🌲 Timber - Great Ruby Logging Made Easy

Timber is a cloud-based logging system that integrates directly with your Ruby app through this library, capturing context and metadata without parsing. This produces rich, clean, readable logs that are easier to search and use:

1. Installation - One command: bundle exec timber install
2. Usage - Simple yet powerful API
3. Integrations - Automatic context and metadata for your existing logs
4. The Timber Console - Designed for Ruby developers
5. Get things done with your logs 💪

Installation

1. In your Gemfile, add the timber gem:

   gem 'timber', '~> 2.1'
   

2. In your shell, run bundle install

3. In your shell, run bundle exec timber install

Usage

Basic logging

Use the `Timber::Logger` just like you would `::Logger`: ```ruby logger.debug("Debug message") logger.info("Info message") logger.warn("Warn message") logger.error("Error message") logger.fatal("Fatal message") ``` We encourage standard / traditional log messages for non-meaningful events. And because Timber [augments](https://timber.io/docs/concepts/structuring-through-augmentation) your logs with metadata, you don't have to worry about making every log structured! ---

Logging events (structured data)

Logging events allows you to log structured data without sacrificing readability or worrying about structured data name or type conflicts. Keep in mind, Timber defines common events in the [`Timber::Events`](http://www.rubydoc.info/github/timberio/timber-ruby/Timber/Events) namespace, which are automatically logged for you through our [integrations](#integrations). You should not have to maually log events defined there except in special circumstances. ### How to use it ```ruby logger.warn "Payment rejected", payment_rejected: "abcd1234", amount: 100, reason: "Card expired" ``` 1. [Search it](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/searching) with queries like: `type:payment_rejected` or `payment_rejected.amount:>100` 2. [Alert on it](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/alerts) with threshold based alerts 3. [Graph & visualize it](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/graphing) 4. [View this event's data and context](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/view-metdata-and-context) 5. ...read more in our [docs](https://timber.io/docs/languages/ruby/usage/custom-events) ---

Setting context

Context is amazingly powerful, think of it like join data for your logs. It represents the environment when the log was written, allowing you to relate logs so you can easily segment them. It's how Timber is able to accomplish features like [tailing users](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/tail-a-user) and [tracing HTTP requests](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/trace-http-requests). Keep in mind, Timber defines common contexts in the [`Timber::Contexts`](http://www.rubydoc.info/github/timberio/timber-ruby/Timber/Contexts) namespace, which are automatically set for you through our [integrations](#integrations). You should not have to maually set these contexts except in special circumstances. ### How to use it ```ruby Timber.with_context(job: 123) do logger.info("Background job execution started") # ... code here logger.info("Background job execution completed") end ``` 1. [Search it](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/searching) with queries like: `job.id:123` 2. [View this context when viewing a log's metadata](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/view-metdata-and-context) 3. ...read more in our [docs](https://timber.io/docs/languages/ruby/usage/custom-context) ---

Metrics & Timings

Aggregates destroy details, events tell stories. With Timber, logging metrics and timings is simply [logging an event](https://timber.io/docs/languages/ruby/usage/custom-events). Timber is based on modern big-data principles and can aggregate inordinately large data sets in seconds. Logging events (raw data as it exists), gives you the flexibility in the future to segment and aggregate your data any way you see fit. This is superior to choosing specific paradigms before hand, when you are unsure how you'll need to use your data in the future. ### How to use it Below is a contrived example of timing a background job: ```ruby timer = Timber.start_timer # ... code to time ... logger.info("Processed background job", background_job: timer) ``` And of course, `time_ms` can also take a `Float` or `Fixnum`: ```ruby logger.info("Processed background job", background_job: 45.6) ``` Lastly, metrics aren't limited to timings. You can capture any metric you want: ```ruby logger.info("Credit card charged", credit_card_charge: 123.23) ``` 1. [Search it](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/searching) with queries like: `background_job.time_ms:>500` 2. [Alert on it](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/alerts) with threshold based alerts 3. [View this log's metadata in the console](https://timber.io/docs/app/console/view-metdata-and-context) 4. ...read more in our [docs](https://timber.io/docs/languages/ruby/usage/metrics-and-timings)

Configuration

Below are a few popular configuration options, for a comprehensive list, see Timber::Config.

Logrageify. Silence noisy logs.

