feat: enable timestamps by default in New()

.gitstow/metadata.json

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "remote": "hephaestus:/mnt/user/james/gitstow/log",
+  "last_sync": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+  "last_access": "2026-02-26T12:24:31.584375-05:00",
+  "size_bytes": 794903,
+  "head_ref": "",
+  "head_sha": "",
+  "status": "live"
+}

console-handler-proposal.md

@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+# Proposal: Enable Timestamps by Default in log.New()
+
+## Problem
+
+`log.New()` omits timestamps while `log.Default()` includes them. This inconsistency surprises users.
+
+```go
+// log.Default() includes timestamps
+log.Info("Hello world!")
+// Output: 2023/01/23 14:23:45 INFO Hello world!
+
+// log.New() does not
+logger := log.New(os.Stderr)
+logger.Info("Hello world!")
+// Output: INFO Hello world!
+```
+
+## Solution
+
+Enable timestamps by default in `log.New()`:
+
+```go
+func New(w io.Writer) *Logger {
+    return NewWithOptions(w, Options{
+        ReportTimestamp: true,
+    })
+}
+```
+
+This uses `DefaultTimeFormat` (`"2006/01/02 15:04:05"`), matching `log.Default()` behavior.
+
+Users can disable via `NewWithOptions()`:
+
+```go
+logger := log.NewWithOptions(os.Stderr, log.Options{
+    ReportTimestamp: false,
+})
+```
+
+## Impact
+
+**Breaking change**: Existing code using `log.New()` will now include timestamps.
+
+**Benefits**:
+- Consistent with `log.Default()`
+- Matches user expectations
+- Aligns with standard library behavior
+
+## API Compatibility with log/slog
+
+The `*Logger` type already implements `slog.Handler`:
+
+```go
+handler := log.NewWithOptions(os.Stderr, log.Options{
+    ReportTimestamp: true,
+    Level:           log.DebugLevel,
+})
+logger := slog.New(handler)
+```
+
+**For a familiar slog-style API, add:**
+
+```go
+// HandlerOptions provides slog-style configuration.
+type HandlerOptions struct {
+    AddSource bool
+    Level     Level
+}
+
+// NewTextHandler returns a Handler with text formatting.
+// Timestamps are enabled by default.
+func NewTextHandler(w io.Writer, opts *HandlerOptions) *Logger {
+    if opts == nil {
+        opts = &HandlerOptions{}
+    }
+    return NewWithOptions(w, Options{
+        ReportTimestamp: true,
+        Formatter:       TextFormatter,
+        Level:           opts.Level,
+        ReportCaller:    opts.AddSource,
+    })
+}
+
+// NewJSONHandler returns a Handler with JSON formatting.
+// Timestamps are enabled by default.
+func NewJSONHandler(w io.Writer, opts *HandlerOptions) *Logger {
+    if opts == nil {
+        opts = &HandlerOptions{}
+    }
+    return NewWithOptions(w, Options{
+        ReportTimestamp: true,
+        Formatter:       JSONFormatter,
+        Level:           opts.Level,
+        ReportCaller:    opts.AddSource,
+    })
+}
+```
+
+**Usage:**
+
+```go
+handler := log.NewTextHandler(os.Stderr, &log.HandlerOptions{
+    Level: log.DebugLevel,
+})
+logger := slog.New(handler)
+```
+
+## Implementation
+
+- Update `New()` to set `ReportTimestamp: true`
+- Add `HandlerOptions`, `NewTextHandler()`, `NewJSONHandler()`
+- Update tests
+- Document breaking change in release notes

context_test.go

@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ func TestLogContext_empty(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLogContext_simple(t *testing.T) {
-	l := New(io.Discard)
+	l := NewWithOptions(io.Discard, Options{})
 	ctx := WithContext(context.Background(), l)
 	require.Equal(t, l, FromContext(ctx))
 }
 
 func TestLogContext_fields(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l.SetLevel(DebugLevel)
 	ctx := WithContext(context.Background(), l.With("foo", "bar"))
 	l = FromContext(ctx)

