Logging Like a Lumberjack: Crafting Custom Loggers in Aurelia 2

Once upon a console, in the deep, dark woods of an Aurelia 2 application, there was a developer who wanted to chop down the forest of confusion and carve out their own path with a custom logger. If you’re like this brave code-warrior, ready to leave the beaten track of default logging behind, then grab your virtual axe because we’re about to get crafty with some log-making magic!

First things first, let’s set up camp. Imagine your app as a cosy log cabin in the wilderness of the World Wide Web. You want to make sure that every creak of the floorboards (or, in this case, every line of code that executes) is heard loud and clear. But not just any old echo through the forest will do – you want your logging to be like the call of a majestic moose: distinctive, purposeful, and impossible to ignore.

Here’s how to craft your very own logger that’s more unique than a squirrel with a top hat:

// Import the essentials for survival in the Aurelia wilderness
import { DI, Registration, ILogger, ConsoleSink, LogLevel, LoggerConfiguration } from '@aurelia/kernel';

// First, we need to create a container; think of it as your toolshed.
const myLoggerContainer = DI.createContainer();

// Now let's pick our tools. We're going for the trusty ConsoleSink – it's like the sturdy axe of logging.
myLoggerContainer.register(LoggerConfiguration.create({
  sinks: [new ConsoleSink()],
  level: LogLevel.debug // Set the LogLevel to whatever suits your fancy
}));

// Time to get a logger that's scoped just for us – as personalized as a monogrammed flannel shirt.
export const myCustomLogger = myLoggerContainer.get(ILogger).scopeTo('MyQuirkyApp');

// And now, the moment of truth – let's log something!
myCustomLogger.debug('I just chopped down a tree of confusion!');

With this setup, you’re not just shouting into the void but creating echoes that will reverberate through your application with clarity and purpose. But why stop there? Let’s add a bit of pizzazz and make our logs as colourful as a forest in autumn.

class RainbowConsoleSink {
  emit(level, ...params) {
    const color = this.getLevelColor(level);
    console.log(`%c${params.join(' ')}`, `color: ${color}`);
  }
  getLevelColor(level) {
    switch(level) {
      case LogLevel.debug: return 'green';
      case LogLevel.info: return 'blue';
      case LogLevel.warn: return 'orange';
      case LogLevel.error: return 'red';
      default: return 'black';
    }
  }
}

// Register our new, fabulous RainbowConsoleSink
myLoggerContainer.register(LoggerConfiguration.create({
  sinks: [new RainbowConsoleSink()],
  level: LogLevel.debug
}));

// Let's see the rainbow!
myCustomLogger.info('Is that a pot of gold, or just my brilliant logging?');

There you have it, fellow code-lumberjacks and jills! You’ve now crafted a custom logger that not only tells tales of your app’s adventures but does so with style, flair, and a dash of whimsy. Your logs will stand out like a unicorn in a field of horses, and debugging will feel less like a chore and more like a treasure hunt.

So go forth, and may your logs be as lively and informative as a campfire story that has the whole forest talking.