A simple, compact JSON-based event format for Serilog. CompactJsonFormatter significantly reduces the byte count of small log events when compared with Serilog's default JsonFormatter, while remaining human-readable. It achieves this through shorter built-in property names, a leaner format, and by excluding redundant information.
A simple Hello, {User} event.
{"@t":"2016-06-07T03:44:57.8532799Z","@mt":"Hello, {User}","User":"nblumhardt"}
Install from NuGet:
dotnet add package Serilog.Formatting.Compact
The formatter is used in conjunction with sinks that accept ITextFormatter. For example, the file sink:
Log.Logger = new LoggerConfiguration() .WriteTo.File(new CompactJsonFormatter(), "./logs/myapp.json") .CreateLogger();XML
<appSettings> configuration
To specify the formatter in XML <appSettings> provide its assembly-qualified type name:
<appSettings>
<add key="serilog:using:File" value="Serilog.Sinks.File" />
<add key="serilog:write-to:File.path" value="./logs/myapp.json" />
<add key="serilog:write-to:File.formatter"
value="Serilog.Formatting.Compact.CompactJsonFormatter, Serilog.Formatting.Compact" /> JSON appsettings.json configuration
To specify formatter in json appsettings.json provide its assembly-qualified type name:
{
"Serilog": {
"WriteTo": [
{
"Name": "File",
"Args": {
"path": "./logs/myapp.json",
"formatter": "Serilog.Formatting.Compact.CompactJsonFormatter, Serilog.Formatting.Compact"
}
}
]
}
}
CompactJsonFormatter will preserve the message template, properties, and formatting information so that the rendered message can be created at a later point. When the JSON is intended for consumption in an environment without message template rendering, RenderedCompactJsonFormatter can be used instead.
Instead of the message template, RenderedCompactJsonFormatter writes the fully-rendered message, as well as an event id generated from the message template, into the event:
{"@t":"2016-06-07T03:44:57.8532799Z","@m":"Hello, \"nblumhardt\"","@i":"7a8b9c0d","User":"nblumhardt"}
The format written by the compact formatters is specified generically so that implementations for other logging libraries, including Microsoft.Extensions.Logging, are possible if desired.
Each event is a JSON object with event data at the top level. Any JSON property on the payload object is assumed to be a regular property of the event, apart from the reified properties below.
The format defines a handful of reified properties that have special meaning:
Property Name Description Required?@t Timestamp An ISO 8601 timestamp Yes @m Message A fully-rendered message describing the event @mt Message Template Alternative to Message; specifies a message template over the event's properties that provides for rendering into a textual description of the event @l Level An implementation-specific level identifier (string or number) Absence implies "informational" @x Exception A language-dependent error representation potentially including backtrace @i Event id An implementation specific event id (string or number) @r Renderings If @mt includes tokens with programming-language-specific formatting, an array of pre-rendered values for each such token May be omitted; if present, the count of renderings must match the count of formatted tokens exactly @tr Trace id The id of the trace that was active when the event was created, if any @sp Span id The id of the span that was active when the event was created, if any
The @ sigil may be escaped at the start of a user property name by doubling, e.g. @@name denotes a property called @name.
When events are batched into a single payload, a newline-delimited stream of JSON documents is required. Either \n or \r\n delimiters may be used. Batches of newline-separated compact JSON events can use the (unofficial) MIME type application/vnd.serilog.clef.
Versioning would be additive only, with no version identifier; implementations should treat any unrecognised reified properties as if they are user data.
The output and benchmarks below compare the compact JSON formatter with Serilog's built-in JsonFormatter.
Event
Log.Information("Hello, {@User}, {N:x8} at {Now}",
new
{
Name = "nblumhardt",
Tags = new[] { 1, 2, 3 }
},
123,
DateTime.Now);
Default JsonFormatter 292 bytes
{"Timestamp":"2016-06-07T13:44:57.8532799+10:00","Level":"Information","MessageT
emplate":"Hello, {@User}, {N:x8} at {Now}","Properties":{"User":{"Name":"nblumha
rdt","Tags":[1,2,3]},"N":123,"Now":"2016-06-07T13:44:57.8532799+10:00"},"Renderi
ngs":{"N":[{"Format":"x8","Rendering":"0000007b"}]}}
CompactJsonFormatter 187 bytes (0.64)
{"@t":"2016-06-07T03:44:57.8532799Z","@mt":"Hello, {@User}, {N:x8} at {Now}","@r
":["0000007b"],"User":{"Name":"nblumhardt","Tags":[1,2,3]},"N":123,"Now":2016-06
-07T13:44:57.8532799+10:00}
Formatting benchmark
See test/Serilog.Formatting.Compact.Tests/FormattingBenchmarks.cs.
JsonFormatter 11.2775 µs 0.0682 µs 1.00 CompactJsonFormatter 6.0315 µs 0.0429 µs 0.53 JsonFormatter(renderMessage: true) 13.7585 µs 0.1194 µs 1.22 RenderedCompactJsonFormatter 7.0680 µs 0.0605 µs 0.63
Several tools are available for working with the CLEF format.
clef-tool - a CLI application for processing CLEF filesseqcli - pretty-print CLEF files at the command-line, or ingest CLEF files into Seq for search, and analysisLogEventsSerilog.Formatting.Compact is not intended to provide customizable formatters. See this blog post for comprehensive Serilog JSON output customization examples.
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