1. QuickStart

spdlog is a header only library. Just copy the files under include to your build tree and use a C++11 compiler.

It provides a python like formatting API using the bundled fmt lib (see the reference):

logger->info("Hello {} {} !!", "param1", 123.4);

spdlog takes the "include what you need" approach - your code should include the features that actually needed.

For example, if you only need rotating logger, you need to include "spdlog/sinks/rotating_file_sink.h".

Another example would be to include "spdlog/asynch.h" to get asynchronous logging features.

Basic example

#include <iostream>
#include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
#include "spdlog/sinks/stdout_color_sinks.h" //support for stdout logging
#include "spdlog/sinks/basic_file_sink.h" // support for basic file logging
#include "spdlog/sinks/rotating_file_sink.h" // support for rotating file logging

int main(int, char* [])
{
    //Multithreaded console logger(with color support)
    auto console = spdlog::stdout_color_mt("console");
    console->info("Welcome to spdlog!") ;
    console->info("An info message example {}..", 1);

    try 
    {
        // Create basic file logger (not rotated)
        auto my_logger = spdlog::basic_logger_mt("basic_logger", "logs/basic.txt");
        
        // create a file rotating logger with 5mb size max and 3 rotated files
        auto file_logger = spdlog::rotating_logger_mt("file_logger", "myfilename", 1024 * 1024 * 5, 3);
    }
    catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex& ex)
    {
        std::cout << "Log initialization failed: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
    }
}

Create an asynchronous logger using factory method

#include "spdlog/async.h" //support for async logging.
#include "spdlog/sinks/basic_file_sink.h"

int main(int, char* [])
{
    try
    {        
        auto async_file = spdlog::basic_logger_mt<spdlog::async_factory>("async_file_logger", "logs/async_log.txt");
       for (int i = 1; i < 101; ++i)
      {
         async_file->info("Async message #{}", i);
      }
       // Under VisualStudio, this must be called before main finishes to workaround a known VS issue
        spdlog::drop_all(); 
    }
    catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex& ex)
    {
        std::cout << "Log initialization failed: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
    }
}

Create an asynchronous logger and change thread pool settings

#include "spdlog/async.h" //support for async logging.
#include "spdlog/sinks/basic_file_sink.h"
int main(int, char* [])
{
    try
    {                                        
        auto daily_sink = std::make_shared<spdlog::sinks::daily_file_sink_mt>("logfile", 23, 59);
       // default thread pool settings can be modified *before* creating the async logger:
        spdlog::init_thread_pool(10000, 1); // queue with 10K items and 1 backing thread.
        auto async_file = spdlog::basic_logger_mt<spdlog::async_factory>("async_file_logger", "logs/async_log.txt");       
        spdlog::drop_all(); 
    }
    catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex& ex)
    {
        std::cout << "Log initialization failed: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
    }
}

Create a multiple loggers all sharing the same file (sink) aka categories

#include <iostream>
#include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
#include "spdlog/sinks/daily_file_sink.h"
int main(int, char* [])
{
    try
    {
        auto daily_sink = std::make_shared<spdlog::sinks::daily_file_sink_mt>("logfile", 23, 59);
        // create synchronous  loggers
        auto net_logger = std::make_shared<spdlog::logger>("net", daily_sink);
        auto hw_logger  = std::make_shared<spdlog::logger>("hw",  daily_sink);
        auto db_logger  = std::make_shared<spdlog::logger>("db",  daily_sink);      

        net_logger->set_level(spdlog::level::critical); // independent levels
        hw_logger->set_level(spdlog::level::debug);
         
        // globally register the loggers so so the can be accessed using spdlog::get(logger_name)
        spdlog::register_logger(net_logger);
    }
    catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex& ex)
    {
        std::cout << "Log initialization failed: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
    }
}

Create a logger with multiple sinks, each sink with its own formatting and log level

//
// Logger with console and file output.
// the console will show only warnings or worse, while the file will log all messages.
// 
#include <iostream>
#include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
#include "spdlog/sinks/stdout_color_sinks.h" // or "../stdout_sinks.h" if no colors needed
#include "spdlog/sinks/basic_file_sink.h"
int main(int, char* [])
{
    try
    {
        auto console_sink = std::make_shared<spdlog::sinks::stdout_color_sink_mt>();
        console_sink->set_level(spdlog::level::warn);
        console_sink->set_pattern("[multi_sink_example] [%^%l%$] %v");

        auto file_sink = std::make_shared<spdlog::sinks::basic_file_sink_mt>("logs/multisink.txt", true);
        file_sink->set_level(spdlog::level::trace);

        spdlog::logger logger("multi_sink", {console_sink, file_sink});
        logger.set_level(spdlog::level::debug);
        logger.warn("this should appear in both console and file");
        logger.info("this message should not appear in the console, only in the file");
    }
    catch (const spdlog::spdlog_ex& ex)
    {
        std::cout << "Log initialization failed: " << ex.what() << std::endl;
    }
}

Debug/Trace macros

// Enabled #ifdef SPDLOG_DEBUG_ON or #ifdef SPDLOG_TRACE_ON in tweakme.h
// Note: Be sure to both #define SPDLOG_TRACE_ON *and* #define SPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL SPDLOG_LEVEL_TRACE
// BEFORE you #include spdlob/dpdlog.h
SPDLOG_LOGGER_TRACE(file_logger , "Enabled only #ifdef SPDLOG_TRACE_ON..{} ,{}", 1, 3.23);
SPDLOG_LOGGER_DEBUG(file_logger , "Enabled only #ifdef SPDLOG_DEBUG_ON.. {} ,{}", 1, 3.23);

Log user defined objects

#include "spdlog/spdlog.h"
#include "spdlog/fmt/ostr.h" // must be included
#include "spdlog/sinks/stdout_sinks.h"

class some_class {};
std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const some_class& c)
{ 
    return os << "some_class"; 
}

void custom_class_example()
{
    some_class c;
    auto console = spdlog::stdout_logger_mt("console");
    console->info("custom class with operator<<: {}..", c);
}