Simpler default logging output for objects

[winksaville]

I'm testing pino:

$ npm list pino
pino-logging@0.1.0 /home/wink/prgs/javascript/exper-pino-logger
└── pino@9.3.2

I like what I see, but I have one problem. When I use console.log to log the contents of an object the default output is the first level of that objects contents. For example:

$ cat test-object-logging.js 
const pino = require('pino');

const log = pino();

const mysql = require("mysql2/promise");
console.log("mysql=%s", mysql);
//log.info(mysql, "mysql");

log.debug("test-pino:-");

This output is ok and has 636 characters:

$ node test-object-logging.js 
mysql={
  createConnection: [Function: createConnection],
  createPool: [Function: createPool],
  createPoolCluster: [Function: createPoolCluster],
  escape: [Function: escape],
  escapeId: [Function: escapeId],
  format: [Function: format],
  raw: [Function: raw],
  PromisePool: [class PromisePool extends EventEmitter],
  PromiseConnection: [class PromiseConnection extends EventEmitter],
  PromisePoolConnection: [class PromisePoolConnection extends PromiseConnection],
  Types: [Getter],
  Charsets: [Getter],
  CharsetToEncoding: [Getter],
  setMaxParserCache: [Function (anonymous)],
  clearParserCache: [Function (anonymous)]
}

$ node test-object-logging.js | wc -c
636

But if I enable just pino log.info in the little app it outputs 10,0020 characters:

$ cat test-object-logging.js 
const pino = require('pino');

const log = pino();

const mysql = require("mysql2/promise");
//console.log("mysql=%s", mysql);
log.info(mysql, "mysql");

$ node test-object-logging.js | wc -c
10020

I had a conversation with GPT4o and there is a way to get the similar output using pino, it suggested something like:

$ cat test-first-level-properties.js 
const pino = require('pino');
const log = pino();

const mysql = require("mysql2/promise");

// Iterate over the first-level properties
// of an object and return them
function flp(obj) {
  const firstLevelProperties = {};
  for (const key in obj) {
    if (obj.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
      firstLevelProperties[key] = typeof obj[key];
    }
  }

  return firstLevelProperties
}

console.log("mysql:", mysql);
log.info(flp(mysql), "flp(mysql)");

$ node test-first-level-properties.js | pino-pretty 
mysql: {
  createConnection: [Function: createConnection],
  createPool: [Function: createPool],
  createPoolCluster: [Function: createPoolCluster],
  escape: [Function: escape],
  escapeId: [Function: escapeId],
  format: [Function: format],
  raw: [Function: raw],
  PromisePool: [class PromisePool extends EventEmitter],
  PromiseConnection: [class PromiseConnection extends EventEmitter],
  PromisePoolConnection: [class PromisePoolConnection extends PromiseConnection],
  Types: [Getter],
  Charsets: [Getter],
  CharsetToEncoding: [Getter],
  setMaxParserCache: [Function (anonymous)],
  clearParserCache: [Function (anonymous)]
}
[12:35:11.463] INFO (836220): flp(mysql)
    createConnection: "function"
    createPool: "function"
    createPoolCluster: "function"
    escape: "function"
    escapeId: "function"
    format: "function"
    raw: "function"
    PromisePool: "function"
    PromiseConnection: "function"
    PromisePoolConnection: "function"
    Types: "object"
    Charsets: "object"
    CharsetToEncoding: "object"
    setMaxParserCache: "function"
    clearParserCache: "function"

Is there a way to have something like flp() be the default serializer for objects?

[mcollina]

You should use serializers.

https://getpino.io/#/docs/api?id=serializers-object

[winksaville]

You should use serializers.

https://getpino.io/#/docs/api?id=serializers-object

Do you mean these https://github.com/pinojs/pino-std-serializers or do you mean create per object custom serializes or something else?

Note; in my example I'm pointing out that the "default" serialization to a string that console.log uses for arbitrary Objects (first-level properties) seems much friendlier/convenient than the default in pino (all properties). Is there a way to adopt the approach used by console.log as a default serializer for Objects in general. Maybe such a mechanism already exists for me, the user, to override the current default serialization for each of JavaScript fundamental types?

Note.Note: I'm a relative js noob so I am very likely confused and suggesting some totally stupid, please pardon my ignorance :)

[mcollina]

console.log() uses utils.inspect() internally:

https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v18.x/docs/api/util.html#utilinspectobject-showhidden-depth-colors

Note that the output is not JSON. It indicates "skipped" objects with .... This same behavior is not possible with JSON, so those properties will be completely skipped.

[winksaville]

I'm not looking for exactly the same behavior. I'm just thinking it'd be nice if the pino default was simpler. The flp() function seems good enough to for now, TXS!

[jsumners]

Pino is designed for recording logs in applications used in a "production" scenario. The defaults are designed to provide the information necessary in such a case.

[winksaville]

IMO, logging is used through the dev cycle and that's why there are features such as levels. In addition, a default is just that, a default, and is intended to be overridden if inappropriate for the current situation. I suggest the current is overly verbose, definitely arguable. But not being able to easily and efficiently change the default seems a significant short coming.

Would a feature request be considered or a waste of my time? If I were to make the request I would also consider providing a PoC implementation, although I'd appreciate guidance on how to proceed.

[jsumners]

It is configurable. The documentation for the configuration was linked by Matteo. Please read it.

[winksaville]

It is configurable. The documentation for the configuration was linked by Matteo. Please read it.

AFAICT @mcollina provided two links

• https://getpino.io/#/docs/api?id=serializers-object
• https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v18.x/docs/api/util.html#utilinspectobject-showhidden-depth-colors

Neither appear to me to refer to a default global serializer.

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