Don't know how to configure alternate theme in appsettings.json

[chriswolf-nrg]

Does this issue relate to a new feature or an existing bug?

• [ x] Bug
• New Feature

What version of Serilog Console Sink is affected by this issue? Please list the related NuGet package.
Serilog 2.6.0
Serilog.Sinks.Console 3.1.1
What is the target framework and operating system affected by this issue? Please see target frameworks & net standard matrix.

• netCore 2.1
• netCore 2.0
• netCore 1.0
• 4.7
• 4.6.x
• 4.5.x

Please describe the current behaviour you are experiencing?
Don't know how to configure alternate theme in appsettings.json

This is a documentation issue. There is insufficient documentation on how to change themes via the appsettings.json. Near the beginning of the README.md document are listed some theme names: ConsoleTheme.None, SystemConsoleTheme.Literate, SystemConsoleTheme.Grayscale, etc.

However, later when an example JSON configuration is given, none of the above names are used, instead, the example is as follows:

"theme": "Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Themes.AnsiConsoleTheme::Code, Serilog.Sinks.Console",

Ok, so I'm supposed to prefix the theme name with Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Themes and change the . in the theme name to :: (I guess... - this name mangling is not mentioned in the README.md) Now I want all colors to be suppressed, which I assume is what the theme named ConsoleTheme.None does. So I put this in my configuration:

  "WriteTo": [
      { "Name": "Console",
        "Args": {
            "theme": "Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Theme.ConsoleTheme::None, Serilog.Sinks.Console"
        }
      },

And here's the output from my console app:

Unhandled Exception: System.InvalidCastException: Invalid cast from 'System.String' to 'Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Themes.ConsoleTheme'.
   at System.Convert.DefaultToType(IConvertible value, Type targetType, IFormatProvider provider)
   at Serilog.Settings.Configuration.StringArgumentValue.ConvertTo(Type toType)
   at Serilog.Settings.Configuration.ConfigurationReader.<>c.<CallConfigurationMethods>b__14_4(<>f__AnonymousType6`2 <>h__TransparentIdentifier0)
   at System.Linq.Utilities.<>c__DisplayClass2_0`3.<CombineSelectors>b__0(TSource x)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectListPartitionIterator`2.ToList()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToList[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Serilog.Settings.Configuration.ConfigurationReader.CallConfigurationMethods(ILookup`2 methods, IList`1 configurationMethods, Object receiver)
   at Serilog.Configuration.LoggerSettingsConfiguration.Settings(ILoggerSettings settings)

I already read #16 and that didn't help me. Thanks.

[nblumhardt]

Hi Chris, thanks for the report!

You're just missing an s from Themes in:

Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Theme.ConsoleTheme::None

Should be:

Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Themes.ConsoleTheme::None

Let me know if this doesn't do the trick 👍

[chriswolf-nrg]

Hi @nblumhardt sorry I missed your rapid answer. I still get an error after making your suggested change:

Using launch settings from C:\Users\cwolf\src4\portal\worker\WorkerCore\Properties\launchSettings.json...
Built with Git Branch/Commit: feature/PORTAL-625_log_git_info/12b71562

Unhandled Exception: System.InvalidCastException: Invalid cast from 'System.String' to 'Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Themes.ConsoleTheme'.
   at System.Convert.DefaultToType(IConvertible value, Type targetType, IFormatProvider provider)
   at Serilog.Settings.Configuration.StringArgumentValue.ConvertTo(Type toType)
   at Serilog.Settings.Configuration.ConfigurationReader.<>c.<CallConfigurationMethods>b__14_4(<>f__AnonymousType6`2 <>h__TransparentIdentifier0)
   at System.Linq.Utilities.<>c__DisplayClass2_0`3.<CombineSelectors>b__0(TSource x)
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.SelectListPartitionIterator`2.ToList()
   at System.Linq.Enumerable.ToList[TSource](IEnumerable`1 source)
   at Serilog.Settings.Configuration.ConfigurationReader.CallConfigurationMethods(ILookup`2 methods, IList`1 configurationMethods, Object receiver)
   at Serilog.Configuration.LoggerSettingsConfiguration.Settings(ILoggerSettings settings)
   at WorkerCore.Program.ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services) in C:\Users\cwolf\src4\portal\worker\WorkerCore\Program.cs:line 211
   at WorkerCore.Program.Main(String[] args) in C:\Users\cwolf\src4\portal\worker\WorkerCore\Program.cs:line 73

If you look at the stack trace, you will notice that the code path never enters into the Serilog.Sinks.Console namespace, so it seems to be choking in the Serilog core config reader.

Here's my configuration in appsettings.json:

  "Serilog": {
    "Using": [ "Serilog.Sinks.Console" ],
    "MinimumLevel": {
      "Default": "Verbose",
      "Override": {
        "Microsoft": "Warning",
        "System": "Warning"
      }
    },
    "WriteTo": [
      { "Name": "Console",
        "Args": {
            "theme": "Serilog.Sinks.SystemConsole.Themes.ConsoleTheme::None, Serilog.Sinks.Console"
        }
      }
    }

[nblumhardt]

Ah, I missed the 2.6.0 Serilog version in your original report. I'm guessing your Serilog.Settings.Configuration might be from a similar vintage - support for setting members from static fields is reasonably new, you might need to update all the Serilog packages - does that help? Cheers!

[nblumhardt]

Closing with the understanding that you needed a package update, let us know if it turned to to be otherwise, @chriswolf-nrg - thanks!