Overview

django-better500s is a library that makes 500 errors more user-friendly, and developer friendly. It logs the full error traceback (as if it were in DEBUG mode), as well as a user's description of what they were trying to do.

Pull requests are quite welcome!

Usage

Installation

1. pip install django-better500s

2. Edit your settings.py:

   INSTALLED_APPS += ("better500s",)
   MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES += ("better500s.middleware.Better500s",)
   
   # Set any optional settings (below)
   BETTER_500_DEFAULT_RETURN_URL_NAME = "home_page"
   BETTER_500_LOG_DIR = join(PROJECT_ROOT, 'logs', 'better_500')
   BETTER_500_FROM_EMAIL = "foo@example.com"
   BETTER_500_TO_EMAILS = ["bar@example.com",]
   BETTER_500_UNCAUGHT_DIR = "Uncaught Logs"
   
   

3. (optional) Add in the urls:

   urlpatterns += patterns('',          
   	url(r'better500s/',   include('better500s.urls',  namespace="better500s",  app_name='better500s') ),
   )
   

4. Enjoy better error reports.

Optional Settings:

• BETTER_500_DEFAULT_RETURN_URL_NAME - The url name that the "Go Home" button should link to. If none, the button is hidden. Defaults to None.

• BETTER_500_LOG_DIR - Where the full log traces should be stored. Defaults to "PROJECT_ROOT/logs/better500s".

• BETTER_500_FROM_EMAIL - The email that notifications should be sent from. Defaults to settings.DEFAULT_FROM_EMAIL.

• BETTER_500_TO_EMAILS - The set of email that notifications should be sent to. Defaults to settings.ADMINS.

• BETTER_500_UNCAUGHT_DIR - Where to store log traces in which the 500 handling page crashed, or the user's browser crashed. Defaults to "UNCAUGHT".

• BETTER_500_AJAX_URL - URL for ajax callback, that saves the log, and sends off an email. Defaults to "better-500-callback/".

• BETTER_500_POST_URL - URL for user crash report posting. Defaults to "better-500-saved/".

How it works:

1. 500 (only) caught
2. Full debug page traceback is generated, saved to UNCAUGHT_DIR
3. "We're sorry / Tell us what you were doing" page loads.
4. On load, that page ajax pings the server.
5. On ping, the view files the log into a date-organized folder, and emails the TO_EMAILs with a link
6. If the user submits a report, that report is saved to the database, tied to the log file. A second email is sent, with the user's details.
7. An admin can click the view link, and see the full traceback, and any user details.

Templates and Customization

500_handler.html feedback_saved.html view_error.html

admin_email.txt error_with_notes_email.txt

Log storage, and backends

Uses default_backend, falls back to local system.