Structured Logging
Structured logging is a software development practice where log messages are formatted as structured data, typically in JSON or key-value pairs, rather than plain text. This approach makes logs machine-readable, enabling easier parsing, filtering, and analysis by logging systems and tools. It enhances observability by providing consistent, queryable data for debugging, monitoring, and auditing purposes.
Developers should use structured logging when building applications that require scalable monitoring, debugging in distributed systems, or integration with log management platforms like ELK Stack or Splunk. It is particularly valuable in microservices architectures, cloud-native environments, and production systems where automated log analysis and alerting are critical for maintaining reliability and performance.