Server Pretty Logs

Server Pretty Logs is the runtime banner API used to display a clean server-ready message in the terminal.

It is responsible for output like:

txt

9:31:25 AM  ● Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3 (1 ms)   run

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  i Threads: 8/8
  i Mode:    run
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

This API is not the same as application logging.

Use vix::log for structured application logs.

Use Server Pretty Logs for runtime startup banners and server-ready output.

cpp

#include <vix/utils/ServerPrettyLogs.hpp>

Namespace

cpp

namespace vix::utils

The main public types are:

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo
vix::utils::RuntimeBanner

What this API does

The Server Pretty Logs API prints a polished runtime banner when a server is ready.

It can display:

application name,
version,
startup time,
runtime mode,
status,
config path,
HTTP URL,
WebSocket URL,
thread count,
hints,
colors,
terminal hyperlinks,
and aligned terminal rows.

The main entry point is:

cpp

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

Quick example

cpp

#include <vix/utils/ServerPrettyLogs.hpp>

int main()
{
  vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;
  info.app = "Vix.cpp";
  info.version = "v2.5.3";
  info.ready_ms = 1;
  info.mode = "run";
  info.status = "ready";
  info.host = "localhost";
  info.port = 8080;
  info.scheme = "http";
  info.base_path = "/";
  info.show_ws = false;
  info.threads = 8;
  info.max_threads = 8;

  vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

  return 0;
}

Output shape:

txt

9:31:25 AM  ● Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3 (1 ms)   run

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  i Threads: 8/8
  i Mode:    run
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

The exact visual style depends on color support, terminal capabilities, and environment variables.

Public API overview

API	Purpose
`ServerReadyInfo`	Holds metadata displayed by the ready banner.
`RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info)`	Prints the server-ready banner.
`RuntimeBanner::stdout_is_tty()`	Checks whether stdout is a TTY.
`RuntimeBanner::stderr_is_tty()`	Checks whether stderr is a TTY.
`RuntimeBanner::colors_enabled()`	Checks whether colors should be used.
`RuntimeBanner::mode_from_env()`	Reads and normalizes runtime mode from `VIX_MODE`.
`RuntimeBanner::hyperlinks_enabled()`	Checks whether OSC 8 terminal hyperlinks are supported.
`RuntimeBanner::osc8_link(url, text, on)`	Builds a terminal hyperlink when enabled.

ServerReadyInfo

ServerReadyInfo contains all metadata used to build the banner.

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;

Fields

Field	Default	Purpose
`app`	`"vix.cpp"`	Application name displayed in the banner.
`version`	`""`	Optional version string.
`ready_ms`	`-1`	Startup time in milliseconds.
`mode`	`""`	Runtime mode, usually `run` or `dev`.
`status`	`"ready"`	Status label, usually `ready`, `running`, or `listening`.
`config_path`	`""`	Optional config file path.
`host`	`"localhost"`	HTTP host.
`port`	`8080`	HTTP port.
`scheme`	`"http"`	HTTP scheme, usually `http` or `https`.
`base_path`	`"/"`	HTTP base path.
`show_ws`	`true`	Whether to show the WebSocket row.
`ws_port`	`9090`	WebSocket port.
`ws_scheme`	`"ws"`	WebSocket scheme, usually `ws` or `wss`.
`ws_host`	`"localhost"`	WebSocket host.
`ws_path`	`"/"`	WebSocket path.
`show_hints`	`true`	Whether to show the Ctrl+C hint.
`threads`	`0`	Current thread count.
`max_threads`	`0`	Maximum thread count.

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

This prints a banner using default values.

Default HTTP URL:

txt

http://localhost:8080/

Default WebSocket URL:

txt

ws://localhost:9090/

Disable the WebSocket row with:

cpp

info.show_ws = false;

Full example:

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;
info.app = "Vix.cpp";
info.version = "v2.5.3";
info.mode = "run";
info.status = "ready";
info.host = "localhost";
info.port = 8080;
info.scheme = "http";
info.base_path = "/";
info.show_ws = false;

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

Output shape:

txt

9:31:25 AM  ● Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3   run

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  i Mode:    run
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;
info.app = "Vix.cpp";
info.version = "v2.5.3";

info.host = "localhost";
info.port = 8080;
info.scheme = "http";
info.base_path = "/";

info.show_ws = true;
info.ws_host = "localhost";
info.ws_port = 9090;
info.ws_scheme = "ws";
info.ws_path = "/";

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

Output shape:

txt

9:31:25 AM  ● Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  › WS:      ws://localhost:9090/
  i Mode:    run
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

Version

Set the version shown next to the app name:

cpp

info.version = "v2.5.3";

If version is empty, no version is shown.

