console-extended

The goal is to extend the console object in Node.js for better readability/usability to logging in terminals. It adds methods to the console and uses and works well in combination with the colors module.

For example:

Usage

Install the module

npm install console-extended

Then require it in your Node.js code:

require('console-extended');

This will extend your console object with additional methods/properties.

Thus you can start using it:

console.header('foobar', 'Hello World!');

Methods

console.header(header, log...)

Currently it exports header method, which styles and pads the first argument as a "header". This is to help you signify from which sub-system a log was made from at a glance. Instead you could use it to log the date and time as well.

console.header('DNS', ipaddress, 'requested the DNS for', 'example.martin.dev');
console.header('App', 'The user uploaded a', 'photo');
console.header('Backup', 'I made a backup of the server at', '12am');
console.header('App', 'The user updated their profile');

The header takes the first argument, styles it and combines it with the other arguments in a call to console.log, but if you prefer, you can call the styling function on its' own:

var profilerHeader = console.ext.toHeader('Profiler');

This might be useful if you wish to use it for other console.* methods, such as time/timeEnd:

console.time(console.ext.toHeader('Backup') + ' for 12am');
// ...
console.timeEnd(console.ext.toHeader('Backup') + ' for 12am');

Examples

Here are some real-world examples I took from my localhost master server, as depicted with the example picture above:

console.header('DNS', 'Nameserver listening on', this.address());
console.header('DNS', 'Request of ', name,' by', request.address);
// ...
http.createServer(callback).listen(80, () => console.header('Web', 'Koa bound to ' + '*:80'.cyan));
https.createServer(options, callback).listen(443, () => console.header('Web', 'Koa bound to ' + '*:443'.red));
// ...
console.timeEnd(console.ext.toHeader('Profiler') + ' Configurations');
// ...
console.header('Web', 'Loading ' + servers.length.toString().bold.green + ' servers for ' + ('*.' + tld).blue + ' from ' + (root + '**').green);
// ...
console.log(
    console.ext.pad('‹' + Object.keys(config).filter((str) => str.length && !/(root)/.test(str)).join('·').replace('file', 'koa') + '›', 'right', 40).gray,
    (console.ext.pad(subdomain.bold, 'right', 40)).blue
    +  '.⎋'.blue + ' ⏤ '.dim + '⏣ '.green +
    console.ext.pad(config.root.replace(root, '/'), 'left', 30).green
);