intel v0.5

intel is turning into an even more awesome logging framework than before, as if that was possible! Today, I released version 0.5.0, and am now here to hawk it’s newness. You can check out the full changelog yourself, but I want to highlight a couple bits.

JSON function strings

intel.config is really powerful when coupled with some JSON config files, but Formatters and Filters were never 100% in config, because you could pass a custom function to either to customize to your little kidney’s content. It’s not possible to include typical functions in JSON. Much sad face. So, the formatFn and filterFn options allow you to write a function in a string, and intel will try to parse it into a function. Such JSON.

Logger.trace

A new lowest level was introduced, lower than even VERBOSE, and that’s TRACE. Likewise, Logger.trace behaves like console.trace, providing a stack trace with your message. If you don’t enable loggers with TRACE level logging, then no stacks will be traced, and everything will choo-choo along snappy-like.

Full dbug integration

This is the goods. intel is an awesome application logging library, since it lets you powerfully and easily be a logging switchboard: everything you want to know goes everywhere you want. However, stand-alone libraries have no business deciding where logs go. Libraries should simply provide logging when asked to, and shut up otherwise. That’s why libraries should use something like dbug. Since v0.4, intel has been able to integrate somewhat with dbug, but with 0.5, it can hook directly into it, meaning less bugs, and better performance. Examples!

// hood/lib/csp.js
var dbug = require('dbug')('hood:csp');

exports.csp = function csp(options) {
    dbug('csp options:', options);
    if (!options.policy) {
        dbug.warn('no policy provided. are you sure?');
    }
    // ...
};

// myapp/server.js
var intel = require('intel');
intel.console({ debug: 'hood' });
// will see: 'myapp.node_modules.hood.csp:DEBUG csp options: {}'

Dare I say, using intel and dbug together gives the best logging solution for libraries and apps.