Gogo Logbook

Posted: March 18, 2017
Last modified: December 23, 2020

What is Gogo Logbook?

Gogo Logbook logo Gogo Logbook is an electronic logbook to record events and agreements for projects. For example agreements made during a conversation with a customer can be recorded. The logbook allows you to quickly find back messages per project. One advantage of an electronic logbook is that multiple users can add messages and can read messages from each other.

Why Gogo Logbook?

Other electronic logbooks exist. ELOG is an example of a webapplication that is easily configurable. Unfortunately it is not feasible for every company to install a webapplication on their own intranet. Gogo Logbook is a stand alone application that stores the logbook in a single text file. If this file is located on a network share multiple users can use Gogo Logbook at the same time.

System requirements

Gogo Logbook demands little from the system. A computer that is not too old has plenty memory and processor capacity for Gogo Logbook.

The single requirement is a Java runtime or Java SDK must be present. Java 8 or higher is required. Here is a link to download Java from the website of Oracle, the owner of Java. Java can be downloaded from other websites too, but then possibly unwanted toolbars for your browser might be installed too.

Download

Click here to download Gogo Logbook 1.6.

Start

In a command prompt (Windows) or shell (Linux) start Gogo Logbook with the following command:

java -jar gogologbook.jar -lang=en <path to logbook file>

The path to the logbook file can be a file on the computer or on a network share (for exmaple \\computer-name\direcotry\logbook.txt). The logbook file must not exist when Gogo Logbook is started for the first time. When creating the first log message this file will be created.

Since the logbook file contains the complete logbook it is wise to backup this file regularly.

The parameter -lang=en changes the language of the user interface to English. If your operating system also uses English as standard language then this parameter can be omitted.

Double clicking the jar file to start gogo logook does not work because Gogo Logbook then does not know the path to the logbook file.

Creating a shortcut in Windows

For most users it is cumbersome to start Gogo Logbook in a command prompt. A shortcut in the start menu or on the desktop is way more convenient. To create a shortcut on the desktop follow these steps:

Open a command prompt and go to the directory containing the jar file (using the command cd).
Execute the following command (where logbook.txt must be replaced by the path to the logbook file):
echo java -jar gogologbook.jar -lang=en logbook.txt > logbook.bat
Right-click on the desktop and in the menu choose Menu and then Shortcut.
Select the file logbook.bat and at the name enter “Gogo Logbook”.

Versions

Version 1.6

Log messages can be deleted.
Users can be made inactive. When adding new log messages only an active users can be selected. If you upgrade to this version then all users are inactive. You have to make certain users active once.

Version 1.5

When the edit dialog is resized, the input field resizes too.
Deleting a category works now.
Timestamps are formatted in the format of the language of the user interface.
If the logbook file contains an empty line, then this line is ignored. Gogo Logbook does not crash anymore.

Version 1.4

Switched Gogo Logbook to Java 8.
Sometimes after starting up the cells of the table with log messages were as high as the table. This bug has been fixed.
Searching for a certain criterium (for example Town) did not work if one or more log messages did not have a value for this criterium. This bug has been fixed.
When resizing the window for editing a log message the input field for the message scales correctly and the input field for the timestamp does not disappear anymore.
Format of the timestamp in the table with log messages is consistent with the format in the input fields when using the English language.
Categories that are not being used in a log message can now be deleted.

Version 1.3

Gogo Logbook continuously utilized one of the processors to repaint the table with log messages when repainting was not required. This bug has been fixed.

Version 1.2

Added administration of categories. Categories can be added, edited and deleted.
Added administration of users. Users can be added, edited and deleted.
Table with log messages wraps lines such that the complete message is visible.

Version 1.1

Added possibility to enter the timestamp of a new log message explicitly.
Added administration of users. Users can be added, edited and deleted.
Filter initialized for messages of past year.