Charmed Log

Structured logging for terminal applications, with optional lipgloss styling.

TL;DR

The Problem: Terminal apps need structured logs that are readable in a TUI and parsable in CI or production.

The Solution: Charmed Log provides a structured logger with multiple formatters (text, JSON, logfmt) and lipgloss-based styling for humans.

Why Charmed Log

Structured: key/value fields for every log entry.
Readable: styled output for terminal usage.
Flexible: switch formatters without changing callsites.

Role in the charmed_rust (FrankenTUI) stack

Charmed Log is used by wish (SSH logging), the demo showcase, and any app that wants consistent, styled logging. It relies on lipgloss for color and layout.

Crates.io package

Package name: charmed-log
Library crate name: charmed_log

Installation

[dependencies]
charmed_log = { package = "charmed-log", version = "0.1.2" }

Quick Start

use charmed_log::{Logger, Level};

let logger = Logger::new();
logger.info("Application started", &[("version", "0.1.2")]);
logger.log(Level::Warn, "Slow response", &[("ms", "1200")]);

Formatters

Text: human-readable output (default).
JSON: machine-readable output for structured pipelines.
Logfmt: key=value format for log aggregation.

API Overview

Key types in crates/charmed_log/src/lib.rs:

Logger: main entrypoint.
Level: log level enum (debug, info, warn, error, fatal).
Formatter: output formatter selection.

Configuration Patterns

Choose formatter at initialization.
Adjust log level to reduce noise in production.
Use structured fields to capture context (user, request_id, etc.).

Troubleshooting

No output: ensure logger is initialized and level permits the message.
Unreadable colors: switch formatter to JSON or disable styles.

Limitations

Not a full tracing system; it focuses on structured log output.
Async logging requires external buffering if you need non-blocking sinks.

FAQ

Does it integrate with tracing?
It’s a separate structured logger; you can bridge them if needed.

Can I output JSON?
Yes, select the JSON formatter.

About Contributions

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I do not accept outside contributions for any of my projects. I simply don't have the mental bandwidth to review anything, and it's my name on the thing, so I'm responsible for any problems it causes; thus, the risk-reward is highly asymmetric from my perspective. I'd also have to worry about other "stakeholders," which seems unwise for tools I mostly make for myself for free. Feel free to submit issues, and even PRs if you want to illustrate a proposed fix, but know I won't merge them directly. Instead, I'll have Claude or Codex review submissions via gh and independently decide whether and how to address them. Bug reports in particular are welcome. Sorry if this offends, but I want to avoid wasted time and hurt feelings. I understand this isn't in sync with the prevailing open-source ethos that seeks community contributions, but it's the only way I can move at this velocity and keep my sanity.

License

MIT. See LICENSE at the repository root.

charmed-log 0.1.2