diff --git a/cwLog.cpp b/cwLog.cpp
index 26be1bb..bf494c0 100644
--- a/cwLog.cpp
+++ b/cwLog.cpp
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ namespace cw
     {
      { kPrint_LogLevel, "" },
      { kDebug_LogLevel,   "debug" },
-     { kInfo_LogLevel,    "info " },
-     { kWarning_LogLevel, "warn " },
+     { kInfo_LogLevel,    "info" },
+     { kWarning_LogLevel, "warn" },
      { kError_LogLevel,   "error" },
      { kFatal_LogLevel,   "fatal" },
      { kInvalid_LogLevel, "<invalid>" }
@@ -57,6 +57,23 @@ cw::rc_t cw::log::create(  handle_t& hRef, unsigned level, logOutputCbFunc_t out
   return rc; 
 }
 
+cw::log::logLevelId_t cw::log::levelFromString( const char* label )
+{
+  for(unsigned i=0; logLevelLabelArray[i].id != kInvalid_LogLevel; ++i)
+    if( strcasecmp(label,logLevelLabelArray[i].label) == 0 )
+      return (logLevelId_t)logLevelLabelArray[i].id;
+  return kInvalid_LogLevel;
+}
+
+const char* cw::log::levelToString( logLevelId_t level )
+{
+  for(unsigned i=0; logLevelLabelArray[i].id != kInvalid_LogLevel; ++i)
+    if( logLevelLabelArray[i].id == level )
+      return logLevelLabelArray[i].label;
+  return nullptr;
+}
+
+
 cw::rc_t cw::log::destroy( handle_t& hRef )
 {
   rc_t rc = kOkRC;
@@ -94,11 +111,14 @@ cw::rc_t cw::log::msg( handle_t h, unsigned level, const char* function, const c
 
 cw::rc_t cw::log::msg( handle_t h, unsigned level, const char* function, const char* filename, unsigned line, int systemErrorCode, rc_t returnCode, const char* fmt, ... )
 {
-  rc_t rc;
-  va_list vl;
-  va_start(vl,fmt);
-  rc = msg( h, level, function, filename, line, systemErrorCode, returnCode, fmt, vl );
-  va_end(vl);
+  rc_t rc = returnCode;
+  if( level >= _handleToPtr(h)->level )
+  {
+    va_list vl;
+    va_start(vl,fmt);
+    rc = msg( h, level, function, filename, line, systemErrorCode, returnCode, fmt, vl );
+    va_end(vl);
+  }
   return rc;
 }
 
diff --git a/cwLog.h b/cwLog.h
index 59b4495..708a174 100644
--- a/cwLog.h
+++ b/cwLog.h
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ namespace cw
   
     typedef void (*logOutputCbFunc_t)( void* cbArg, unsigned level, const char* text );
     typedef void (*logFormatCbFunc_t)( void* cbArg, logOutputCbFunc_t outFunc, void* outCbArg, unsigned flags, unsigned level, const char* function, const char* filename, unsigned line, int systemErrorCode, rc_t rc, const char* msg );
-  
+
+    logLevelId_t levelFromString( const char* label );
+    const char* levelToString( logLevelId_t level );
+
+    
     rc_t create(  handle_t& hRef, unsigned level=kDebug_LogLevel, logOutputCbFunc_t outCb=nullptr, void* outCbArg=nullptr,  logFormatCbFunc_t fmtCb=nullptr, void* fmtCbArg=nullptr  );
     rc_t destroy( handle_t& hRef );
 
@@ -79,24 +83,12 @@ namespace cw
 #define cwLogVFatalH(h,rc,fmt, vl) cw::log::msg( h, cw::log::kFatal_LogLevel, __FUNCTION__, __FILE__, __LINE__, 0, rc, fmt, vl )
 #define cwLogFatalH( h,rc,fmt,...) cw::log::msg( h, cw::log::kFatal_LogLevel, __FUNCTION__, __FILE__, __LINE__, 0, rc, fmt, ##__VA_ARGS__ )
 
-#ifdef cwLOG_DEBUG
-
 #define cwLogVDebugRC(rc,fmt, vl) cwLogVDebugH( cw::log::globalhandle(), (rc), (fmt), (vl) )
 #define cwLogDebugRC( rc,fmt,...) cwLogDebugH(  cw::log::globalHandle(), (rc), (fmt), ##__VA_ARGS__ )
 
 #define cwLogVDebug(fmt, vl)      cwLogVDebugH( cw::log::globalHandle(), cw::kOkRC, (fmt), (vl) )
 #define cwLogDebug( fmt,...)      cwLogDebugH(  cw::log::globalHandle(), cw::kOkRC, (fmt), ##__VA_ARGS__ )
 
-#else
-
-#define cwLogVDebugRC(rc,fmt, vl)
-#define cwLogDebugRC( rc,fmt,...)
-
-#define cwLogVDebug(fmt, vl)
-#define cwLogDebug( fmt,...)
-
-#endif
-
 #define cwLogVPrint(fmt, vl)       cwLogVPrintH( cw::log::globalHandle(), (fmt), (vl) )
 #define cwLogPrint( fmt,...)       cwLogPrintH(  cw::log::globalHandle(), (fmt), ##__VA_ARGS__ )