Debug mysql4-install.php script

Question

I need to "debug"(basically see what's happening) inside the mysql4-install.php, because I have some problems to retrieve/insert new values in the just created tables.

<?php
//Version 0.1.0
    Mage::log('start', null, 'mysqlinstaller.log');
    $installer=$this;
    $installer->startSetup();

    $installer->run("
            DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `{$installer->getTable('country/product')}`;
            CREATE TABLE `{$installer->getTable('country/product')}` (
              `product_id` INT(11) unsigned NOT NULL,
              `active` ENUM('0','1') NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
              `allowed` ENUM('0','1') NOT NULL  DEFAULT '0',
              `country` VARCHAR(255),
              PRIMARY KEY (`product_id`)
            ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
        ");

    $installer->run("
            DROP TABLE IF EXISTS `{$installer->getTable('country/category')}`;
            CREATE TABLE `{$installer->getTable('country/category')}` (
              `category_id` INT(11) unsigned NOT NULL,
              `active` ENUM('0','1') NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
              `allowed` ENUM('0','1') NOT NULL DEFAULT '0',
              `country` VARCHAR(255),
              PRIMARY KEY (`category_id`)
            ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
        ");

    $setup = new Mage_Core_Model_Config();
    $setup->saveConfig('razorphyn/country/buttons', json_encode(array()), 'default', 0); 


    //NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING FROM HERE


    //Populate table country/product
    $collection = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->getCollection()->getAllIds();

    foreach($collection as $res){
        $data = array('product_id'=>$res,'active'=>0,'allowed'=>0,'country'=>'');
        Mage::getModel('country/product')->setData($data)->save();
    }

    //Populate table country/catalog
    $collection = Mage::getModel('catalog/category');
    $catTree = $collection->getTreeModel()->load();
    $catIds = $catTree->getCollection()->getAllIds();

    foreach($catIds as $id){
        $data = array('category_id'=>$id,'active'=>0,'allowed'=>0,'country'=>'');
        Mage::getModel('country/category')->setData($data)->save();
    }
    //End
    $installer->endSetup();
?>

My problem is that I can't insert new values, so I tried to see whats inside the arrays/objects with this:

Mage::log(print_r($collection, TRUE), null, 'mylogfile1.log');

but without success, it doesn't even create the file

config.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Razorphyn_Country>
            <version>0.1.0</version>
        </Razorphyn_Country>
    </modules>

    <global>
        <models>
            <country>
                <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model</class>
                <resourceModel>country_mysql4</resourceModel>
            </country>

            <country_mysql4>
                <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Mysql4</class>
                <entities>
                    <product>
                        <table>razorphyn_country_product</table>
                    </product>
                    <category>
                        <table>razorphyn_country_category</table>
                    </category>                    
                </entities>
            </country_mysql4>
        </models>

        <resources>
            <country_setup>
                <setup>
                    <module>Razorphyn_Country</module>
                </setup>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_setup</use>
                </connection>
            </country_setup>
            <country_write>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_write</use>
                </connection>
            </country_write>
            <country_read>
                <connection>
                    <use>core_read</use>
                </connection>
            </country_read> 
        </resources>

        <blocks>
            <country>
                <class>Razorphyn_Country_Block</class>
            </country>
        </blocks>

        <helpers>
            <country>
                <class>Razorphyn_Country_Helper</class>
            </country>
        </helpers>
    </global>

    <adminhtml>
        <events>
            <catalog_product_save_after>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_catalog_product_save_after>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>saveProductAllowedCountry</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_catalog_product_save_after>
                </observers>
            </catalog_product_save_after>
        </events>

        <layout>
            <updates>
                <country>
                    <file>Razorphyn/country.xml</file>
                </country>
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </adminhtml>

    <frontend>
        <events>
            <!-- Retrieve Country as soon as possible Event -->
            <controller_front_init_before>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_controller_front_init_before>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>retrieveCountry</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_controller_front_init_before>
                </observers>
            </controller_front_init_before>
            <!-- Page Rendering event -->
            <core_block_abstract_to_html_after>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_core_block_abstract_to_html_after>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>checkMerchantable</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_core_block_abstract_to_html_after>
                </observers>
            </core_block_abstract_to_html_after>
            <!-- Add to cart Event -->
            <controller_action_predispatch_checkout_cart_add>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_controller_action_predispatch_checkout_cart_add>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>checkProductOnAdd</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_controller_action_predispatch_checkout_cart_add>
                </observers>
            </controller_action_predispatch_checkout_cart_add>

            <!-- Events related to potential address change -->
            <customer_address_save_after>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_customer_address_save_after>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>updateCartAddress</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_customer_address_save_after>
                </observers>
            </customer_address_save_after>

            <customer_login>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_customer_login>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>updateCartAddress</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_customer_login>
                </observers>
            </customer_login>

            <checkout_controller_onepage_save_shipping_method>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_checkout_controller_onepage_save_shipping_method>
                        <type>singleton</type>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>updateCartAddress</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_checkout_controller_onepage_save_shipping_method>
                </observers>
            </checkout_controller_onepage_save_shipping_method>


            <!-- Add js config -->
            <core_block_abstract_to_html_before>
                <observers>
                    <razorphyn_country_controller_action_predispatch_checkout_cart_add>
                        <class>Razorphyn_Country_Model_Observer</class>
                        <method>addConfigJs</method>
                    </razorphyn_country_controller_action_predispatch_checkout_cart_add>
                </observers>
            </core_block_abstract_to_html_before>
        </events>

        <layout>
            <updates>
                <country>
                    <file>Razorphyn/country.xml</file>
                </country>
            </updates>
        </layout>
    </frontend>

</config>

Answer 1

Expanding on @musicliftsme's comment above, to enable logging in your Magento installation,

System > Configuration > Developer > Log Settings and set the Enabled option to Yes

Don't forget to set full access permissions (777) to the following folder: /var/log, since that is the place where those log files are saved.

Keep in mind

Mage::log('string to log'); will log to var/log/system.log

whereas

Mage::logException('string to log'); will log to var/log/exception.log

UPDATE: Also keep in mind none of the above will work in your install script. In order to have access to Mage::log() during an install script, you'll need to use a data install script. This should look like namespace/mymodule/data/data-install.1.0.0.php rather than namespace/mymodule/sql/install-1.0.0.php----UPDATE

To dump (output) some data to your screen during your installation script you can use die(); but first do:

echo '<pre>dumping... \n'; print_r($setup); echo '</pre>';
die();

If you do not see at least "dumping..." on your screen after refreshing, then your script did not run (check version in core_resource, etc.)

Another Suggestion:

Catch exceptions

try {
    $setup->saveConfig('razorphyn/country/buttons', json_encode(array()), 'default', 0);
} catch (Exception $e) {
    Mage::logException($e);
}