eel - EventEmitter Logging 
eel is a logging "framework" that hopes to embody a few simple principles:
- Logging should be easy.
- Logs should record structured data.
- Logging should be flexible.
It accomplishes these goals by decoupling the logging of events from the writing of logs in the simplest way possible: using an EventEmitter
Easy
The eel module exports a function that logs at the "info" level:
log = require('eel')
version = require('./package.json').version
log("Started up", {version: version, port: port})
To log at another level, use the log[level] functions:
process.on('uncaughtException', function (err) {
log.error("uncaughtException", {err: err})
process.exit(1)
})
The default levels are debug, info, warning, error, and critical.
Structured Data
Eel uses the logstash JSON event format internally. Every logging
method takes a @message as the first parameter, and an object representing
the @fields part of a event as the second. Either parameter can be omitted,
and if you include any of the @ prefixed "metadata" fields in the field data
object they will override the defaults.
Confused? Hopefully these examples will clarify:
log('Something happened', {count: 10})
/*
{ '@message': 'Something happened',
'@tags': [],
'@fields': { level: 'info', count: 10 },
'@timestamp': '2012-12-16T05:44:48.125Z' }
*/
log.warn('Something happened', {count: 10, '@tags': ['bad']})
/*
{ '@message': 'Something happened',
'@tags': ['bad'],
'@fields': { level: 'warn', count: 10 },
'@timestamp': '2012-12-16T05:44:48.125Z' }
*/
log.error('Something happened', {'@message': 'Overridden!'})
/*
{ '@message': 'Overridden!',
'@tags': [],
'@fields': { level: 'error' },
'@timestamp': '2012-12-16T05:44:48.125Z' }
*/
Be careful, Eel doesn't go out of it's way to prevent you from generating garbage log entries!
Flexible
In addition to the various logging methods, the eel object also acts like an
EventEmitter. In fact, none of the above examples produce any
output, because nothing is listening to the events being emitted. To rectify
this we can attach the simplest possible logging backend to the 'entry' event:
log.on('info', console.log).on('error', console.error)
Now our prepared log entry objects will be printed to the console:
log('Something happened', {relephant: 'data'})
/* Actually prints this to the console:
{ '@message': 'Something happened',
'@fields': { level: 'info', relephant: 'data' },
'@timestamp': '2012-05-31T23:49:01.523Z' }
*/
Logging backends
To configure a backend use log.backends.configure with a URI describing the
backend and it's options. Logging to a file:
log.backends.configure('file:///var/log/my_program.log?rotateSize=')
you write your own let me know or send me a pull request to add it to the list:
- eel-stream - Write logs to a stream (file, tcp socket, whatever) using a formatter function.
- eel-amqp - Send logs to an AMQP server.
TODO
Investigate using EventEmitter2 for namespacing and pattern matching log events.