Pros of Logrus

• More popular and widely adopted in the Go community
• Offers a wider range of built-in formatters (JSON, text, etc.)
• Supports hooks for easy integration with external logging services

Cons of Logrus

• Slightly more complex API compared to Log15
• Performance can be slower in some scenarios, especially with many fields

Code Comparison

Log15:

log.Info("starting up", "protocol", "http", "port", 8080)

Logrus:

logrus.WithFields(logrus.Fields{
    "protocol": "http",
    "port":     8080,
}).Info("starting up")

Key Differences

• Log15 uses a simpler, more concise syntax for structured logging
• Logrus provides more flexibility in terms of formatting and output options
• Log15 focuses on performance and simplicity, while Logrus offers more features and integrations

Use Cases

• Log15: Ideal for projects prioritizing simplicity and performance
• Logrus: Better suited for complex applications requiring extensive logging features and integrations

Both libraries are well-maintained and offer structured logging capabilities for Go applications. The choice between them often depends on specific project requirements and personal preferences.

Pros of zerolog

• Higher performance and lower allocation overhead
• Supports JSON logging out of the box
• More flexible and customizable API

Cons of zerolog

• Steeper learning curve due to its unique API design
• Less built-in functionality for log levels and contexts

Code Comparison

log15:

log.Info("message", "key1", value1, "key2", value2)

zerolog:

log.Info().
    Str("key1", value1).
    Int("key2", value2).
    Msg("message")

Summary

zerolog offers superior performance and JSON logging capabilities, making it ideal for high-throughput applications. Its chainable API provides great flexibility but may require more effort to learn. log15, on the other hand, has a simpler API and built-in features for log levels and contexts, which can be beneficial for smaller projects or developers who prefer a more straightforward approach.

Both libraries have their strengths, and the choice between them depends on specific project requirements, performance needs, and developer preferences. zerolog is better suited for performance-critical applications, while log15 might be more appropriate for projects prioritizing simplicity and ease of use.

Pros of zap

• Higher performance and lower allocation overhead
• Structured logging with type-safe field constructors
• More flexible configuration options and log levels

Cons of zap

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
• Requires more setup code for basic usage
• Less intuitive for developers familiar with traditional logging patterns

Code Comparison

log15:

log.Info("User logged in", "user", user.Name, "admin", user.IsAdmin)

zap:

logger.Info("User logged in",
    zap.String("user", user.Name),
    zap.Bool("admin", user.IsAdmin),
)

Both libraries support structured logging, but zap requires explicit type declarations for fields. log15 uses a simpler key-value pair approach, while zap offers more type safety and performance optimizations at the cost of verbosity.

zap generally provides better performance and more advanced features, but log15 offers a simpler API that may be easier for some developers to adopt quickly. The choice between them depends on specific project requirements, performance needs, and team preferences.

Pros of apex/log

• Simpler API with fewer concepts to learn
• Built-in support for AWS Lambda and other cloud environments
• More actively maintained with recent updates

Cons of apex/log

• Less flexible configuration options
• Fewer built-in handlers and formatters
• Limited support for custom log levels

Code Comparison

log15:

log.Info("starting up", "listen", ":8080")
log.Warn("deprecated feature used", "feature", "X", "alternative", "Y")
log.Crit("failed to start", "err", err)

apex/log:

log.Info("starting up")
log.WithField("listen", ":8080").Info("server listening")
log.WithFields(log.Fields{
    "feature": "X",
    "alternative": "Y",
}).Warn("deprecated feature used")

Both libraries offer structured logging, but log15 allows for more compact inline field definitions, while apex/log uses method chaining for field addition. apex/log's approach may be more readable for complex log entries, but log15's style is more concise for simple logs.

Pros of Lumberjack

• Simple and lightweight, focusing on log rotation and management
• Easy integration with Go's standard library log package
• Supports log file compression

Cons of Lumberjack

• Limited features compared to more comprehensive logging frameworks
• Lacks built-in structured logging capabilities
• No support for multiple output destinations

Code Comparison

Lumberjack:

log.SetOutput(&lumberjack.Logger{
    Filename:   "/var/log/myapp/foo.log",
    MaxSize:    500, // megabytes
    MaxBackups: 3,
    MaxAge:     28, // days
    Compress:   true, // disabled by default
})

Log15:

log.Root().SetHandler(log.MultiHandler(
    log.StreamHandler(os.Stderr, log.LogfmtFormat()),
    log.LvlFilterHandler(
        log.LvlInfo,
        log.Must.FileHandler("errors.json", log.JsonFormat()),
    ),
))

Log15 offers a more flexible and feature-rich logging solution with structured logging, multiple handlers, and customizable formatting. Lumberjack, on the other hand, focuses specifically on log file rotation and management, making it a simpler choice for projects that primarily need this functionality. Log15 provides more advanced logging capabilities, while Lumberjack integrates seamlessly with Go's standard library for basic logging needs with added file management features.

Pros of glog

• Widely used and battle-tested in Google's production environments
• Provides built-in support for command-line flags for easy configuration
• Offers automatic log file rotation and management

Cons of glog

• Less flexible and customizable compared to log15
• Lacks structured logging capabilities out of the box
• Limited support for different output formats and destinations

Code Comparison

glog:

import "github.com/golang/glog"

glog.Info("Informational message")
glog.Errorf("Error: %v", err)
glog.V(2).Infoln("Verbose message")

log15:

import "github.com/inconshreveable/log15"

log := log15.New()
log.Info("Informational message")
log.Error("Error occurred", "err", err)
log.Debug("Debug message", "key1", value1, "key2", value2)

Key Differences

• glog uses a global logger instance, while log15 encourages creating logger instances
• log15 supports structured logging with key-value pairs, making it more flexible for complex logging scenarios
• glog's verbosity levels are controlled via command-line flags, whereas log15 allows for more programmatic control
• log15 offers easier customization of log formats and output destinations

Both libraries have their strengths, with glog being more suitable for projects requiring simple, production-ready logging, and log15 offering greater flexibility and structured logging capabilities for more complex applications.