Logstravaganza

This is a plugin for Obsidian that logs all console output and uncaught exceptions to a note in a vault. It's mainly aimed at developers.

As such, it's also useful for letting your plugin's users help you debug your plugin's issues: Ask your customers to install this plugin, then send you the resulting log when they report a bug.

What it does

• Intercepts and writes all console.*() output to a file in your vault.
• Logs uncaught exceptions to the same file, including exceptions occurring in async code and promises (as long as they're happening in the main thread).
• Logs can be written in several formats:
  • NDJSON, a plain text format that can be read by humans and machines alike. Every line in the file is a JSON object. Think CSV, but with JSON.
  • Markdown file containing a table.
  • Markdown file containing code blocks.

Example output

The log output will be written to a console-log.DEVICE-NAME.* or, optionally, console-log.DEVICE-NAME.2024-01-31.* . (Here, DEVICE-NAME is a placeholder for the actual device name as returned by the core Sync plugin. This works whether or not Sync is activated or not.)

Using the NDJSON formatter

Output file name: console-log.DEVICE-NAME.ndjson

{"timestamp":"2024-03-24T16:18:04.256Z","level":"info","sender":"plugin:logstravaganza","args":["[Logstravaganza] Proxy set up (v2.0.0)"]}
{"timestamp":"2024-03-24T16:18:04.419Z","level":"log","sender":"plugin:actions-uri:12152:11","args":[["[Actions URI]","Registered URI handlers:",["actions-uri","actions-uri/command","actions-uri/command/list","actions-uri/command/execute","actions-uri/dataview","actions-uri/dataview/table-query","actions-uri/dataview/list-query","actions-uri/file","actions-uri/file/list","actions-uri/file/get-active","actions-uri/file/open","actions-uri/file/delete","actions-uri/file/trash","actions-uri/file/rename","actions-uri/folder","actions-uri/folder/list","actions-uri/folder/create","actions-uri/folder/rename","actions-uri/folder/delete","actions-uri/folder/trash","actions-uri/info","actions-uri/note-properties","actions-uri/note-properties/get","actions-uri/note-properties/set","actions-uri/note-properties/clear","actions-uri/note-properties/remove-keys","actions-uri/note","actions-uri/note/list","actions-uri/note/get","actions-uri/note/get-first-named","actions-uri/note/get-active","actions-uri/note/open","actions-uri/note/create","actions-uri/note/append","actions-uri/note/prepend","actions-uri/note/touch","actions-uri/note/delete","actions-uri/note/trash","actions-uri/note/rename","actions-uri/note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/omnisearch","actions-uri/omnisearch/all-notes","actions-uri/omnisearch/open","actions-uri/daily-note","actions-uri/daily-note/list","actions-uri/daily-note/get-current","actions-uri/daily-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/daily-note/open-current","actions-uri/daily-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/daily-note/create","actions-uri/daily-note/append","actions-uri/daily-note/prepend","actions-uri/daily-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/daily-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/weekly-note","actions-uri/weekly-note/list","actions-uri/weekly-note/get-current","actions-uri/weekly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/weekly-note/open-current","actions-uri/weekly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/weekly-note/create","actions-uri/weekly-note/append","actions-uri/weekly-note/prepend","actions-uri/weekly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/weekly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/monthly-note","actions-uri/monthly-note/list","actions-uri/monthly-note/get-current","actions-uri/monthly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/monthly-note/open-current","actions-uri/monthly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/monthly-note/create","actions-uri/monthly-note/append","actions-uri/monthly-note/prepend","actions-uri/monthly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/monthly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/quarterly-note","actions-uri/quarterly-note/list","actions-uri/quarterly-note/get-current","actions-uri/quarterly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/quarterly-note/open-current","actions-uri/quarterly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/quarterly-note/create","actions-uri/quarterly-note/append","actions-uri/quarterly-note/prepend","actions-uri/quarterly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/quarterly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/yearly-note","actions-uri/yearly-note/list","actions-uri/yearly-note/get-current","actions-uri/yearly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/yearly-note/open-current","actions-uri/yearly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/yearly-note/create","actions-uri/yearly-note/append","actions-uri/yearly-note/prepend","actions-uri/yearly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/yearly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/search","actions-uri/search/all-notes","actions-uri/search/open","actions-uri/tags","actions-uri/tags/list","actions-uri/vault","actions-uri/vault/open","actions-uri/vault/close","actions-uri/vault/info","actions-uri/vault/list-all-files","actions-uri/vault/list-non-notes-files"]]]}
{"timestamp":"2024-03-24T16:18:04.530Z","level":"time","sender":"plugin:omnisearch:50:7444","args":[["Omnisearch - Indexing total time"]]}
{"timestamp":"2024-03-24T16:18:04.530Z","level":"log","sender":"plugin:omnisearch:50:7571","args":[["Omnisearch - 66 files total"]]}

