Siticone Graphical Activity Log

The SiticoneGraphicalActivityLog is a sophisticated WinForms component for visualizing application events. It supports color-coded log entries (Info, Warning, Error, Success), automatic timestamps, smooth animations, and built-in filtering. Ideal for dashboards, server monitors, or debugging consoles where clarity and visual feedback are essential.

Logging Features

Core methods for adding, managing, and filtering log entries.

Property / Method	Type	Description & Usage Example
`LogInformation()`	Method	log.LogInformation("System Ready", LogType.Success); Adds a new entry with the specified text and type. Triggers animations and events.
`Filter()`	Method	log.Filter("error", LogType.Error); Filters visible entries by text content or log type. Pass null to clear filters.
`MaxEntries`	int	log.MaxEntries = 100; Limits the number of items kept in memory. Oldest entries are removed automatically (FIFO). Set to 0 for unlimited.
`AutoScrollToLatest`	bool	log.AutoScrollToLatest = true; Automatically scrolls to the bottom when new logs are added.

Appearance & Styling

Customize the colors used for each log level and the overall look.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`InfoColor`	Color	log.InfoColor = Color.LightBlue; Background color for `LogType.Info` entries.
`SuccessColor`	Color	log.SuccessColor = Color.Honeydew; Background color for `LogType.Success` entries.
`WarningColor`	Color	log.WarningColor = Color.LightYellow; Background color for `LogType.Warning` entries.
`ErrorColor`	Color	log.ErrorColor = Color.MistyRose; Background color for `LogType.Error` entries.
`IconColor`	Color	log.IconColor = Color.White; The foreground color of the type icons (Checkmark, X, Exclamation).
`LogEntryHeight`	int	log.LogEntryHeight = 40; The height in pixels of each log row.
`Spacing`	int	log.Spacing = 5; The vertical gap between log entries.

Timestamps

Configure automatic time tracking for log entries.

Property	Type	Description & Usage Example
`ShowTimestamp`	bool	log.ShowTimestamp = true; Prepends the creation time to the log message.
`TimestampFormat`	string	log.TimestampFormat = "HH:mm:ss"; Standard .NET DateTime format string (e.g., "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm").

Public Methods

LogInformation(string message, LogType type)

// Add various types of logs
activityLog1.LogInformation("Connection established.", LogType.Success);
activityLog1.LogInformation("Disk space low.", LogType.Warning);
activityLog1.LogInformation("Critical Failure!", LogType.Error);

Filter(string term, LogType? type)

// Show only errors containing the word "database"
activityLog1.Filter("database", LogType.Error);

// Clear all filters (show everything)
activityLog1.Filter(null, null);

ClearLogs()

// Remove all entries from the view
activityLog1.ClearLogs();

Events

Event Handling

// 1. Log Added
// Fires whenever a new entry is inserted.
activityLog1.LogAdded += (s, e) => 
{
                Console.WriteLine($"New Log: {e.LogMessage} at {e.Timestamp}");
};

// 2. Log Clicked
// Fires when the user clicks on a specific log row.
activityLog1.LogClicked += (s, e) => 
{
                MessageBox.Show($"Details: {e.LogMessage}", "Log Entry");
};

// 3. Max Entries Reached
// Fires when the oldest log is recycled due to the MaxEntries limit.
activityLog1.MaxEntriesReached += (s, e) => 
{
                Console.WriteLine("Log buffer cycling...");
};

Designer Support

The control offers robust design-time features via Smart Tags.

Category	Features
`Design Actions`	Add Sample Logs: Populates the control with dummy data to visualize layouts. Clear All Logs: Removes design-time data. Dock in Parent: Quickly fills the container.
`Configuration`	Quick access to MaxEntries, LogEntryHeight, and Color properties.

Detailed Usage Examples

Example 1: Server Monitoring Dashboard

A setup for tracking server health with color-coded status updates.

C# - Server Monitor

private void InitializeServerLog()
{
    serverLog.BackColor = Color.FromArgb(30, 30, 30);
    serverLog.LogEntryHeight = 35;
    serverLog.MaxEntries = 500; // Keep last 500 events
    serverLog.AutoScrollToLatest = true;
    
                // Custom Dark Theme
    serverLog.InfoColor = Color.FromArgb(40, 60, 80);
    serverLog.SuccessColor = Color.FromArgb(30, 60, 30);
    serverLog.ErrorColor = Color.FromArgb(60, 20, 20);
    serverLog.LogFont = new Font("Consolas", 9f);
}

private void OnServerEvent(ServerStatus status)
{
                switch (status.Code)
    {
                case 200:
            serverLog.LogInformation("Request OK", LogType.Success);
                break;
                case 404:
            serverLog.LogInformation("Resource Not Found", LogType.Warning);
                break;
                case 500:
            serverLog.LogInformation("Server Error!", LogType.Error);
                break;
    }
}

Example 2: Live Search & Filtering

Implement a search bar to filter logs dynamically as the user types.

C# - Search Logic

private void txtSearch_TextChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
                string term = txtSearch.Text;
    
                // Filter by text, keep all log types visible
    activityLog1.Filter(term, null);
}

private void chkShowErrorsOnly_CheckedChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
                if (chkShowErrorsOnly.Checked)
    {
                // Show only errors, preserve search term
        activityLog1.Filter(txtSearch.Text, LogType.Error);
    }
                else
    {
                // Show all types
        activityLog1.Filter(txtSearch.Text, null);
    }
}