Write exceptions in InvariantCulture to log file

[habakuk007]

If you ever got a log file from Japan you got the problem.

Exceptions (and other strings that come from a resource) should be written to the log file with the CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.

[ghost]

I can see want you mean, but what part of the exception do you need to be invariant culture? Isn't this a some the exception should contain?

[ghost]

Seems to a duplicate #152

[srollinet]

This is an old issue but it seems the fix done for #152 doesn't work.

The problem is when using a layout like ${exception:format=tostring} the exception is written in the CurrentUICulture. It would be great to have the option to set the CultureInfo to avoid this problem.

This behavior occurs even when setting useInvariantCulture="true"

Now the workaround is to switch the CurrentUICulture before each call to the logger and restore it after.

[304NotModified]

Hi @srollinet,

I think #1528 is related? See also PR: #1556

[srollinet]

Hi @304NotModified ,

I'm not sure it is the same. What I expect is the possibility to have exactly the same exception message + stack trace regardless of the CurrentUICulture

Something like that:

[Fact]
public void ExceptionTest()
{
    var target = new MemoryTarget {Layout = @"${exception:format=tostring}"};
    SimpleConfigurator.ConfigureForTargetLogging(target);
    var logger = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();

    try
    {
        throw new InvalidOperationException();
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = new CultureInfo("en-US");
        logger.Error(ex, "");

        Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = new CultureInfo("de-DE");
        logger.Error(ex, "");

        Assert.Equal(target.Logs[0], target.Logs[1]);
    }
}

[304NotModified]

@srollinet I added the unit tests to #1556 but it works for me locally (let see what appVeyor tells)

#1556 didn't changed the ExceptionLayoutRenderer, so it also works on master then.

Can you give an example of the visual differences you get? (please do a toString on target.Logs[0] and target.Logs[1] and post them here

[srollinet]

Tested with V4.3.6 (oops, I haven't seen that #1556 is not part of this release) so maybe the problem is simply here...

System.InvalidOperationException: Operation is not valid due to the current state of the object.
   at TestsSRO.ExceptionCultureTest.ExceptionTest() in C:\Users\sro\Documents\Visual Studio 2015\Projects\TestsSRO\TestsSRO\ExceptionCultureTest.cs:line 22

System.InvalidOperationException: Operation is not valid due to the current state of the object.
   bei TestsSRO.ExceptionCultureTest.ExceptionTest() in C:\Users\sro\Documents\Visual Studio 2015\Projects\TestsSRO\TestsSRO\ExceptionCultureTest.cs:Zeile 22.

[304NotModified]

this is master (works):

But I think it works as I don't have any non-english languages installed on my machine. (or on AppVeyor)

[304NotModified]

@srollinet is it possible to test with a NuGet beta package? (will create one then)

[304NotModified]

Dived into to this,

it seems not to be possible to pass the culture to the exception.toString or something like that. See http://stackoverflow.com/questions/209133/exception-messages-in-english

[srollinet]

@304NotModified I cloned the repository and the test fails as well. So yes it is probably because I have non-english languages installed.

I have seen the StackOverflow question and also asked a new one specific to NLog http://stackoverflow.com/questions/38585028/configure-nlog-to-write-exception-messages-in-english

As I say in my question, I wanted to use a better solution than switching manually the CurrentUICulture. But if it is not possible I will probably wrap the logger and switch the culture. It won't be hard as I inject it as an ILogger

[304NotModified]

the fancy way to fix is, is writing a LayoutWrapper which switches the Culture.

Something like this:

using System.Globalization;
using System.Threading;
using NLog.Layouts;

namespace NLog.LayoutRenderers.Wrappers
{
    using NLog.Conditions;
    using NLog.Config;


    [LayoutRenderer("SwitchCulture")]
    [AmbientProperty("Culture")]
    [ThreadAgnostic]
    public sealed class SwitchCultureLayoutRendererWrapper : WrapperLayoutRendererBase
    {

        [RequiredParameter]
        public CultureInfo Culture { get; set; }

        /// <summary>
        /// Transforms the output of another layout.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="text">Output to be transform.</param>
        /// <returns>Transformed text.</returns>
        protected override string Transform(string text)
        {
            return text;
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Renders the inner layout contents.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="logEvent">The log event.</param>
        /// <returns>
        /// Contents of inner layout.
        /// </returns>
        protected override string RenderInner(LogEventInfo logEvent)
        {
            var oldCulture = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture;
            Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = Culture;
            //maybe also a new thread ? 
            try
            {
                var value = base.RenderInner(logEvent);
                return value;
            }
            finally
            {
                Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = oldCulture;
            }
        }
    }
}

[srollinet]

@304NotModified Okay, I like this idea because it doesn't involve too much code :)

But I am probably missing something. I have the following exception: "LayoutRenderer cannot be found: 'InvariantCulture'"

using System.Globalization;
using System.Threading;
using NLog.Config;

// ReSharper disable once CheckNamespace
namespace NLog.LayoutRenderers.Wrappers //Is it mandatory to use this namespace?
{
    [LayoutRenderer("InvariantCulture")]
    [ThreadAgnostic]
    public sealed class InvariantCultureLayoutRendererWrapper : WrapperLayoutRendererBase
    {
        protected override string Transform(string text)
        {
            return text;
        }

        protected override string RenderInner(LogEventInfo logEvent)
        {
            var currentCulture = Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture;
            try
            {
                Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
                var value = base.RenderInner(logEvent);
                return value;
            }
            finally
            {
                Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = currentCulture;
            }
        }
    }
}

and the config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<nlog xmlns="http://www.nlog-project.org/schemas/NLog.xsd" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" useInvariantCulture="true"  throwExceptions="true">

  <targets>
    <target name="console" xsi:type="ColoredConsole" />
    <target name="logfile" xsi:type="File"
            layout="${longdate}|${level:uppercase=true}|${logger}|${message}|${InvariantCulture:${exception:format=tostring}}"
            archiveNumbering="Date"
            archiveEvery="Day"
            archiveDateFormat="yyyyMMdd"/>
  </targets>

  <rules>... </rules>

</nlog>

[304NotModified]

You need to register it manually or creating an assembly.

e.g.

  ConfigurationItemFactory.Default.LayoutRenderers
          .RegisterDefinition("hello-universe", typeof(MyNamespace.HelloUniverseLayoutRenderer

See http://nlog-project.org/2015/06/30/extending-nlog-is-easy.html

PS; no the namespace is not mandatory

[srollinet]

Works like a charm. Thanks for your help

[304NotModified]

Glad to hear!

[Peter-Optiway]

This should be part of NLog!

[304NotModified]

we don't like to change the global "Thread.CurrentThread" in NLog. Sounds like a bad idea, so not supported out-of-the-box.

[GibbOne]

Thx for library and suggested solution of the problem.

@304NotModified
Are you sure that it's correct to link logging culture to Thread culture?
Maybe globalization concern should be managed on some other place on NLog?
Am I wrong?
Thx