Obsidian won't open .ndjson files, even though they're basically plain text files.

In NDJSON, every line is a self-contained JSON object. This makes it easy to read and parse with tools like jq. For example, the file can be filtered with jq:

jq -r 'select(.level == "error")' < "console-log.DEVICE-NAME.ndjson"

This will only show the lines where the level is error. You can also stream the output of the plugin to a file and then use jq to filter it in real-time.

tail -f "console-log.DEVICE-NAME.ndjson" | jq -r 'select(.level == "error")'

Using the Markdown Table formatter

Output file name: console-log.DEVICE-NAME.md

| Timestamp | Originator | Level | Message |
| --------- | ---------- | ----- | ------- |
| 2024-03-23T17:25:42.973Z | plugin:logstravaganza | info | \[Logstravaganza] Proxy set up (v1.3.0) |
| 2024-03-23T17:25:43.109Z | plugin:actions-uri:12152:11 | log | \["\[Actions URI]","Registered URI handlers:",\["actions-uri","actions-uri/command","actions-uri/command/list","actions-uri/command/execute","actions-uri/dataview","actions-uri/dataview/table-query","actions-uri/dataview/list-query","actions-uri/file","actions-uri/file/list","actions-uri/file/get-active","actions-uri/file/open","actions-uri/file/delete","actions-uri/file/trash","actions-uri/file/rename","actions-uri/folder","actions-uri/folder/list","actions-uri/folder/create","actions-uri/folder/rename","actions-uri/folder/delete","actions-uri/folder/trash","actions-uri/info","actions-uri/note-properties","actions-uri/note-properties/get","actions-uri/note-properties/set","actions-uri/note-properties/clear","actions-uri/note-properties/remove-keys","actions-uri/note","actions-uri/note/list","actions-uri/note/get","actions-uri/note/get-first-named","actions-uri/note/get-active","actions-uri/note/open","actions-uri/note/create","actions-uri/note/append","actions-uri/note/prepend","actions-uri/note/touch","actions-uri/note/delete","actions-uri/note/trash","actions-uri/note/rename","actions-uri/note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/omnisearch","actions-uri/omnisearch/all-notes","actions-uri/omnisearch/open","actions-uri/daily-note","actions-uri/daily-note/list","actions-uri/daily-note/get-current","actions-uri/daily-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/daily-note/open-current","actions-uri/daily-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/daily-note/create","actions-uri/daily-note/append","actions-uri/daily-note/prepend","actions-uri/daily-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/daily-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/weekly-note","actions-uri/weekly-note/list","actions-uri/weekly-note/get-current","actions-uri/weekly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/weekly-note/open-current","actions-uri/weekly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/weekly-note/create","actions-uri/weekly-note/append","actions-uri/weekly-note/prepend","actions-uri/weekly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/weekly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/monthly-note","actions-uri/monthly-note/list","actions-uri/monthly-note/get-current","actions-uri/monthly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/monthly-note/open-current","actions-uri/monthly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/monthly-note/create","actions-uri/monthly-note/append","actions-uri/monthly-note/prepend","actions-uri/monthly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/monthly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/quarterly-note","actions-uri/quarterly-note/list","actions-uri/quarterly-note/get-current","actions-uri/quarterly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/quarterly-note/open-current","actions-uri/quarterly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/quarterly-note/create","actions-uri/quarterly-note/append","actions-uri/quarterly-note/prepend","actions-uri/quarterly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/quarterly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/yearly-note","actions-uri/yearly-note/list","actions-uri/yearly-note/get-current","actions-uri/yearly-note/get-most-recent","actions-uri/yearly-note/open-current","actions-uri/yearly-note/open-most-recent","actions-uri/yearly-note/create","actions-uri/yearly-note/append","actions-uri/yearly-note/prepend","actions-uri/yearly-note/search-string-and-replace","actions-uri/yearly-note/search-regex-and-replace","actions-uri/search","actions-uri/search/all-notes","actions-uri/search/open","actions-uri/tags","actions-uri/tags/list","actions-uri/vault","actions-uri/vault/open","actions-uri/vault/close","actions-uri/vault/info","actions-uri/vault/list-all-files","actions-uri/vault/list-non-notes-files"]] |
| 2024-03-23T17:25:43.168Z | plugin:omnisearch:50:7444 | time | \["Omnisearch - Indexing total time"] |
| 2024-03-23T17:25:43.168Z | plugin:omnisearch:50:7571 | log | \["Omnisearch - 66 files total"] |

