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wtf is spdlog?

peng-zhihui/spdlog — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2023-05-18

★ 49Audience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · easy

TL;DR

A blazing-fast C++ logging library that lets developers send messages to files, console, or other destinations without slowing down their application.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((spdlog))
    What it does
      Fast logging
      Loggers and sinks
      File rotation
    Tech stack
      C++
      vcpkg
      apt or brew
    Use cases
      Game frame timing
      Web server requests
      Robot sensor logs
    Audience
      Game developers
      Systems programmers
      Embedded engineers
    Formats
      Headers-only
      Compiled version

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Log millions of messages per second in a performance-critical C++ application without slowing it down

REASON 2

Set up multiple loggers with different sinks, like colored console warnings and rotating debug log files

REASON 3

Track game frame timing, server requests, or embedded sensor readings in a structured, thread-safe way

What's in the stack?

C++

How it stacks up

peng-zhihui/spdlog29-cu/ruota-della-fortunaalemtuzlak/kiira
Stars494949
Language—HTMLTypeScript
Last pushed2023-05-18——
MaintenanceDormant——
Setup difficultyeasyeasymoderate
Complexity2/52/52/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Available via standard package managers (apt, brew, vcpkg) or as a header-only drop-in.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to set up spdlog with a console logger and a rotating file logger in a C++ project.
Prompt 2
How do I install spdlog using vcpkg or apt and choose between the headers-only and compiled versions?
Prompt 3
Write C++ code using spdlog to log warnings in color to the console while saving detailed debug info to a rotating file.
Prompt 4
Explain how to configure asynchronous logging in spdlog for a high-throughput application like a game or web server.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is spdlog?

A blazing-fast C++ logging library that lets developers send messages to files, console, or other destinations without slowing down their application.

Is spdlog actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2023-05-18).

How hard is spdlog to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is spdlog for?

Mainly developer.

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