FirePython is a sexy Python logger console integrated into Firebug.

Originally, I have created it to light up my lonely nights I was spending with Google App Engine.

Prerequisites

You definitely need Firebug 1.2 or higher. You also have to install Firefox Addon which is called FireLogger.

Easy Installation

Firefox Addon

Preferred way is to install this firefox extension via addons.mozilla.com.

Python Library

sudo easy_install firepython

Install latest version from sources (preferred)

Firefox Addon

If you want to install latest addon from sources, you need to build it. It should be simple, but make sure you have these tools on your paths:

• git
• zip
• ruby and rake

Build steps:

git clone git://github.com/darwin/firelogger.git
cd firelogger
rake

After that your XPI should be available in build/firelogger-X.Y.xpi.

You should be able to install XPI file into Firefox: File -> Open File ... and browse for firelogger-X.Y.xpi.

Remember, that you should be also using latest FirePython library on server-side (see next section).

Python Library

Just note, that it depends on simplejson (or some other json parsing library needed by jsonpickle).

Clone project from github in your project directory.

git clone git://github.com/darwin/firepython.git

Or if your web project uses git for versioning, you may want to be cool and use firepython as a submodule of your git repository.

git submodule add git://github.com/darwin/firepython.git relative/path/to/firepython

In case firepython directory is not on your import paths, you need to add relative/path/to folder into your sys.path.

Usage

Django

After installation, enable middleware by adding its path in MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES: firepython.middleware.FirePythonDjango.

WSGI compatible

After installation, enable middleware firepython.middleware.FirePythonWSGI.

Custom usage

Look for inspiration in middleware.py

Real world examples

• FirePython added to Bloog (blog engine for GAE)
• FirePython added to DryDrop (GAE hosting engine for GitHubbers && !Pythonists)

Current State

Unfortunately FireLogger is broken with Firebug1.4 branch. Mainly because of changes around Simplified Activation and API changes. Expect FireLogger 0.5 to no longer work with Firebug 1.3 and lower.

• Version 0.4 works with:
  • Firebug 1.3 + Firefox 3.1
  • Firebug 1.2.1 + Firefox 3.0.4.
  • does not work with Firebug 1.4 alpha!
• Version 0.3 works with:
  • Firebug 1.3 + Firefox 3.1
  • Firebug 1.2.1 + Firefox 3.0.4.
• Version 0.2 is tested to work with alpha Firebug 1.3 and Firefox 3.1.

Contributors

• Alexander Solovyov - python server-side library, Django and WSGI middlewares.
• Ivan Fedorov - helped out with threading issues.
• Brett Slatkin - added profiling feature.

Also thanks to

• Joe Hewitt, John J. Barton, Jan Odvarko and others in Firebug working group - without these guys, the web wouldn't look like today.
• Christoph Dorn and FirePHP contributors - a lot of inspiration, good work mates!
• John Paulett for jsonpickle library - I was naively developing poor man's solution for inspecting objects in Python, but hopefully googled this gem early
• Jose Fonseca for gprof2dot library - deep Python profiling possible

Support

FAQ

How can I open preferences?

Switch to Logger panel and look to Firebug's toolbar. There is a green bug icon. It is a menu button!

Clicking on source-file links in Logger panel does nothing. How can I open trace-back sources in TextMate?

Go to Firebug Menu -> Open With Editor -> Configure editors ... like this:

I was unable to download/install FireLogger extension from addons.mozilla.org. Can you package latest version for me?

Some people reported this problem too. You may try workaround.

How can I see Python profiling graph?

1. enable this feature in FireLogger preferences
2. setup a editor in External Editors in Firebug called "Graphviz" (the name is important!). It should be path to executable of a viewer for .dot graphs.
3. reload page and you should see info log line containing profiling info, clicking on the line launches configured Graphviz viewer (a filename will be passed as the first parameter)

Bugs / Feature requests

The support forum is here.

IRC

IRC channel #firelogger at freenode

Articles

• FirePython — no prints? by Alexander Solovyov
• Realtime logging to Firebug using FirePython by Antonin Hildebrand

History

• v0.4 (30.03.2009)

  • [bslatkin] profiling graphs for Python (WSGI)
  • [piranha] enabled profiling support for Django
  • [piranha] PEP-8 code cleanup

• v0.3 (16.03.2009)

  • [darwin] compatibility with Firebug 1.2
  • [darwin] password protection for production site
  • [darwin] path rewrite functionality
  • [darwin] console supports rich formatting of python log messages
  • [oxyum+piranha] thread-safety
  • [darwin] improved API
  • [darwin] Firefox Addon detached as a separate project FireLogger
  • [darwin] option for hiding internal reprs of exported objects

• v0.2 (24.11.2008)

  • [piranha] Django and WSGI middlewares
  • [piranha] added as firepython package to PyPI index
  • [darwin] fixed Logger panel styles when Firebug window was detached from main window

• v0.1 (15.11.2008)

  • [darwin] public alpha release
  • [darwin] initial server-side support for Python and Google App Engine
  • [darwin] communication via response headers
  • [darwin] logging module functionality (debug, info, warning, error, critical)
  • [darwin] log record filtering by type
  • [darwin] log record searching
  • [darwin] opening files in TextMate (click to timestamp field)