---
 layout: post
 title: "Colorful logging in Rails 3.2"
 date: 2013-03-17 17:54
 comments: true
 categories: [rails]
 cover: /images/cover/avatar.png
 keywords: ruby on rails, ruby, rails, logger, formatting, colors
 description: Formate and colorize log output in Rails
 ---
 
 The default Rails logger is really messy. Write somewhere ```logger.debug
 some_object.inspect``` and then for an hour search where the goddamn message is
 in a log file. Fortunately we can format and colorize ```logger``` output.
 
 Create ```config/initializers/log_formatting.rb``` file and paste this code:
 
 {% codeblock lang:ruby %}{% raw %}
 class ActiveSupport::BufferedLogger
     def formatter=(formatter)
         @log.formatter = formatter
     end
 end
 
 class Formatter
     SEVERITY_TO_COLOR_MAP   = {'DEBUG'=>'33', 'INFO'=>'0;37', 'WARN'=>'36', 'ERROR'=>'31', 'FATAL'=>'31', 'UNKNOWN'=>'37'}
     USE_HUMOROUS_SEVERITIES = false
 
     def call(severity, time, progname, msg)
         formatted_severity = sprintf("%s","#{severity}")
 
         formatted_time = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.") << time.usec.to_s[0..2].rjust(3)
         color = SEVERITY_TO_COLOR_MAP[severity]
 
         if msg.empty?
             "\n"
         else
             "\033[0;37m#{formatted_time}\033[0m [#{formatted_severity}] \033[#{color}m#{msg.strip}\033[0m\n"
         end
     end
 
 end
 
 Rails.logger.formatter = Formatter.new
 {% endraw %}{% endcodeblock %}
 
 I found original code
 [here](http://cbpowell.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/beautiful-logging-for-ruby-on-rails-3-2/).
 I've just made small changes -- adjusted colors and formatting (and removed humorous
 stuff).
 
 This is how it looks in ```tail -f log/development.log```:
 {% img /images/rails-logger.png %}