myLog.h

#ifndef myLog_H
#define myLog_H 1

#include <fstream>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <time.h>

using namespace std;

/*
   the log file has to be accessed from any code
   which includes this header (similiar to cout, cerr, clog, etc..)
*/

class myLog;
extern myLog winLog;

const string SD_DEFAULT_LOGFILE = "LOG FILE.log";

const int LOG_WRITE  = ios::out;
const int LOG_APPEND = ios::app;

const int EXIT_MSG_SIZE = 512;
const int MAX_EXIT_CODES = 3;

class myLog : public ofstream
{

public:

    enum logLevels
    {
        LEVEL_0,       // buffer all log messages
        LEVEL_1,       // buffer Level one, two and three log messages
        LEVEL_2,       // buffer Level two and three log messages
        LEVEL_3,       // buffer Level three log messages
        QUIET_MODE     // do not print out any messages
    };

    myLog();
    myLog(const string&);
    myLog(const string&,enum logLevels);
    virtual ~myLog();

private:

    void initVars();
    void init(const string&);
    void init(const string&,int);
    void init();

    char* getExecTime();
    void  getExecTime(int*,int*);
    void  openLog(const string&,int);
    void  printHeader(int);

private:

    string logName;
    enum logLevels logLevel;
    time_t startTime;

};

const enum myLog::logLevels L0 = myLog::LEVEL_0;
const enum myLog::logLevels L1 = myLog::LEVEL_1;
const enum myLog::logLevels L2 = myLog::LEVEL_2;
const enum myLog::logLevels L3 = myLog::LEVEL_3;
const enum myLog::logLevels LQUIET = myLog::QUIET_MODE;

#endif