Customized Application Logging and the Google Visualization API
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Transcript of Customized Application Logging and the Google Visualization API
Custom Application Logging and the Google Visualization API
Tito SierraNCSU Libraries
DLI Tech UpdateApril 27, 2010
1. Custom Application Logging
2. Google Visualization API
Custom Application Logging
Background
Many general purpose web analytics tools exist to analyze website traffic.
Background
Many general purpose web analytics tools exist to analyze website traffic.
Examples include Urchin, Google Analytics, AWStats, Mint.
Background
Many general purpose web analytics tools exist to analyze website traffic.
Examples include Urchin, Google Analytics, AWStats, Mint.
I’m not talking about these today.
Custom Logs Concept
Capture fine-grained usage metrics to reveal deeper or more specialized
insight into user behavior
Presentation Scope
Custom application logs can also be used for tracking system related information such as exceptions and errors, but I’m
not going to talk about that today
Motivation
Custom logs can be used to focus data analysis on the few specific metrics
that matter most for a given application
Motivation
Enhanced knowledge of how people are using your web application can
improve product development planning and decisions
Web App Usage Metrics
Web App Usage Metrics
Server Logs• Pageviews• Visits• Referrer• IP Address• User agent• Platform• Browser
Web App Usage Metrics
Server Logs• Pageviews• Visits• Referrer• IP Address• User agent• Platform• Browser
Custom Logs• App verbs• View• Search• Create• Click
• App views• Referrer categories• Source categories
Local Examples
• QuickSearch• GroupFinder• Library Tools
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
QuickSearch Example
CAT“catalog”
QuickSearch Example
FA“find articles”
QuickSearch Example
BB“best bets”
GroupFinder Example
GroupFinder Example
GroupFinder Example
GroupFinder Example
USER ID
GroupFinder Example
VERB
GroupFinder Example
ACTIVITY ID
GroupFinder Example
SOURCE
GroupFinder Example
GroupFinder Example
Library Tools Example
Library Tools Example
History
Library Tools Example
Reserves
Which Metrics to Track?
One size does not fit all.
Which Metrics to Track?
One size does not fit all.
Track metrics that support the analytic needs of your application and build the
log around these.
Pros and Cons of Custom Logs
Pros:• Capture new data• More control of data• Cleaner data• Easier to work with
for developers or spreadsheet experts
Pros and Cons of Custom Logs
Pros:• Capture new data• More control of data• Cleaner data• Easier to work with
for developers or spreadsheet experts
Cons:• Not an out of the
box solution• Development costs
to set up logging• Still need to process
data in the logs to yield value
Caveat
If you don’t have anyone on your team that cares about usage data analysis, is willing to spend time on it, and has an open mind about it, than don’t bother
Google Visualization API
Overview
Google Visualization API is a Google hosted javascript-based API for
rendering data visualizations on a webpage
Examples
Simple Example
src="http://www.google.com/jsapi"
document.getElementById('chart_div')
<div id="chart_div"></div>
data.addColumn('number', 'Age');data.addColumn('number', 'Weight');
data.setValue(0, 0, 8);data.setValue(0, 1, 12);
More Examples
More Examples
More Examples
Pros and Cons of Google Viz API
Pros:• Web friendly• Cross browser• No server software
install required• Simple API• Lots of “out of the
box” templates
Pros and Cons of Google Viz API
Pros:• Web friendly• Cross browser• No server software
install required• Simple API• Lots of “out of the
box” templates
Cons:• Requires
programming*• Requires data to be
serialized in javascript format
• Not suitable for advanced visualizations
Caveat
If you want to do data visualization, but don’t have a need to publish charts on a
webpage, you are probably better off just using Microsoft Excel to do your
charts
Caveat
Thank you!