Log Viewer – LogExpert Style
A fast, LogExpert-inspired log analysis extension for VS Code.
Open any log file, filter it down to what matters, highlight lines by severity, and bookmark positions — all without leaving the editor.
Features
| Feature |
Description |
| Filter Panel |
Type a pattern and instantly see only matching lines |
| Filter to Tab |
Send the current filter results to a new panel |
| Invert filter |
Show lines that do not match |
| Context lines |
Include N lines before/after each match (Back / Fore) |
| Line highlighting |
Colour lines by pattern (ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG, or custom) |
| Bookmarks |
Mark lines with a gutter icon; manage and navigate from the filter panel |
| Save filtered results |
Export the filtered view to a .log / .txt file |
| Filter history |
Pattern dropdown remembers your last 20 searches |
| Remote / WSL support |
Works on SSH remotes, WSL, and Codespaces |
Opening the Filter Panel
Three ways to open the filter panel for the active file:
- Keyboard shortcut —
Ctrl+Alt+F while the file is focused
- Editor title bar — click the filter icon in the top-right corner
- Right-click — right-click the file in the editor or Explorer → Log: Open Filter Panel
Filter Panel
Filter by keyword — only matching lines are shown, coloured by severity:
Filter by any pattern — plain text or regex:
Line Highlighting
Add custom colour rules to identify patterns at a glance.
Click Highlights ▶ to open the rules editor directly in the panel:
Lines are coloured automatically by the built-in rules:
| Pattern |
Colour |
\bERROR\b |
Red |
\bWARN\b / \bWARNING\b |
Yellow |
\bINFO\b |
Blue |
\bDEBUG\b / \bTRACE\b |
Grey |
Add custom rules via:
- Highlights ▶ panel → + Add rule
- Command Palette → Log: Add Highlight Rule
Rules are stored in VS Code settings (logPlugin.highlightRules) and apply across all panels.
Right-click any result row to locate, copy, bookmark, or export:
- Locate in original file — jump to that line in the source editor (
Ctrl+L)
- Copy line — copy the line text to clipboard
- Toggle Bookmark — add or remove a bookmark on that line
- Filter to Tab — open filtered results in a new panel with current settings pre-filled
- Save filtered results… — export visible rows; suggests
<pattern>_<filename>.log
Bookmarks
Click Bookmarks ▶ in the filter panel to see all bookmarks for the current file.
Toggle visibility (the dot), double-click to jump, or remove with ×:
| Action |
How |
| Toggle bookmark on current line |
Ctrl+Alt+B or right-click in editor |
| Toggle bookmark from filter results |
Right-click row → Toggle Bookmark |
| Jump to bookmarked line |
Double-click in Bookmarks panel |
| Hide/show bookmark gutter icon |
Click the dot in Bookmarks panel |
| Jump to next / previous bookmark |
Ctrl+Alt+N / Ctrl+Alt+P |
Bookmarks persist across window reloads (stored per workspace).
Keybindings
| Command |
Default shortcut |
| Open Filter Panel |
Ctrl+Alt+F |
| Toggle Bookmark |
Ctrl+Alt+B |
| Next Bookmark |
Ctrl+Alt+N |
| Previous Bookmark |
Ctrl+Alt+P |
All shortcuts are rebindable via File → Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts.
Settings
| Setting |
Type |
Description |
logPlugin.highlightRules |
array |
List of highlight rules (pattern, color, backgroundColor, regex) |
Known Limitations
- The filter panel displays a maximum of 10 000 rows at a time (a warning is shown when truncated).
- Highlight rules use case-insensitive matching by default in the filter panel preview; the source editor respects case from the rule definition.
Contributing
Issues and pull requests welcome at the project repository.
