AWStats is a free log file analysis
tool for web servers. It consists of a collection of Perl scripts that analyse
Apache-style access logs and produce graphical web pages with extended information
about the visits.
Browser Data Collection
AWStats can collect information about the browser capabilities and screen size,
but that requires embedding a <script> HTML tag in all the pages. This calls
a JavaScript function contained in the file awstats_misc_tracker.js that will
report the extra data to the web server in a specific HTTP GET request. An
extended explanation is provided in the AWStats FAQ
This plugin simplifies the job of adding the required <script> tag and provides
the latest stable version of the awstats_misc_tracker.js file, both in extended
and “minified” version using the Yahoo YUI Compressor.
Placing the Script
To speed-up the page rendering, the <script> tag is best placed at the bottom
of the page. This is the preferred option for WordPress themes that have a footer.
If the theme doesn’t have a footer, the tag is added to the page header. This
behaviour can be controlled using the plugin’s settings page. This has been
borrowed from the Google Analyticator plugin by Ronald Heft Jr.
No Logging for Administrators
The plugin also allows administrators to remove themselves and their visits from
the AWStats log. There is a field in the settings page where we can enter the user
level (a number from 0 to 10) above which the plugin will omit the <script> tag.