Startup time

Set ready_ms to show startup duration:

cpp

info.ready_ms = 1;

Output shape:

txt

Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3 (1 ms)

If ready_ms is less than 0, startup time is hidden.

Runtime mode

Set the runtime mode:

cpp

info.mode = "run";

or:

cpp

info.mode = "dev";

Common values:

run
dev

When mode is dev, the banner can render a development-style tag.

Read mode from environment

Use:

cpp

info.mode = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::mode_from_env();

mode_from_env() reads:

txt

VIX_MODE

Rules:

`VIX_MODE` value	Result
`dev`	`dev`
`watch`	`dev`
`reload`	`dev`
any other value	`run`
not set	`run`

Example:

bash

VIX_MODE=dev ./app

Status

Set the runtime status:

cpp

info.status = "ready";

Common values:

ready
running
listening
warn
warning
error
failed

The banner displays the status in uppercase.

Examples:

cpp

info.status = "ready";
info.status = "running";
info.status = "listening";
info.status = "error";

Config path

Show the config file path:

cpp

info.config_path = ".env";

Output shape:

txt

i Config:  .env

If config_path is empty, the config row is hidden.

Threads

Show thread information:

cpp

info.threads = 8;
info.max_threads = 8;

Output shape:

txt

i Threads: 8/8

If only threads is set:

cpp

info.threads = 8;
info.max_threads = 0;

Output shape:

txt

i Threads: 8

If threads is 0, the thread row is hidden.

Hints

By default, the banner shows:

txt

Hint: Ctrl+C to stop the server

Disable it:

cpp

info.show_hints = false;

URL building

The banner builds the HTTP URL from:

info.scheme
info.host
info.port
info.base_path

Example:

cpp

info.scheme = "https";
info.host = "api.example.com";
info.port = 443;
info.base_path = "/v1";

Output:

txt

https://api.example.com:443/v1

If base_path does not start with /, it is normalized.

cpp

info.base_path = "api";

Output shape:

txt

http://localhost:8080/api

WebSocket URL building

The banner builds the WebSocket URL from:

info.ws_scheme
info.ws_host
info.ws_port
info.ws_path

Example:

cpp

info.ws_scheme = "wss";
info.ws_host = "api.example.com";
info.ws_port = 443;
info.ws_path = "/ws";

Output:

txt

wss://api.example.com:443/ws

If ws_path does not start with /, it is normalized.

Colors

RuntimeBanner::colors_enabled() controls whether colors are used.

Rules:

If NO_COLOR is set and non-empty, colors are disabled.
If VIX_COLOR=never, VIX_COLOR=0, or VIX_COLOR=false, colors are disabled.
If VIX_COLOR=always, VIX_COLOR=1, or VIX_COLOR=true, colors are enabled.
Otherwise, colors are enabled by default.

Disable colors

bash

NO_COLOR=1 ./app

or:

bash

VIX_COLOR=never ./app

Force colors

bash

VIX_COLOR=always ./app

TTY detection

cpp

bool out_tty = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::stdout_is_tty();
bool err_tty = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::stderr_is_tty();

On Unix-like systems, this uses terminal checks.

On Windows, these functions currently return true.

Terminal hyperlinks

The banner can use OSC 8 hyperlinks when supported.

cpp

bool enabled = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::hyperlinks_enabled();

Hyperlinks are disabled if:

txt

VIX_NO_HYPERLINK

is set and non-empty.

Hyperlinks require stderr to be a TTY.

They are enabled for supported terminal environments such as VS Code terminal, Windows Terminal, WezTerm, iTerm, Apple Terminal, Kitty, and VTE-based terminals.

They are typically disabled for tmux or screen.

Build an OSC 8 link

cpp

std::string link = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::osc8_link(
  "http://localhost:8080/",
  "http://localhost:8080/",
  true
);

If the third argument is false, the plain text is returned.

cpp

std::string text = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::osc8_link(
  "http://localhost:8080/",
  "Open server",
  false
);

Result:

txt

Open server

Disable terminal hyperlinks

bash

VIX_NO_HYPERLINK=1 ./app

Dev animation

In dev mode, the banner can render an animated dev tag.

Animation is disabled when:

txt

VIX_NO_ANIM

is set and non-empty.

Animation also requires stderr to be a TTY and colors to be enabled.

Disable animation:

bash

VIX_NO_ANIM=1 ./app

Thread synchronization

The runtime banner uses console synchronization helpers to avoid output interleaving.

