Advanced Usage

This section covers barK's deeper configuration options: log Level control, tagging strategies, runtime control, and the trainer system internals.

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Tagging

Auto-Detection

barK reads the calling class name from the stack trace on every log call:

class PaymentService {
    fun processPayment() {
        Bark.d("Processing payment")  // Tag: [PaymentService]
    }
}

class UserRepository {
    fun saveUser(user: User) {
        Bark.i("Saving user: ${user.name}")  // Tag: [UserRepository]
    }
}

Note

While this functionality is defaulted in Android, iOS auto-detection needs to enabled manually due to its processing cost.

Global Tag Override

Set a fixed tag that applies across all classes:

Bark.tag("PAYMENTS")

// All calls now use [PAYMENTS]
class PaymentService { fun process() { Bark.d("Processing") } }
class RefundService  { fun refund()  { Bark.d("Refunding")  } }

Bark.untag()  // Return to auto-detection

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MinLevel Control

Each trainer has an independent minLevel threshold. Logs below the threshold are silently ignored by that trainer, but may still be handled by others:

Bark.train(AndroidLogTrainer(minLevel = Level.VERBOSE))           // (1)!
Bark.train(FileTrainer(minLevel = Level.WARNING, logFile = File("app.log"))) // (2)!
Bark.train(CrashReportingTrainer(minLevel = Level.ERROR))         // (3)!

Bark.v("Logcat only")       // (4)!
Bark.w("Logcat + file")
Bark.e("All three trainers")

1. Logcat receives everything — VERBOSE and above.
2. The file trainer only writes WARNING and above, keeping the log file focused on actionable issues.
3. The crash reporter only activates on ERROR and above — high-signal, low-noise.
4. A VERBOSE log reaches only Logcat. As severity increases, more trainers pick it up.

Level hierarchy:

Level	Function
VERBOSE	Bark.v()
DEBUG	Bark.d()
INFO	Bark.i()
WARNING	Bark.w()
ERROR	Bark.e()
CRITICAL	Bark.wtf()

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Runtime Control

Muzzle / Unmuzzle

Silence all output without removing trainers:

Bark.muzzle()
Bark.d("This won't appear anywhere")
Bark.e("Neither will this")

Bark.unmuzzle()
Bark.d("Back to normal")

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Trainer Management

Adding

Bark.train(AndroidLogTrainer())
Bark.train(FileTrainer(logFile = File("app.log")))

Removing

val trainer = AndroidLogTrainer()
Bark.train(trainer)

// Later...
Bark.untrain(trainer)

Clearing All

Bark.releaseAllTrainers()