jcasale / PSNLog

A PowerShell module for logging based on the NLog library.

PowerShell NLog Logging Module

The PSNLog module provides logging based on the NLog library.

The NLog objects are all built from T4 templates that instantiate the objects using the default constructor and set any properties supplied by the user.

All the common, useful targets are included. No drivers are bundled for the database target.

Installation

The module is distributed as a Windows Installer package (the PowerShell Gallery is not suitable for some enterprises).

Run the installer manually or in unattended mode:

msiexec.exe /i ps-nlog.msi /qn

The default installation path is:

%ProgramFiles%\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PSNLog

Documentation

Use Get-Command and Get-Help to enumerate the cmdlets with this module and obtain their documentation:

Get-Command -Module PSNLog
Get-Help New-NLogLoggingConfiguration -Full

Examples

• Create a basic logger using a sane pattern:

try
{
    $name = [IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Name)
    $path = [IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path, '.log')
    $logger = New-NLogBasicLogger -Name $name -Path $path
}
catch
{
    throw
}

function main
{
    [CmdletBinding()]
    param()

    $logger.Info('Executing script...')

    # Your code follows.
}

try
{
    main -ErrorAction Stop
}
catch
{
    $logger.Fatal($_.Exception, 'Execution failed.')

    throw
}
finally
{
    Stop-NLogLogging
}

Warning Don't call New-NLogBasicLogger more than once without shutting down logging by calling Stop-NLogLogging.

• Create a logger from XML configuration:

New-NLogLoggingConfiguration -Path 'x:\path\NLog.config' |Add-NLogLoggingConfiguration

$logger = Get-NLogLogger MyLogger
$logger.Info('Hello World!')