Internally, it uses:

cpp

vix::utils::console_mutex()
vix::utils::console_reset_banner()
vix::utils::console_mark_banner_done()

When emit_server_ready() starts, it resets the banner state.

When the banner finishes, it marks the banner as done.

This helps other console output wait until the banner is complete.

Output stream

The banner writes to:

txt

stderr

This keeps startup/runtime status separate from normal stdout output.

Complete example

cpp

#include <vix/utils/ServerPrettyLogs.hpp>

int main()
{
  vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;

  info.app = "Vix.cpp";
  info.version = "v2.5.3";
  info.ready_ms = 1;

  info.mode = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::mode_from_env();
  info.status = "ready";

  info.scheme = "http";
  info.host = "localhost";
  info.port = 8080;
  info.base_path = "/";

  info.show_ws = true;
  info.ws_scheme = "ws";
  info.ws_host = "localhost";
  info.ws_port = 9090;
  info.ws_path = "/ws";

  info.config_path = ".env";
  info.threads = 8;
  info.max_threads = 8;
  info.show_hints = true;

  vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

  return 0;
}

Example for an HTTP server

cpp

#include <vix.hpp>
#include <vix/utils/ServerPrettyLogs.hpp>

using namespace vix;

int main()
{
  App app;

  app.get("/", [](Request &, Response &res) {
    res.json({
      "message", "Hello from Vix"
    });
  });

  vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;
  info.app = "Vix.cpp";
  info.version = "v2.5.3";
  info.ready_ms = 1;
  info.mode = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::mode_from_env();
  info.status = "ready";
  info.host = "localhost";
  info.port = 8080;
  info.show_ws = false;
  info.threads = 8;
  info.max_threads = 8;

  vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

  app.run(8080);

  return 0;
}

In a real runtime, the banner is usually emitted by the runtime/server layer when the server is ready, not manually inside every app.

Environment variables

Variable	Purpose
`NO_COLOR`	Disable colors.
`VIX_COLOR`	Control colors: `always`, `never`, `1`, `0`, `true`, `false`.
`VIX_MODE`	Runtime mode: `run`, `dev`, `watch`, `reload`.
`VIX_NO_HYPERLINK`	Disable OSC 8 terminal hyperlinks.
`VIX_NO_ANIM`	Disable banner animations.

Common outputs

Run mode

txt

9:31:25 AM  ● Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3 (1 ms)   run

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  i Threads: 8/8
  i Mode:    run
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

Dev mode

txt

9:31:25 AM  ◆ Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3 (1 ms)   dev

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  i Threads: 8/8
  i Mode:    dev (watch/reload)
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

With WebSocket

txt

9:31:25 AM  ● Vix.cpp   READY   v2.5.3 (1 ms)   run

  › HTTP:    http://localhost:8080/
  › WS:      ws://localhost:9090/
  i Threads: 8/8
  i Mode:    run
  i Status:  ready
  i Hint:    Ctrl+C to stop the server

Common mistakes

Using it for application logs

This API is for ready banners:

cpp

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

For application logs, use:

cpp

vix::log::info("request completed");

Forgetting to set `show_ws`

By default:

cpp

info.show_ws = true;

If your app does not use WebSocket, set:

cpp

info.show_ws = false;

Forgetting the base path slash

This is okay:

cpp

info.base_path = "api";

The banner normalizes it to:

txt

/api

But for clarity, prefer:

cpp

info.base_path = "/api";

Expecting colors to appear in every environment

Colors can be disabled by:

bash

NO_COLOR=1
VIX_COLOR=never

Some environments may also display ANSI output differently.

Expecting hyperlinks in every terminal

OSC 8 hyperlinks depend on terminal support.

Disable them when needed:

bash

VIX_NO_HYPERLINK=1 ./app

The banner uses console synchronization, but you should still avoid printing your own large startup output at the exact same time from another thread.

Best practices

Use ServerReadyInfo to describe the runtime state clearly:

cpp

info.app = "Vix.cpp";
info.version = "v2.5.3";
info.mode = "run";
info.status = "ready";

Hide WebSocket when not used:

cpp

info.show_ws = false;

Show thread information when available:

cpp

info.threads = worker_count;
info.max_threads = max_worker_count;

Use environment-derived mode:

cpp

info.mode = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::mode_from_env();

Disable colors in CI or log files:

bash

NO_COLOR=1

Use this API from runtime/server infrastructure, not from normal route handlers.

API reference

`ServerReadyInfo`

cpp

struct ServerReadyInfo;

Metadata displayed by the runtime ready banner.

