[bind10-dev] changing brief description of log message require new message ID?

[Stephen Morris]

On 16/08/2011 17:10, Jeremy C. Reed wrote:
> If the format of the logged brief description changes, then possibly a 
> log parser may break or get wrong data.
> 
> Should we document a decision that if a log message's brief description 
> changes, we require a new message ID?

I don't believe we should change the ID if the brief description
changes.  Although there might be programs that try to parse the brief
description field of a message, there will be others that just scan the
output looking for the message ID. Changing the brief description may
require updates to the former; changing the message ID will require
updates to all such programs.

One other thing: if a log parsing program is critically dependent on the
description field, it is (*) possible to provide a local copy of the
description, overriding the one in BIND 10.  Providing message ID is
unchanged, this local copy will insulate the program from any changes to
BIND 10-supplied brief description.

Stephen

* I don't think a way to specify a local file has been coded yet,
although the logging code has the capability to read one and replace the
descriptions.