diff --git a/src/util/logger.rs b/src/util/logger.rs
index c544502..f89070d 100644
--- a/src/util/logger.rs
+++ b/src/util/logger.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // prints output to the stderr if the verbosity is
 // greater than or equal to the logging level of the
 // notification.
+#[macro_export]
 macro_rules! log {
     // NOTE: this uses a variadic argument system
     // copied from the std::fmt eprintln! macro
@@ -14,8 +15,6 @@ macro_rules! log {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::*;
-
     #[test]
     fn test_name() {
         log!(1, 1, "this is a {}", "test");
diff --git a/src/validate.rs b/src/validate.rs
index b9120c6..f6f9188 100644
--- a/src/validate.rs
+++ b/src/validate.rs
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 use std::{path::{PathBuf, Path, Components, Component}, fs, collections::{HashMap, VecDeque}, borrow::BorrowMut};
 
 use crate::util;
+use crate::log;
 
 pub fn validate(verbosity: u8, config: util::config::Config) {
     println!("Validating");
 
     let in_suffix = "in"; //TODO make this configurable?
     let out_suffix = "out";
+    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1: Input suffix: {} \nOutput suffix: {}", in_suffix, out_suffix);
     // get list of all file names in input/output
+    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1:Reading the list of input and output files");
     let in_files: Vec<PathBuf> = get_dir_files(&config.input_path, verbosity).expect("Failed to read the input directory contents");
     let out_files: Vec<PathBuf> = get_dir_files(&config.output_path, verbosity).expect("Failed to read the output directory contents");
 
-    let mismatch: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)>;
-
     // check the files for valid suffixes
+    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1:Collecting files with invalid suffixes");
     let invalid_suffix_in: Vec<PathBuf> = collect_invalid(&in_files, in_suffix, verbosity);
     let invalid_suffix_out: Vec<PathBuf> = collect_invalid(&out_files, out_suffix, verbosity);
 
@@ -27,7 +29,9 @@ pub fn validate(verbosity: u8, config: util::config::Config) {
     }
 
     // make sure each has a match
+    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1:Checking if valid mappings exist between input and output files");
     let in_to_out: (Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)>, Vec<PathBuf>) = map_files(in_files, out_files, &config, verbosity);
+    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1:Verifying file matches");
     let invalid: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)> = check_mappings(in_to_out.0, in_suffix, out_suffix, verbosity);
 
     print_unmached(in_to_out.1, verbosity);
@@ -52,11 +56,13 @@ fn map_files(in_files: Vec<PathBuf>, out_files: Vec<PathBuf>, config: &util::con
     for pre in config.input_path.components() {
         in_prefix.push(pre);
     }
+    log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Input prefixes found: {:?}", in_prefix);
 
     let mut out_prefix = vec![];
     for pre in config.output_path.components() {
         out_prefix.push(pre);
     }
+    log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Output prefixes found: {:?}", out_prefix);
 
     // check if the files have the same paths relative to in/out directory
     for ifile in &in_files {
@@ -81,16 +87,21 @@ fn map_files(in_files: Vec<PathBuf>, out_files: Vec<PathBuf>, config: &util::con
             // println!("{:?}", ofile);
             // println!("{:?}", out_comp);
 
+            log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Checking mapping of {} to {}",
+                 &ifile.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"),
+                 &ofile.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"));
             // check if the file names are the same
             if ofile.file_stem() == ifile.file_stem() {
                 // check that their paths are the same relative to the input/output directory
                 for comp in &in_prefix { if &comp == &in_comp.front().expect("Failed to extract") { in_comp.pop_front(); } }
                 for comp in &out_prefix { if &comp == &out_comp.front().expect("Failed to extract") { out_comp.pop_front(); } }
-                println!("{:?}\n{:?}\n{:?}", in_prefix, in_comp,out_comp);
+                // println!("{:?}\n{:?}\n{:?}", in_prefix, in_comp,out_comp);
 
                 // if the files match, then we add them to the mapping
                 if out_comp == in_comp {
-                    println!("Added to map");
+                    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1: Adding the mapping between {} and {} to the list of file mappings.",
+                         ifile.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"),
+                         ofile.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"));
                     res.0.push((ifile.clone(), ofile.clone()));
                     found = true;
                 }
@@ -98,7 +109,9 @@ fn map_files(in_files: Vec<PathBuf>, out_files: Vec<PathBuf>, config: &util::con
         }
 
         // if we fail to find a match, we add the file to the rest
-        if !found { res.1.push(ifile.clone()); }
+        if !found {
+            log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1: Adding {} to the list of unmapped files", ifile.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"));
+            res.1.push(ifile.clone()); }
     }
 
     let mut cl: Vec<PathBuf> = Vec::from(out_files.clone());
@@ -108,6 +121,7 @@ fn map_files(in_files: Vec<PathBuf>, out_files: Vec<PathBuf>, config: &util::con
     }
 
     cl.retain(|x| !r.contains(&x));
+    log!(1, verbosity, "LOG 1: Adding the following files to the list of unmapped files:\n{:?}", cl);
     res.1.append(&mut cl);
     // println!("{:?}", res);
     return res;
@@ -126,8 +140,10 @@ fn check_mappings(mappings: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)>, in_suffix: &str, out_suffix
     let mut res: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)> = vec![];
 
     for tup in &mappings {
+        log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Verifying the mapping {:?}", tup);
         if !(tup.0.as_path().extension().unwrap() == in_suffix) || !(tup.1.as_path().extension().unwrap() == out_suffix) {
             res.push(tup.clone());
+            log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Added {:?} to the list of invalid mappings", tup);
         }
     }
     // println!("{:?}", res);
@@ -146,12 +162,19 @@ fn collect_invalid(files: &Vec<PathBuf>, suf: &str, verbosity: u8) -> Vec<PathBu
     let mut res: Vec<PathBuf> = vec![];
 
     for file in files {
+        log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Checking the validity of {} against the suffix {}:\n$${}$$\n$${}$$",
+             file.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"),
+             suf,
+             file.extension().expect("Failed to extract suffix").to_str().expect("Failed to parse string"),
+             suf);
+
         let extension = file.extension().expect("Invalid file name for validation");
         if extension.to_str() != Some(suf) {
             res.push(file.clone());
+            log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Added {} to invalid files", file.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"));
         }
     }
-    println!("{:?}", res);
+    // println!("{:?}", res);
     return res
 }
 /**
@@ -164,6 +187,7 @@ fn collect_invalid(files: &Vec<PathBuf>, suf: &str, verbosity: u8) -> Vec<PathBu
 fn get_dir_files(path: &PathBuf, verbosity: u8) -> Result<Vec<PathBuf>, &'static str>  {
     let mut res: Vec<PathBuf> = vec![];
 
+    log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Checking the directory {} for files", path.to_str().expect("failed to parse string"));
     // get the readout of the path for error handling
     let entries = match fs::read_dir(path) {
         Ok(x) => x,
@@ -175,6 +199,7 @@ fn get_dir_files(path: &PathBuf, verbosity: u8) -> Result<Vec<PathBuf>, &'static
         if p.path().is_dir() {
             ();
         } else {
+            log!(2, verbosity, "LOG 2: Found file {}", stringify!(p));
             res.push(p.path());
         }
     }