Express JS pass console log to view

Question

I want to pass the console.log function to my view in Node Express, I've tried:

res.render('index', {
"title" : 'My page',
"logger": console.log
}

I've also tried this

res.render('index', {
"title" : 'My page',
"logger": function () {
        console.log(arguments);
    }
}

But it always comes through as empty, am I missing something?

fwiw this is how I'm trying to output it in my view

script
    log = #{logger};

For those that want to know the why

I develop on my iPad 2 while on the move (it's jailbroken) and Apple in their wisdom remove the develop toolbar in recent versions so I'm stuck with alerts which are just awful so I want a makeshift console.log to my terminal instead.

[EDIT]

If I used Socket I/O

I could subscribe on the backend to a "log" event on the front end and emit these events and data to console log.

I've not put this as an answer because I don't think it's the best way but this would work I think.

that won't work. both scripts are executed in different contexts (on different devices). — Floby, Mar 06 '13 at 10:57
iOS 6 added a very usable Web Inspector which you can access using Safari on your computer. — robertklep, Mar 06 '13 at 12:05
@robertklep Missing the point here.. Didn't you read the OP? — Dave Mackintosh, Mar 06 '13 at 12:08
@Floby there must be a way to do a console log from the front end, I doubt it's a clear cut "Nope, can't be done" case — Dave Mackintosh, Mar 06 '13 at 12:08
@DaveMackintosh not missing the point, just saying that console.log still works, just differently. — robertklep, Mar 06 '13 at 12:22
@robertklep The point is, I'm not at a computer when I need to use console.log hence looking for a work-around. I think I'll go with Socket I/O for now. — Dave Mackintosh, Mar 06 '13 at 12:24
@DaveMackintosh or look at the solutions presented here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12583275/ios6-removed-console-log-for-ipad-how-to-use-web-inspector-on-windows — robertklep, Mar 06 '13 at 12:25

mattsch · Accepted Answer · 2013-03-06T22:49:35.523

I think you could expose the console.log() function in app.locals if you're using Express 3. See the documentation here.

So, where you configure your server you might have something like...

app.configure(function(){
  // some other configuration code

  app.locals.logger = function(arguments) {
    console.log(arguments);
  }

});

Which you could then access in your view like this...

script
  var log = #{logger};
  log("Hello, world!");

Which in Chrome, for example, logs "Hello, world!" to the web inspector.

Express JS pass console log to view

For those that want to know the why

If I used Socket I/O

1 Answers1