In reading mode, the output will be displayed as a table.

Using the Markdown Code Blocks formatter

Output file name: console-log.DEVICE-NAME.md

```
time: 2024-05-06T17:31:06.874Z
from: plugin:logstravaganza
level: info
[Logstravaganza] Proxy set up (v2.0.1)
```

```
time: 2024-05-06T17:31:07.017Z
from: plugin:actions-uri:12152:11
level: log
[
    "[Actions URI]",
    "Registered URI handlers:",
    [
        "actions-uri",
        "actions-uri/command",
        "actions-uri/command/list",
        "actions-uri/command/execute",
        "actions-uri/dataview",
…
        "actions-uri/vault/list-all-files",
        "actions-uri/vault/list-non-notes-files"
    ]
]
```

```
time: 2024-05-06T17:31:07.098Z
from: plugin:omnisearch:50:7444
level: time
Omnisearch - Indexing total time
```

```
time: 2024-05-06T17:31:07.098Z
from: plugin:omnisearch:50:7571
level: log
Omnisearch - 75 files total
```

In reading mode, the output will be displayed as separate MD code blocks.

Caveats

Naturally, the plugin can't know about past console output. It can only log what happens after when it's activated/enabled.

Please note: When this plugin is active and proxying console calls, all output to the actual console will appear as coming from plugin:logstravaganza.

For discussions, please visit the Plugin Forum ("Log in with GitHub" is enabled).

Bug Reports & Discussions

Bug reports and feature requests are welcome, feel free to open an issue here on GitHub — thank you!

I've moved all plugin discussions to the ActionsDotWork Forum which is a hub for both my Obsidian plugins and the macOS/iOS productivity apps I'm building: Carlo's Obsidian Plugins - ActionsDotWork Forum.

The forum supports single-sign-on via GitHub, Apple and Google, meaning you can log in with your GitHub account.

Installation

1. Search for "Logstravaganza" in Obsidian's community plugins browser. (This link should bring it up.)
2. Install it.
3. Enable the plugin in your Obsidian settings under "Community plugins".

That's it.

Installation via BRAT (for pre-releases or betas)

1. Install BRAT.
2. Add "Logstravaganza" to BRAT:
   1. Open "Obsidian42 - BRAT" via Settings → Community Plugins
   2. Click "Add Beta plugin"
   3. Use the repository address czottmann/obsidian-logstravaganza
3. Enable "Logstravaganza" under Settings → Options → Community Plugins

Development

Use Node.js 22. Run corepack enable, then pnpm install --frozen-lockfile. Use pnpm dev to watch source changes. Run pnpm lint and pnpm build before a release.

Author

Carlo Zottmann, [email protected], https://c.zottmann.dev/

My Obsidian plugins: https://obsidian.md/plugins?search=zottmann

Logstravaganza is brought to you by …

Actions for Obsidian, a macOS/iOS app also made by me! AFO is the missing link between Obsidian and macOS / iOS: 50+ Shortcuts actions to bring your notes and your automations together. Take a look!

Contributors

• @fyears (PR#11, PR#12)

Disclaimer

Use at your own risk. Things might go sideways, hard. I'm not responsible for any data loss or damage. You have been warned.

Always back up your data. Seriously.

License

MIT, see LICENSE.md.