Logger Usage

Log to the configured default backend

For most application code, use the helper or resolve the default logger:

error('Payment gateway timeout');

logger()->warning('Retrying webhook delivery');

Outside debug mode, these calls write only when the configured threshold allows them.

Choose a file adapter explicitly

When you want to force one of the file backends in normal runtime, request it by name:

use Quantum\Logger\Enums\LoggerType;

$dailyLogger = logger(LoggerType::DAILY);
$dailyLogger->error('Nightly sync failed');

This is useful when your config defines multiple logging backends and you want one intentionally.

Send a stack trace to a file log

File adapters treat trace as a special context value:

try {
    // ...
} catch (Throwable $exception) {
    logger()->error('Import job ended early', [
        'trace' => $exception->getTraceAsString(),
    ]);
}

That writes the formatted message first and then appends the trace block.

Log a structured payload

When you want file logs to capture structured data, call the logger instance directly:

logger()->info([
    'job' => 'catalog-sync',
    'status' => 'queued',
    'items' => 48,
]);

File adapters JSON-format array messages before writing them. The global level helpers accept string messages, so logger() is the better fit for this style.

Route debug messages into a custom debugger tab

In debug mode, you can place a message in a specific DebugBar tab:

logger()->info('SMTP transport ready', [
    'tab' => 'mails',
]);

If the debugger is disabled, the message adapter drops the message silently.

Pick the right backend

Use single when:

• you want one stable file such as storage/logs/app.log
• external tooling already tails or rotates one known file

Use daily when:

• you want one log file per day
• you prefer date-based separation without external naming logic

Rely on debug-mode message when:

• you are troubleshooting locally
• you want logs in DebugBar instead of on disk

Practical caveats

• logger(LoggerType::MESSAGE) is valid only in debug mode.
• logger(LoggerType::DAILY) or logger(LoggerType::SINGLE) still resolves to message in debug mode.
• Reusing a resolved logger reuses the adapter instance behind it.
• Calling log() with a non-standard level string is not rejected by the package, but it can produce uneven behavior. Prefer the standard level methods instead.