json_test.go

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestJson(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l.SetFormatter(JSONFormatter)
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ func TestJson(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestJsonCaller(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l.SetFormatter(JSONFormatter)
 	l.SetReportCaller(true)
 	l.SetLevel(DebugLevel)
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func TestJsonCaller(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestJsonTime(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	logger := New(&buf)
+	logger := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	logger.SetTimeFunction(_zeroTime)
 	logger.SetFormatter(JSONFormatter)
 	logger.SetReportTimestamp(true)
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func TestJsonTime(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestJsonPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	logger := New(&buf)
+	logger := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	logger.SetFormatter(JSONFormatter)
 	logger.SetPrefix("my-prefix")
 	logger.Info("info")
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ func TestJsonCustomKey(t *testing.T) {
 		TimestampKey = oldTsKey
 	}()
 	TimestampKey = "other-time"
-	logger := New(&buf)
+	logger := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	logger.SetTimeFunction(_zeroTime)
 	logger.SetFormatter(JSONFormatter)
 	logger.SetReportTimestamp(true)

logfmt_test.go

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestLogfmt(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l.SetFormatter(LogfmtFormatter)
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string

logger_121_test.go

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestSlogSimple(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	h := New(&buf)
+	h := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	h.SetLevel(DebugLevel)
 	l := slog.New(h)
 	cases := []struct {
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func TestSlogSimple(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSlogWith(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	h := New(&buf)
+	h := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	h.SetLevel(DebugLevel)
 	l := slog.New(h).With("a", "b")
 	cases := []struct {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func TestSlogWith(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSlogWithGroup(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	h := New(&buf)
+	h := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l := slog.New(h).WithGroup("charm").WithGroup("bracelet")
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func TestSlogCustomLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		buf.Reset()
 		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			l := New(&buf)
+			l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 			l.SetLevel(c.minLevel)
 			l.Handle(context.Background(), slog.NewRecord(time.Now(), c.level, "foo", 0))
 			assert.Equal(t, c.expected, buf.String())

logger_test.go

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestSubLogger(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string
 		expected string
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ func TestWrongLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			buf.Reset()
-			l := New(&buf)
+			l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 			l.SetLevel(c.level)
 			l.Info("info")
 			assert.Equal(t, c.expected, buf.String())
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func TestWrongLevel(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestLogFormatter(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l.SetLevel(DebugLevel)
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func TestLogFormatter(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestEmptyMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	cases := []struct {
 		name     string
 		expected string
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ func TestLogWithPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			buf.Reset()
-			l := New(&buf)
+			l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 			l.SetPrefix(c.prefix)
 			l.Info(c.msg)
 			assert.Equal(t, c.expected, buf.String())
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func TestLogWithRaceCondition(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			l := New(w)
+			l := NewWithOptions(w, Options{})
 
 			var done sync.WaitGroup
 
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func TestRace(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
 	w := io.Discard
-	l := New(w)
+	l := NewWithOptions(w, Options{})
 	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
 		t.Run("race", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ func TestRace(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCustomLevel(t *testing.T) {
 	var buf bytes.Buffer
 	level500 := Level(500)
-	l := New(&buf)
+	l := NewWithOptions(&buf, Options{})
 	l.SetLevel(level500)
 	l.Logf(level500, "foo")
 	assert.Equal(t, "foo\n", buf.String())

pkg.go

@@ -42,8 +42,43 @@ func SetDefault(logger *Logger) {
 }
 
 // New returns a new logger with the default options.
+// Timestamps are enabled by default.
 func New(w io.Writer) *Logger {
-	return NewWithOptions(w, Options{})
+	return NewWithOptions(w, Options{ReportTimestamp: true})
+}
+
+// HandlerOptions provides slog-style configuration.
+type HandlerOptions struct {
+	AddSource bool
+	Level     Level
+}
+
+// NewTextHandler returns a Handler with text formatting.
+// Timestamps are enabled by default.
+func NewTextHandler(w io.Writer, opts *HandlerOptions) *Logger {
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = &HandlerOptions{}
+	}
+	return NewWithOptions(w, Options{
+		ReportTimestamp: true,
+		Formatter:       TextFormatter,
+		Level:           opts.Level,
+		ReportCaller:    opts.AddSource,
+	})
+}
+
+// NewJSONHandler returns a Handler with JSON formatting.
+// Timestamps are enabled by default.
+func NewJSONHandler(w io.Writer, opts *HandlerOptions) *Logger {
+	if opts == nil {
+		opts = &HandlerOptions{}
+	}
+	return NewWithOptions(w, Options{
+		ReportTimestamp: true,
+		Formatter:       JSONFormatter,
+		Level:           opts.Level,
+		ReportCaller:    opts.AddSource,
+	})
 }
 
 // NewWithOptions returns a new logger using the provided options.