Complex Parameter binding with Serilog.Settings.Configuration

[MenWhoRust]

Good day,

A small query concerning using an appSettings.json file to configure your plugin.

I'm having a tough time using Complex Parameter Binding to configure the plugin.

{
        "Name": "File",
        "Args": {
          "path": "D:/Logs/log.json",
          "rollingInterval": "Day",
          "rollOnFileSizeLimit": true,
          "fileSizeLimitBytes": 20971520,
          "retainedFileCountLimit": 31,
          "buffer": true,
          "hooks": {
            "type": "Serilog.Sinks.File.Archive.ArchiveHooks, Serilog.Sinks.File.Archive",
            "compressionLevel": "System.IO.Compression.CompressionLevel::Fastest, System.IO.Compression",
            "targetDirectory": "D:/Logs/Archive"
          },
          "formatter": "Serilog.Formatting.Compact.CompactJsonFormatter, Serilog.Formatting.Compact"
        }
      }

Using the above configuration results in the following exception: Cannot create instance of type 'Serilog.Sinks.File.FileLifecycleHooks' because it is either abstract or an interface.

Please let me know if your plugin does not support this kind of configuration or if I'm am configuring it incorrectly

[nblumhardt]

Which Serilog.Settings.Configuration package version are you using?

[MenWhoRust]

I am using 3.4.0

And sorry for accidentally closing the issue, been a long morning 😅

[cocowalla]

Hmm, I've never tried to use it like that, instead using this pattern: https://github.com/cocowalla/serilog-sinks-file-archive#json-appsettingsjson-configuration.

I don't think this is really an issue with this plugin, but more with serilog/serilog-settings-configuration - I'm afraid I don't think Serilog.Settings.Configuration supports what you are trying to do.

See here: https://github.com/serilog/serilog-settings-configuration#abstract-parameter-types. It looks like it can only create instances of abstract types when the implementation has a parameterless constructor.

[cocowalla]

Ah, I've found a workaround for you 😄

Basically, you create your own extension method to configure the file sink. First, add a new class, SerilogExtensions, to your project:

using System;
using System.IO.Compression;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
using Serilog.Configuration;
using Serilog.Core;
using Serilog.Events;
using Serilog.Sinks.File.Archive;

namespace Serilog;

public static class SerilogExtensions
{
    const int DefaultRetainedFileCountLimit = 31; // A long month of logs
    const long DefaultFileSizeLimitBytes = 1L * 1024 * 1024 * 1024; // 1GB
    const string DefaultOutputTemplate = "{Timestamp:yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fff zzz} [{Level:u3}] {Message:lj}{NewLine}{Exception}";

    public static LoggerConfiguration File(
        this LoggerSinkConfiguration sinkConfiguration,
        string path,
        LogEventLevel restrictedToMinimumLevel = LevelAlias.Minimum,
        string outputTemplate = DefaultOutputTemplate,
        IFormatProvider? formatProvider = null,
        long? fileSizeLimitBytes = DefaultFileSizeLimitBytes,
        LoggingLevelSwitch? levelSwitch = null,
        bool buffered = false,
        bool shared = false,
        TimeSpan? flushToDiskInterval = null,
        RollingInterval rollingInterval = RollingInterval.Infinite,
        bool rollOnFileSizeLimit = false,
        int? retainedFileCountLimit = DefaultRetainedFileCountLimit,
        Encoding? encoding = null,
        CompressionLevel archiveCompressionLevel = CompressionLevel.Optimal,
        string archiveTargetDirectory = null,
        IConfiguration? configuration = null,
        TimeSpan? retainedFileTimeLimit = null)
    {
        ArchiveHooks archiveHooks = new ArchiveHooks(archiveCompressionLevel, archiveTargetDirectory);

        return FileLoggerConfigurationExtensions.File(
            sinkConfiguration,
            path,
            restrictedToMinimumLevel,
            outputTemplate,
            formatProvider,
            fileSizeLimitBytes,
            levelSwitch,
            buffered,
            shared,
            flushToDiskInterval,
            rollingInterval,
            rollOnFileSizeLimit,
            retainedFileCountLimit,
            encoding,
            archiveHooks);
    }
}

Finally, update your JSON config to (change paths as needed):

{
  "Serilog": {
    "MinimumLevel": {
      "Default": "Debug"
    },
    "WriteTo": [
      {
        "Name": "File",
        "Args": {
          "path": ".\\Logs\\sample.log",
          "rollingInterval": "Day",
          "rollOnFileSizeLimit": true,
          "fileSizeLimitBytes": 20971520,
          "retainedFileCountLimit": 31,
          "buffer": true,
          "formatter": "Serilog.Formatting.Compact.CompactJsonFormatter, Serilog.Formatting.Compact",
          "archiveCompressionLevel": "Fastest",
          "archiveTargetDirectory": ".\\Logs\\Archive"
        }
      }
    ],
    "Enrich": [ "FromLogContext" ]
  }
}

I've tested this, and it works as expected 😃

[MenWhoRust]

Thank you so much, that worked perfectly.

Really appreciate the assistance😁