How to insert newline in python logging?

I have two solutions, the first is very easy, but the output is not very clean. The second method will produce the exact output you want, but it is a little more involved.

Method 1

To produce a blank line, just log an empty string with a new line:

import logging
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s', datefmt='%H:%M:%S')
logging.info('hello')
logging.info('\n')
logging.warning('new hello')

The output will have an empty info line, which is not very clean:

16:07:26 INFO hello
16:07:26 INFO

16:07:26 WARNING new hello

Method 2

In this method, I created two different handlers. The console_handler which I use most of the time. When I need a new line, I switch to a second handler, blank_handler.

import logging
import types

def log_newline(self, how_many_lines=1):
    # Switch handler, output a blank line
    self.removeHandler(self.console_handler)
    self.addHandler(self.blank_handler)
    for i in range(how_many_lines):
        self.info('')

    # Switch back
    self.removeHandler(self.blank_handler)
    self.addHandler(self.console_handler)

def create_logger():
    # Create a handler
    console_handler = logging.StreamHandler()
    console_handler.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
    console_handler.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(fmt="%(name)s %(levelname)-8s: %(message)s"))

    # Create a "blank line" handler
    blank_handler = logging.StreamHandler()
    blank_handler.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
    blank_handler.setFormatter(logging.Formatter(fmt=''))

    # Create a logger, with the previously-defined handler
    logger = logging.getLogger('logging_test')
    logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
    logger.addHandler(console_handler)

    # Save some data and add a method to logger object
    logger.console_handler = console_handler
    logger.blank_handler = blank_handler
    logger.newline = types.MethodType(log_newline, logger)

    return logger

if __name__ == '__main__':
    logger = create_logger()
    logger.info('Start reading database')
    logger.info('Updating records ...')
    logger.newline()
    logger.info('Finish updating records')

The output is what you want to see:

logging_test INFO    : Start reading database
logging_test INFO    : Updating records ...

logging_test INFO    : Finish updating records

Discussion

• If you can put up with the less-than-perfect output, method 1 is the way to go. It has the advantage of being simple, least amount of effort.
• The second method does the job correctly, but it is a little involved. It creates two different handlers and switch them in order to achieve your goal.
• Another disadvantage of using method 2 is you have to change your code by searching for logging and replacing them with logger. You must take care replacing only relevant parts and leave such text as logging.DEBUG in tact.

Could you not add the newline after the first hello? i.e.

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG, format='%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s', datefmt='%H:%M:%S')
logging.info('hello\n')
logging.info('new hello')

Which will output

2014-08-06 11:37:24,061 INFO    : hello

2014-08-06 11:37:24,061 INFO    : new hello