Laravel Logviewer Laravel Package

Getting Started

First Steps

1. Installation Run:

   composer require creative-syntax/laravel-logviewer
   

   Publish the config (optional):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="CreativeSyntax\LogViewer\LogViewerServiceProvider"
   

2. Basic Usage

   • Access logs via /logs route (default).
   • No additional setup required for default behavior.

3. First Use Case

   • Debug an unexpected error by navigating to /logs and filtering by error level (e.g., error, critical).
   • Search for specific keywords (e.g., auth, database) to isolate relevant entries.

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Log Filtering

   • Use query parameters to filter logs:

     /logs?level=error&search=auth
     

   • Supported levels: debug, info, notice, warning, error, critical, alert, emergency.

2. Customizing Log Display

   • Override the default view by publishing the view:

     php artisan vendor:publish --tag=logviewer.views
     

   • Modify resources/views/vendor/logviewer/logs.blade.php to add columns (e.g., context, extra).

3. Integration with Existing Log Channels

   • Ensure your config/logging.php includes the channels you want to monitor (e.g., single, daily, slack).
   • The package reads from Laravel’s default log channels by default.

4. Programmatic Access

   • Use the LogViewer facade to fetch logs programmatically:

     use CreativeSyntax\LogViewer\Facades\LogViewer;
     
     $logs = LogViewer::getLogs(['level' => 'error']);
     

5. Middleware for Restricted Access

   • Protect the /logs route by adding middleware (e.g., auth or role:admin) in routes/web.php:

     Route::middleware(['auth'])->group(function () {
         Route::get('/logs', [LogViewerController::class, 'index']);
     });
     

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Log File Permissions

   • Ensure Laravel’s log directory (storage/logs/) is writable by the web server user.
   • Debug permission issues with:

     chmod -R 775 storage/logs/
     

2. Large Log Files

   • The package loads logs into memory. For files >10MB, consider:
     • Trimming older logs via Log::channel('single')->info('Custom log entry') with a maxFiles config.
     • Using tail to stream logs in real-time (not natively supported; may require customization).

3. Custom Log Channels

   • If using non-default channels (e.g., monolog), ensure they are configured in config/logging.php and the package’s config/logviewer.php includes them:

     'channels' => ['single', 'daily', 'monolog'],
     

4. Timezone Mismatches

   • Log timestamps may appear in UTC. Override the timezone in config/logviewer.php:

     'timezone' => 'America/New_York',
     

Debugging Tips

• Check Config Values: Verify config/logviewer.php for unexpected behavior (e.g., disabled channels).
• Clear Cache: After publishing views/config, run:

  php artisan config:clear
  php artisan view:clear
  

• LogViewer Facade: Use LogViewer::getLogs() to debug programmatically before UI changes.

Extension Points

1. Custom Log Formatting

   • Extend the LogEntry model (if available) or override the view to format logs (e.g., JSON pretty-printing).

2. Add Log Actions

   • Extend the controller to add buttons (e.g., "Clear Logs"):

     // app/Http/Controllers/LogViewerController.php
     public function clearLogs()
     {
         $files = Storage::files(storage_path('logs'));
         foreach ($files as $file) {
             Storage::delete($file);
         }
         return back()->with('success', 'Logs cleared!');
     }
     

3. Real-Time Updates

   • Integrate with Laravel Echo/Pusher to push new logs to the frontend (requires custom JS and backend logic).

4. Export Functionality

   • Add endpoints to export logs as JSON/CSV:

     Route::get('/logs/export', function () {
         return response()->json(LogViewer::getLogs())->header('Content-Type', 'application/json');
     });