Practical Logging Patterns for Reliable .NET Applications

Good logging is one of the most underrated tools in software development.
When done right, logs explain what your application is doing — even when things go wrong.

Logging is not just about writing messages to a file or console.
It’s about choosing what to log and how to log it safely and clearly.

Common pitfalls include:

• Accessing properties on objects that may be null

• Logging complex data structures without readable output

• Producing logs that are too verbose or too vague

• Creating unnecessary data just for logging purposes

This collection focuses on practical, everyday logging patterns:

• Writing null-safe log statements

• Turning collections into human-readable output

• Logging only the information that matters

• Choosing simple and efficient data structures for log data

Each example is intentionally small and generic, so the ideas can be reused in any .NET project.

Value
These patterns help you create logs that are stable, readable, and genuinely useful — especially when debugging production issues.