Logs*	[Options] ShowOnlySpecialWordLogs=0/1	print only the lines with "Special Words"
*Init Bytes = xy ...*	[Options] InitBytes=xy	print the last xy bytes of the files at the first monitor event
*Add time stamp ...*	[Options] TimeStamp="[dd.mm.yyyy hh:mm:ss] "	adds a time stamp to every line
TailSize	[Options] TailSize=xy	TailMe reads only the last xy bytes of the added data; use a value of 0 to switch off this option
Visual Options
*Always On Top*	[Options] AlwaysOnTop=0/1	set the window style
*Show only in System Tray*	[Options] ShowOnlyInSystemTray=0/1	minimize the window in the system tray (only configurable via ini file)
*Show on Log Event*	[Options] ShowOnLogEvent=0/1	show the program window, if a log event occours
*Beep on Log Event*	[Options] BeepOnLogEvent=0/1	program beeps, if a log event occours
*Adjust Size Equally*	-	adjust the height of all monitor areas to the same value
*Adjust Size Automatically*	[Options] AdjustSizeAutomatically=0/1	adjust the height of all monitor areas to the same value, if the size of the program window is changed
*Font ...*	[Options] FontName=... FontSize= ...	only the size and the name of the font are used
*Monitor Background Color*	[Options] MonitorBackgroundColor=0xbbggrr	background color
*Show File Name Image*	[Options] ShowFileNameImage=0/1	shows the file name as a background image in light green; image also indicates the ftp connection state
*Single Monitor Area*	[Options] SingleMonitorArea=0/1	1) Single Area: shows all log entries of all files in one area 0) Multiple Area: every file has it's own monitor area
*Vertical Scroll Bars*	[Options] VScrollVisible=0/1	hide/show the vertical scroll bar(s)
*Show Border*	[Options] HasBorder=0/1	hide/show window border
*Show only in System Tray*	[Options] ShowOnlyInSystemTray=0/1	show only the task bar icon (0) or only the system tray icon (1)
*Word Wrap*	[Options] WordWrap=0/1	de/activate automatic word wrap
Filter Options
Special Words	[SpecialWords] SpecialWord1=... SpecialColor1=0xbbggrr SpecialWord_admin=... SpecialColor_admin=0xbbggrr ...	log entries with these words are printed in the defined color
FTP Options
FTP Files	[FTPTailFiles] FTPFile0=/logs/access.log.34.1 FTPFile1=...	ftp files to load at start
FTP Access	[FTP] Host=www.dschensky.de Port=21 Account=p1234567 PassiveMode=1 Password=abc123def456 ProxyPort=2121 ProxyAccount=192.168.0.1 ProxyPassword=	FTP connection data
FTP Auto Connect	[FTP] AutoConnect=xy	reconnects to the FTP server every xy minutes (minimum is 2); the precicion of the time interval depends on the Monitor Interval

*Current Configuration*	-	print the current options and parameters