logging-sucks

Design and enforce structured, context-rich logs for distributed applications.

190|14|Updated May 20, 2014
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/elithrar/dotfiles --skill logging-sucks
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: logging-sucks
Source: https://github.com/elithrar/dotfiles/tree/main/.config/opencode/skill/logging-sucks
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/elithrar/dotfiles --skill logging-sucks

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps engineering teams design, implement, and maintain structured, context-rich logs to improve observability, incident response, and debugging efficiency.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Wide Event Logging: Promote comprehensive, single-event logging per request with rich context.
  • Structured Logs: Enforce key-value formats and machine-parseable fields for reliable querying.
  • Context Propagation: Propagate trace_id/request_id and related metadata across service boundaries for end-to-end tracing.
  • Logging Governance: Provide guidelines to avoid sensitive data leakage and support compliance requirements.
  • Use Case: In a distributed system, applying these practices makes it easier to diagnose failures by correlating logs across services.

Quick Start

Apply the logging-sucks guidelines to implement structured logging and context propagation across your codebase.

Frequently Asked Questions about logging-sucks

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I implement structured logging in a distributed system?▼

Structured logging formats logs as key-value pairs with consistent fields like timestamp, level, event, trace_id, and service name, enabling reliable querying across microservices. Propagate trace_id across service boundaries to correlate logs during incident response and debugging.

What fields should I include in structured logs?▼

Essential fields include timestamp, log level, event description, request_id or trace_id, service name, environment, and high-cardinality identifiers. Exclude sensitive data like passwords, tokens, or PII to maintain compliance and security.

Why is context propagation important for observability?▼

Context propagation passes trace_id and request metadata across service boundaries, allowing you to follow a single request through your entire distributed system and correlate related logs for faster diagnosis of failures.

Can I use structured logging for incident response and postmortems?▼

Yes, structured logs with consistent fields and trace correlation enable rapid root-cause analysis during incidents and provide the audit trail needed for postmortem reviews and compliance documentation.

What's the best way to enforce logging standards across teams?▼

Establish governance guidelines that define required fields, trace_id propagation patterns, and prohibited data types; apply these rules during development and testing to catch violations early and maintain consistent observability.