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!