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;
info.app = "Vix.cpp";
info.port = 8080;

`RuntimeBanner`

cpp

class RuntimeBanner final;

Static utility class for runtime banner output.

You do not instantiate it.

`emit_server_ready`

cpp

static void emit_server_ready(const ServerReadyInfo &info);

Prints the ready banner to stderr.

cpp

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

`stdout_is_tty`

cpp

static bool stdout_is_tty();

Returns whether stdout is a terminal.

cpp

bool is_tty = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::stdout_is_tty();

`stderr_is_tty`

cpp

static bool stderr_is_tty();

Returns whether stderr is a terminal.

cpp

bool is_tty = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::stderr_is_tty();

`colors_enabled`

cpp

static bool colors_enabled();

Returns whether colors are enabled for the banner.

cpp

if (vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::colors_enabled())
{
  // terminal colors are enabled
}

`mode_from_env`

cpp

static std::string mode_from_env();

Reads VIX_MODE and normalizes it to dev or run.

cpp

info.mode = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::mode_from_env();

`hyperlinks_enabled`

cpp

static bool hyperlinks_enabled();

Returns whether OSC 8 terminal hyperlinks are enabled.

cpp

bool links = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::hyperlinks_enabled();

`osc8_link`

cpp

static std::string osc8_link(
  const std::string &url,
  const std::string &text,
  bool on
);

Builds a terminal hyperlink when on is true.

cpp

auto link = vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::osc8_link(
  "http://localhost:8080/",
  "Open server",
  true
);

Summary

Server Pretty Logs is the startup banner API for Vix runtimes and servers.

Use it to display:

app name,
version,
HTTP URL,
WebSocket URL,
mode,
status,
config path,
thread count,
and stop hints.

Core usage:

cpp

vix::utils::ServerReadyInfo info;
info.app = "Vix.cpp";
info.version = "v2.5.3";
info.port = 8080;
info.show_ws = false;

vix::utils::RuntimeBanner::emit_server_ready(info);

Use vix::log for structured application logs.

Use Server Pretty Logs for polished runtime-ready output.

Server Pretty Logs ​

Header ​

Namespace ​

What this API does ​

Quick example ​

Public API overview ​

ServerReadyInfo ​

Fields ​

Minimal banner ​

HTTP-only banner ​

HTTP and WebSocket banner ​

Version ​

Startup time ​

Runtime mode ​

Read mode from environment ​

Status ​

Config path ​

Threads ​

Hints ​

URL building ​

WebSocket URL building ​

Colors ​

Disable colors ​

Force colors ​

TTY detection ​

Terminal hyperlinks ​

Build an OSC 8 link ​

Disable terminal hyperlinks ​

Dev animation ​

Thread synchronization ​

Output stream ​

Complete example ​

Example for an HTTP server ​

Environment variables ​

Common outputs ​

Run mode ​

Dev mode ​

With WebSocket ​

Common mistakes ​

Using it for application logs ​

Forgetting to set show_ws ​

Forgetting the base path slash ​

Expecting colors to appear in every environment ​

Expecting hyperlinks in every terminal ​

Printing another banner at the same time ​

Best practices ​

API reference ​

ServerReadyInfo ​

RuntimeBanner ​

emit_server_ready ​

stdout_is_tty ​

stderr_is_tty ​

colors_enabled ​

mode_from_env ​

hyperlinks_enabled ​

osc8_link ​

Summary ​

Server Pretty Logs

Header

Namespace

What this API does

Quick example

Public API overview

ServerReadyInfo

Fields

Minimal banner

HTTP-only banner

HTTP and WebSocket banner

Version

Startup time

Runtime mode

Read mode from environment

Status

Config path

Threads

Hints

URL building

WebSocket URL building

Colors

Disable colors

Force colors

TTY detection

Terminal hyperlinks

Build an OSC 8 link

Disable terminal hyperlinks

Dev animation

Thread synchronization

Output stream

Complete example

Example for an HTTP server

Environment variables

Common outputs

Run mode

Dev mode

With WebSocket

Common mistakes

Using it for application logs

Forgetting to set `show_ws`

Forgetting the base path slash

Expecting colors to appear in every environment

Expecting hyperlinks in every terminal

Printing another banner at the same time

Best practices

API reference

`ServerReadyInfo`

`RuntimeBanner`

`emit_server_ready`

`stdout_is_tty`

`stderr_is_tty`

`colors_enabled`

`mode_from_env`

`hyperlinks_enabled`

`osc8_link`

Summary