Timber allows you to silence noisy logs that aren't of value to you, just like [lograge](https://github.com/roidrage/lograge). As such, we've provided a convenience configuration option for anyone transitioning from lograge. ### How to use it ```ruby # config/initializers/timber.rb Timber.config.logrageify!() ``` ### How it works It turns this: ``` Started GET "/" for 127.0.0.1 at 2012-03-10 14:28:14 +0100 Processing by HomeController#index as HTML Rendered text template within layouts/application (0.0ms) Rendered layouts/_assets.html.erb (2.0ms) Rendered layouts/_top.html.erb (2.6ms) Rendered layouts/_about.html.erb (0.3ms) Rendered layouts/_google_analytics.html.erb (0.4ms) Completed 200 OK in 79ms (Views: 78.8ms | ActiveRecord: 0.0ms) ``` Into this: ``` Get "/" sent 200 OK in 79ms @metadata ... ``` Internally this is equivalent to: ```ruby # config/initializers/timber.rb Timber.config.integrations.action_controller.silence = true Timber.config.integrations.action_view.silence = true Timber.config.integrations.active_record.silence = true Timber.config.integrations.rack.http_events.collapse_into_single_event = true ``` ### Pro-tip: Keep controller call logs (recommended) Feel free to deviate and customize which logs you silence. We recommend a slight deviation from lograge with the following settings: ```ruby # config/initializers/timber.rb Timber.config.integrations.action_view.silence = true Timber.config.integrations.active_record.silence = true Timber.config.integrations.rack.http_events.collapse_into_single_event = true ``` This does _not_ silence the controller call log event. This is because Timber captures the parameters passed to the controller, which are generally valuable when debugging. For a full list of integration settings, see [Timber::Config::Integrations](http://www.rubydoc.info/github/timberio/timber-ruby/Timber/Config/Integrations) ---

Silence specific requests (LB health checks, etc)

Silencing noisy requests can be helpful for silencing load balance health checks, bot scanning, or activity that generally is not meaningful to you. ### How to use it The following will silence all `[GET] /_health` requests: ```ruby # config/initializers/timber.rb Timber.config.integrations.rack.http_events.silence_request = lambda do |rack_env, rack_request| rack_request.path == "/_health" end ``` We require a block because it gives you complete control over how you want to silence requests. The first parameter being the traditional Rack env hash, the second being a [Rack Request](http://www.rubydoc.info/gems/rack/Rack/Request) object. ---

Capture custom user context

By default Timber automatically captures user context for most of the popular authentication libraries (Devise, Omniauth, and Clearance). See [Timber::Integrations::Rack::UserContext](http://www.rubydoc.info/github/timberio/timber-ruby/Timber/Integrations/Rack/UserContext) for a complete list. ### How to use it In cases where you Timber doesn't support your strategy, or you want to customize it further, you can do so like: ```ruby # config/initializers/timber.rb Timber.config.integrations.rack.user_context.custom_user_hash = lambda do |rack_env| user = rack_env['warden'].user if user { id: user.id, # unique identifier for the user, can be an integer or string, name: user.name, # identifiable name for the user, email: user.email, # user's email address } else nil end end ``` *All* of the user hash keys are optional, but you must provide at least one. ---

Capture release / deploy context

[Timber::Contexts::Release](http://www.rubydoc.info/github/timberio/timber-ruby/Timber/Contexts/Release) tracks the current application release and version. ### How to use it If you're on Heroku, simply enable the [dyno metadata](https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/dyno-metadata) feature. If you are not, set the following environment variables and this context will be added automatically: 1. `RELEASE_COMMIT` - Ex: `2c3a0b24069af49b3de35b8e8c26765c1dba9ff0` 2. `RELEASE_CREATED_AT` - Ex: `2015-04-02T18:00:42Z` 3. `RELEASE_VERSION` - Ex: `v2.3.1` All variables are optional, but at least one must be present. ---

Integrations

Timber integrates with popular frameworks and libraries to capture context and metadata you couldn't otherwise. This automatically upgrades logs produced by these libraries, making them easier to search and use. Below is a list of libraries we support:

• Frameworks & Libraries
  • Rails
  • Rack
  • Devise
  • Clearance
  • Omniauth
  • Warden
• Platforms
  • Heroku
  • System / Server

...more coming soon! Make a request by opening an issue

Get things done with your logs

Logging features every developer needs:

1. Powerful searching. - Find what you need faster.
2. Live tail users. - Easily solve customer issues.
3. Viw logs per HTTP request. - See the full story without the noise.
4. Inspect HTTP request parameters. - Quickly reproduce issues.
5. Threshold based alerting. - Know when things break.
6. ...and more! Checkout our the Timber application docs

The Timber Console

Learn more about our app.

Your Moment of Zen