Advanced features

Custom outputs on one ActivityMonitor

You can add your own output handler for a single ActivityMonitor by creating an IActivityMonitorClient and registering it by calling monitor.Output.RegisterClient(client).

The following example adds an ActivityMonitorConsoleClient to one monitor:

public void MyMethod() {
    IActivityMonitor m = new ActivityMonitor();
    IActivityMonitorClient client = new ActivityMonitorConsoleClient();
    m.Output.RegisterClient(client);
}

Apply a custom configuration to all new ActivityMonitors

You can set up some code that will be executed every time an ActivityMonitor is created using the static ActivityMonitor.AutoConfiguration event.

The following example adds an ActivityMonitorConsoleClient to every new monitor after it:

public void Startup() {
    ActivityMonitor.AutoConfiguration += (monitor) =>
    {
        IActivityMonitorClient client = new ActivityMonitorConsoleClient();
        monitor.Output.RegisterClient(client);
    };
}

Filtering ActivityMonitor logs

ActivityMonitor instances obey a LogFilter to decide which logs to process and output. This filter can be set by the monitors' custom outputs; the GrandOutput does not set it..

You can set the default LogFilter on the static property ActivityMonitor.LogFilter.

It can be overridden on every monitor, either permanently by setting its MinimalFilter property, or temporarily by calling TemporarilySetMinimalFilter(), which returns an IDisposable.

A LogFilter is made of two LogLevels: one for log lines, one for log groups.

Groups that do not pass the filter are still opened: lines inside these groups are processed and outputted as if the group was never opened.

All log levels are processed by default.

Lambda log messages

A log message can be replaced by a lambda that returns it; if the log does not pass the filter, this lambda will not be executed. This can be handy when using logs to perform IO calls like database queries.

public void MyMethod() {
    IActivityMonitor m = new ActivityMonitor();
    m.MinimalFilter = LogFilter.Off;
    m.Error(() => "My error message");
}

Automatic tags

An ActivityMonitor can be configured to have tags sent automatically, without having to add them to every log call.

public static CKTrait LogTag = ActivityMonitor.Tags.Register("MY_LOG_TAG");
public void MyMethod() {
    IActivityMonitor m = new ActivityMonitor();
    m.AutoTags = LogTag;
    m.Info("Log message with tags");
}

You can temporarily set automatic tags by calling TemporarilySetAutoTags(), which returns an IDisposable.