reworking the plugin a bit - ensure the code is written for coders :).

Thanks for the input Jordan!

lib/logstash/outputs/graphtastic.rb

@@ -17,14 +17,16 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::GraphTastic < LogStash::Outputs::Base
   config_name "graphtastic"
   plugin_status "beta"
 
-  # options are UDP(fastest - default) - RMI(faster) - REST(fast) - TCP (don't use TCP yet - some problems - errors out)
-  config :integration, :validate => :string, :default => "udp"
+  # options are udp(fastest - default) - rmi(faster) - rest(fast) - tcp(don't use TCP yet - some problems - errors out on linux)
+  config :integration, :validate => ["udp","tcp","rmi","rest"], :default => "udp"
 
   # if using rest as your end point you need to also provide the application url
-  # it defaults to localhost/graphtastic - if you change it make sure you
-  # include the context root - graphtastic - or if you changed it make sure it
-  # matches what is in the web.xml of the graphtastic application
-  config :applicationContext, :validate => :string, :default => "graphtastic"
+  # it defaults to localhost/graphtastic.  You can customize the application url
+  # by changing the name of the .war file.  There are other ways to change the 
+  # application context, but they vary depending on the Application Server in use.
+  # Please consult your application server documentation for more on application
+  # contexts.
+  config :context, :validate => :string, :default => "graphtastic"
 
   # metrics hash - you will provide a name for your metric and the metric 
   # data as key value pairs.  so for example:
@@ -42,15 +44,16 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::GraphTastic < LogStash::Outputs::Base
   config :host, :validate => :string, :default => "127.0.0.1"
 
   # port for the graphtastic instance - defaults to 1199 for RMI, 1299 for TCP, 1399 for UDP, and 8080 for REST
-  config :port, :validate => :number, :default => 0
+  config :port, :validate => :number
 
   # number of attempted retry after send error - currently only way to integrate
   # errored transactions - should try and save to a file or later consumption
   # either by graphtastic utility or by this program after connectivity is
   # ensured to be established. 
   config :retries, :validate => :number, :default => 1
 
-  # the number of metrics to send to GraphTastic at one time. 
+  # the number of metrics to send to GraphTastic at one time. 60 seems to be the perfect 
+  # amount for UDP, with default packet size. 
   config :batch_number, :validate => :number, :default => 60
 
   # setting allows you to specify where we save errored transactions
@@ -68,14 +71,14 @@ def register
             raise Exception.new("LogStash::Outputs::GraphTastic# JRuby is needed for RMI to work!")
          end
          require "java"
-         if @port == 0
+         if @port.nil?
            @port = 1199
          end
          registry = java.rmi.registry.LocateRegistry.getRegistry(@host, @port);
          @remote = registry.lookup("RmiMetricService")
        elsif @integration.downcase == "rest"
          require "net/http"         
-         if @port == 0
+         if @port.nil?
            @port = 8080
            gem "mail" #outputs/email, # License: MIT License
          end
@@ -99,50 +102,29 @@ def receive(event)
     @retry = 1
     @logger.debug("Event found for GraphTastic!", :tags => @tags, :event => event)
     @metrics.each do |name, metric|
-      send(event.sprintf(name),event.sprintf(metric),(event.unix_timestamp*1000))# unix_timestamp is what I need in seconds - multiply by 1000 to make milliseconds.
+      postMetric(event.sprintf(name),event.sprintf(metric),(event.unix_timestamp*1000))# unix_timestamp is what I need in seconds - multiply by 1000 to make milliseconds.
     end
   end
 
-  def send(name, metric, timestamp)
+  def postMetric(name, metric, timestamp)
     message = name+","+metric+","+timestamp.to_s
     if @batch.length < @batch_number
       @batch.push(message)
     else
-      sendMessage()
-
+      flushMetrics()      
     end    
   end
 
-  def sendMessage()
+  def flushMetrics()
     begin
       if @integration.downcase == "tcp"
-        # to correctly read the line we need to ensure we send \r\n at the end of every message.
-        if @port == 0
-          @port = 1299
-        end
-        tcpsocket = TCPSocket.open(@host, @port)
-        tcpsocket.send(@batch.join(',')+"\r\n", 0)
-        tcpsocket.close
-        @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using TCP : #{@batch.join(',')}")
+        flushViaTCP()
       elsif @integration.downcase == "rmi"
-        if RUBY_ENGINE != "jruby"
-           raise Exception.new("LogStash::Outputs::GraphTastic# JRuby is needed for RMI to work!")
-        end
-        @remote.insertMetrics(@batch.join(','))
-        @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using RMI : #{@batch.join(',')}")    
+        flushViaRMI() 
       elsif @integration.downcase == "udp"
-        if @port == 0
-          @port = 1399
-        end
-        udpsocket.send(@batch.join(','), 0, @host, @port)
-        @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using UDP : #{@batch.join(',')}")
+        flushViaUDP()
       elsif @integration.downcase == "rest"
-        request = Net::HTTP::Put.new("/#{@applicationContext}/addMetric/#{@batch.join(',')}")
-        response = @http.request(request)
-        @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using REST : #{@batch.join(',')}", :response => response.inspect)
-        if response == 'ERROR'
-          raise 'Error happend when sending metric to GraphTastic using REST!'
-        end
+        flushViaREST()
       else
         @logger.error("GraphTastic Not Able To Find Correct Integration - Nothing Sent - Integration Type : ", :@integration => @integration)
       end
@@ -152,10 +134,50 @@ def sendMessage()
       @logger.info("*******Attempting #{@retry} out of #{@retries}")
       while @retry < @retries
         @retry = @retry + 1
-        sendMessage()
+        flushMetrics()
       end
     end
   end
+
+  # send metrics via udp
+  def flushViaUDP()
+    if @port.nil?
+     @port = 1399
+    end
+    udpsocket.send(@batch.join(','), 0, @host, @port)
+    @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using UDP : #{@batch.join(',')}")
+  end
+
+  # send metrics via REST
+  def flushViaREST()
+    request = Net::HTTP::Put.new("/#{@context}/addMetric/#{@batch.join(',')}")
+    response = @http.request(request)
+    if response == 'ERROR'
+      raise 'Error happend when sending metric to GraphTastic using REST!'
+    end
+    @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using REST : #{@batch.join(',')}", :response => response.inspect)    
+  end
+
+  # send metrics via RMI
+  def flushViaRMI()
+    if RUBY_ENGINE != "jruby"
+       raise Exception.new("LogStash::Outputs::GraphTastic# JRuby is needed for RMI to work!")
+    end
+    @remote.insertMetrics(@batch.join(','))
+    @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using RMI : #{@batch.join(',')}")
+  end
+
+  # send metrics via tcp
+  def flushViaTCP()
+    # to correctly read the line we need to ensure we send \r\n at the end of every message.
+    if @port.nil?
+      @port = 1299
+    end
+    tcpsocket = TCPSocket.open(@host, @port)
+    tcpsocket.send(@batch.join(',')+"\r\n", 0)
+    tcpsocket.close
+    @logger.debug("GraphTastic Sent Message Using TCP : #{@batch.join(',')}")
+  end
 
   def udpsocket; @socket ||= UDPSocket.new end