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NLog - Advanced and Structured Logging for Various .NET Platforms

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Quick Overview

NLog is a flexible and free logging platform for various .NET platforms, including .NET Framework, .NET Core, and Xamarin. It helps developers easily add logging, tracing, and debugging capabilities to their applications, with support for structured and traditional logging.

Pros

  • Highly configurable with extensive options for log targets, layouts, and filtering
  • Supports both synchronous and asynchronous logging
  • Offers good performance and low overhead
  • Integrates well with popular .NET frameworks and libraries

Cons

  • Configuration can be complex for advanced scenarios
  • Documentation, while comprehensive, can be overwhelming for beginners
  • Some users report occasional issues with log file locking

Code Examples

  1. Basic logging:
using NLog;

class Program
{
    private static readonly Logger Logger = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Logger.Info("Hello, NLog!");
        Logger.Error("This is an error message");
    }
}
  1. Structured logging:
Logger.Info("User {Username} logged in from {IPAddress}", username, ipAddress);
  1. Conditional logging:
Logger.Trace("This is a trace message");
Logger.Debug("This is a debug message");

if (Logger.IsWarnEnabled)
{
    Logger.Warn("This is a warning message");
}
  1. Exception logging:
try
{
    // Some code that might throw an exception
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Logger.Error(ex, "An error occurred while processing the request");
}

Getting Started

  1. Install NLog package via NuGet:

    Install-Package NLog
    
  2. Create a basic NLog.config file in your project root:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
    <nlog xmlns="http://www.nlog-project.org/schemas/NLog.xsd"
          xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
      <targets>
        <target name="logfile" xsi:type="File" fileName="log.txt" />
        <target name="console" xsi:type="Console" />
      </targets>
      <rules>
        <logger name="*" minlevel="Info" writeTo="logfile,console" />
      </rules>
    </nlog>
    
  3. Add NLog to your code:

    using NLog;
    
    class Program
    {
        private static readonly Logger Logger = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();
    
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Logger.Info("Application started");
            // Your application code here
        }
    }
    

Competitor Comparisons

7,518

Simple .NET logging with fully-structured events

Pros of Serilog

  • Structured logging with support for complex data types
  • Easier configuration and setup, especially for beginners
  • Better performance in high-throughput scenarios

Cons of Serilog

  • Fewer built-in targets compared to NLog
  • Less flexible configuration options for advanced scenarios
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to NLog

Code Comparison

Serilog:

Log.Logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
    .WriteTo.Console()
    .CreateLogger();

Log.Information("Hello, {Name}!", name);

NLog:

var config = new LoggingConfiguration();
var consoleTarget = new ConsoleTarget("console");
config.AddRule(LogLevel.Info, LogLevel.Fatal, consoleTarget);
LogManager.Configuration = config;

logger.Info("Hello, {0}!", name);

Both NLog and Serilog are popular logging frameworks for .NET applications. Serilog excels in structured logging and ease of use, while NLog offers more flexibility and a wider range of built-in targets. Serilog's configuration is generally simpler, making it a good choice for beginners or projects that prioritize quick setup. NLog, on the other hand, provides more advanced configuration options and a larger ecosystem, which can be beneficial for complex logging requirements. Performance-wise, Serilog tends to have an edge in high-throughput scenarios. Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on specific project needs and developer preferences.

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An addictive .NET IoC container

Pros of Autofac

  • More flexible and powerful dependency injection capabilities
  • Better support for advanced scenarios like circular dependencies
  • Extensive integration with popular frameworks and libraries

Cons of Autofac

  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Slightly more complex configuration compared to simpler DI containers
  • Potential performance overhead in large-scale applications

Code Comparison

NLog (Logging):

private static Logger logger = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();
logger.Info("This is an informational message");
logger.Error(exception, "An error occurred");

Autofac (Dependency Injection):

var builder = new ContainerBuilder();
builder.RegisterType<MyService>().As<IMyService>();
var container = builder.Build();
var service = container.Resolve<IMyService>();

While NLog focuses on logging functionality, Autofac is a dependency injection container. NLog provides a straightforward way to add logging to applications, while Autofac offers more advanced IoC capabilities for managing dependencies and improving application architecture.

NLog is generally easier to set up and use for basic logging needs, whereas Autofac requires more initial configuration but provides greater flexibility in managing object lifecycles and dependencies.

Both libraries are widely used in the .NET ecosystem and can be complementary in a single application, with NLog handling logging concerns and Autofac managing dependency injection.

1,536

Castle Windsor is a best of breed, mature Inversion of Control container available for .NET

Pros of Windsor

  • Powerful dependency injection container with advanced features like interceptors and typed factories
  • Supports various lifestyles for managing object lifecycles
  • Integrates well with other Castle Project components

Cons of Windsor

  • Steeper learning curve compared to simpler logging libraries
  • May be overkill for projects that only need basic logging functionality
  • Less frequent updates and smaller community compared to NLog

Code Comparison

Windsor (Dependency Injection):

container.Register(Component.For<ILogger>().ImplementedBy<ConsoleLogger>());
var logger = container.Resolve<ILogger>();
logger.Log("Hello, Windsor!");

NLog (Logging):

private static Logger logger = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();
logger.Info("Hello, NLog!");

Summary

Windsor is a powerful dependency injection container, while NLog is a dedicated logging framework. Windsor offers more flexibility in managing object lifecycles and dependencies, but has a steeper learning curve. NLog is simpler to use for basic logging needs and has a larger community. The choice between them depends on whether you need a full-fledged IoC container or just a logging solution.

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README

NLog

NuGet Semantic Versioning NuGet downloads

Coverage

NLog is a free logging platform for .NET with rich log routing and management capabilities. It makes it easy to produce and manage high-quality logs for your application regardless of its size or complexity.

Handles both structured logging and traditional logging from any .NET language, augment with contextual information, format according to your preference and send them to one or more targets such as file or console.

Major and minor releases will be posted on project news.

Getting started

For the possible options in the config, check the Options list and API Reference

Having troubles? Check the troubleshooting guide


ℹ️ NLog 6.0 supports AOT

NLog 6.0 now available. See also List of major changes in NLog 6.0

NLog Extensions

The NLog-nuget-package provides everything needed for doing file- and console-logging. If you need other output options, then there are many NLog extension packages available (such as databases, email, cloud services, etc.). See targets and layout renderers overview!

The NLog extension packages maintained by the NLog-project are listed here with Nuget/build status.

It is also possible to Create your own custom NLog extensions.

Questions, bug reports or feature requests?

If having issues with getting NLog working? Then please check the troubleshooting guide before asking! This will often provide you with clear error message when asking, so it is easier to solve the issue!

If having questions about how to configure NLog correctly? Then please post questions on StackOverflow (using the nlog tag)

Have you found a bug or issue with NLog functionality? Please post them on the issue list and follow these guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

See FAQ on the Wiki

License

NLog is open source software, licensed under the terms of BSD license. See LICENSE.txt for details.