Merge pull request #182 from Rabadash8820/patch-1

Added notes about Log Scope usage to README

Author: nblumhardt

README.md

@@ -80,6 +80,69 @@ That's it! With the level bumped up a little you should see log output like:
 [22:14:45.741 DBG] Handled. Status code: 304 File: /css/site.css
 ```
 
+### Notes on Log Scopes
+
+_Microsoft.Extensions.Logging_ provides the `BeginScope` API, which can be used to add arbitrary properties to log events within a certain region of code. The API comes in two forms:
+
+1. The method: `IDisposable BeginScope<TState>(TState state)`
+2. The extension method: `IDisposable BeginScope(this ILogger logger, string messageFormat, params object[] args)`
+
+Using the extension method will add a `Scope` property to your log events. This is most useful for adding simple "scope strings" to your events, as in the following code:
+
+```cs
+using (_logger.BeginScope("Transaction")) {
+    _logger.LogInformation("Beginning...");
+    _logger.LogInformation("Completed in {DurationMs}ms...", 30);
+}
+// Example JSON output:
+// {"@t":"2020-10-29T19:05:56.4126822Z","@m":"Beginning...","@i":"f6a328e9","SourceContext":"SomeNamespace.SomeService","Scope":["Transaction"]}
+// {"@t":"2020-10-29T19:05:56.4176816Z","@m":"Completed in 30ms...","@i":"51812baa","DurationMs":30,"SourceContext":"SomeNamespace.SomeService","Scope":["Transaction"]}
+```
+
+If you simply want to add a "bag" of additional properties to your log events, however, this extension method approach can be overly verbose. For example, to add `TransactionId` and `ResponseJson` properties to your log events, you would have to do something like the following:
+
+```cs
+// WRONG! Prefer the dictionary approach below instead
+using (_logger.BeginScope("TransactionId: {TransactionId}, ResponseJson: {ResponseJson}", 12345, jsonString)) {
+    _logger.LogInformation("Completed in {DurationMs}ms...", 30);
+}
+// Example JSON output:
+// {
+//	"@t":"2020-10-29T19:05:56.4176816Z",
+//	"@m":"Completed in 30ms...",
+//	"@i":"51812baa",
+//	"DurationMs":30,
+//	"SourceContext":"SomeNamespace.SomeService",
+//	"TransactionId": 12345,
+//	"ResponseJson": "{ \"Key1\": \"Value1\", \"Key2\": \"Value2\" }",
+//	"Scope":["TransactionId: 12345, ResponseJson: { \"Key1\": \"Value1\", \"Key2\": \"Value2\" }"]
+// }
+```
+
+Not only does this add the unnecessary `Scope` property to your event, but it also duplicates serialized values between `Scope` and the intended properties, as you can see here with `ResponseJson`. If this were "real" JSON like an API response, then a potentially very large block of text would be duplicated within your log event! Moreover, the template string within `BeginScope` is rather arbitrary when all you want to do is add a bag of properties, and you start mixing enriching concerns with formatting concerns.
+
+A far better alternative is to use the `BeginScope<TState>(TState state)` method. If you provide any `IEnumerable<KeyValuePair<string, object>>` to this method, then Serilog will output the key/value pairs as structured properties _without_ the `Scope` property, as in this example:
+
+```cs
+var scopeProps = new Dictionary<string, object> {
+    { "TransactionId", 12345 },
+    { "ResponseJson", jsonString },
+};
+using (_logger.BeginScope(scopeProps) {
+    _logger.LogInformation("Transaction completed in {DurationMs}ms...", 30);
+}
+// Example JSON output:
+// {
+//	"@t":"2020-10-29T19:05:56.4176816Z",
+//	"@m":"Completed in 30ms...",
+//	"@i":"51812baa",
+//	"DurationMs":30,
+//	"SourceContext":"SomeNamespace.SomeService",
+//	"TransactionId": 12345,
+//	"ResponseJson": "{ \"Key1\": \"Value1\", \"Key2\": \"Value2\" }"
+// }
+```
+
 ### Credits
 
 This package evolved from an earlier package _Microsoft.Framework.Logging.Serilog_ [provided by the ASP.NET team](https://github.com/aspnet/Logging/pull/182).