Determining the executing environment...

Question

I have a very complex PL/SQL program with multiple packages calls. In order to log the process I insert in a log table both informative messages and error messages.
In a development environment I need the informative messages but NOT in others environments...
Is there any "global variable" or similar what I can to use to know where the process is executing?
In other words , I need the next... (pseudocode)
LOG PROCESS:
IF ( "global_variable OR similar<>"DEVELOPMENT" and MESSAGE_TYPE ='INFORMATIVE' ) THEN
NOT WRITE LOG_MESSAGE;
ELSE
WRITE LOG_MESSAGE;
END IF;
For exemple, I think I could use
select instance_name
from v$instance;
If instance_name is a DEVELOPMENT HOST then I write informative messages... But I don't like to do always this SELECT when i need to log...
I need ideas... Can I use a default ORACLE CONTEX, for exemple?
Sorry for my horrible english...
Edited by: pacoKAS on 12-oct-2010 3:00

Answer 1

Here the idea with the package variable:
In your development environment you could use this
create or replace package yourpackage as
debug_mode boolean:=true;
end;in other environments this:
create or replace package yourpackage as
debug_mode boolean:=false;
end;Your application code then:
if yourpackage.debug_mode then
  <your activities>
end if;
...The package variable can be used as global variable.
Edited by: hm on 12.10.2010 04:05